April 2021: East Fife

My second out-of-area jaunt was across the Forth to Fife, and onwards to the most easterly part of what many Scots continue to refer to as “the Kingdom”. (Fife is believed to have been one of the Pictish kingdoms that pre-dated Scotland in the northern part of ancient Britain.)

St Andrews

If ever a small town (population ~17,000) punched far above its weight, that town is St Andrews. It is home to Scotland’s oldest and most prestigious university, one of the most ancient in the world. Prior to the Reformation, St Andrews was also the ecclesiastical capital of Scotland, with the largest cathedral in the country providing the seat of its most senior bishop. Sadly, that building now lies in ruins. Finally, the town is known in current times as the home of golf, and continues to be a regular host of major tournaments. I always enjoy visiting St Andrews, but hadn’t managed to do so since moving to Edinburgh. Clearly, it was time to put this right.

Crail

After St Andrews, I managed to include a short visit to the area known as the East Neuk of Fife. In particular, I called at the picturesque fishing village of Crail, which was still bereft of tourists on this admittedly cold day.