Fife ( , ; ; ) is a

council area {{Unreferenced, date=May 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) A council area is one of the areas defined in Schedule 1 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 and is under the control of one of the local authorities in Scotland created by that Ac ...

and

lieutenancy area Lieutenancy areas (), officially counties and areas for the purposes of the lieutenancies, are the separate areas of the United Kingdom that are appointed to a lord-lieutenant – a representative of the British monarch. In many cases they have s ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. A peninsula, it is bordered by the

Firth of Tay The Firth of Tay (; ) is a firth on the east coast of Scotland, into which empties the River Tay (Scotland's largest river in terms of flow). The firth is surrounded by four council areas: Fife, Perth and Kinross, Dundee City, and Angus. ...

to the north, the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

to the east, the

Firth of Forth The Firth of Forth () is a firth in Scotland, an inlet of the North Sea that separates Fife to its north and Lothian to its south. Further inland, it becomes the estuary of the River Forth and several other rivers. Name ''Firth'' is a cognate ...

to the south,

Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. It is bordered by Highland (council area), Highland and Aberdeenshire to the north, Angus, Scotland, Angus, Dundee, and F ...

to the west and

Clackmannanshire Clackmannanshire (; ; ), or the County of Clackmannan, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county, Council areas of Scotland, council area, registration counties, registration county and Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland ...

to the south-west. The largest settlement is the city of

Dunfermline Dunfermline (; , ) is a city, parish, and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland, from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. Dunfermline was the de facto capital of the Kingdom of Scotland between the 11th and 15th centuries. The earliest ...

, and the administrative centre is Glenrothes. The area has an area of and had a resident population of in , making it Scotland's largest local authority area by population. The population is concentrated in the south, which contains Dunfermline,

Kirkcaldy Kirkcaldy ( ; ; ) is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It is about north of Edinburgh and south-southwest of Dundee. The town had a recorded population of 49,460 in 2011, making it Fife's second-largest s ...

and Glenrothes. The north is less densely populated, and the largest town is

St Andrews St Andrews (; ; , pronounced ʰʲɪʎˈrˠiː.ɪɲ is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fourth-largest settleme ...

on the north-east coast. The area is governed by the unitary

Fife Council Fife Council is the local authority for the Fife area of Scotland and is the third largest Scottish council by number of councillors, having 75 elected council members. Councillors make decisions at its regular council meetings, or at those of ...

. It covers the same area as the historic county of the same name. Fife was one of the major

Pictish Pictish is an extinct Brittonic Celtic language spoken by the Picts, the people of eastern and northern Scotland from late antiquity to the Early Middle Ages. Virtually no direct attestations of Pictish remain, short of a limited number of geog ...

kingdoms Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchic state or realm ruled by a king or queen. ** A monarchic chiefdom, represented or governed by a king or queen. * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and me ...

, known as ''Fib'', and is still commonly known as the Kingdom of Fife within Scotland. The

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

is the oldest of the

ancient universities of Scotland The ancient universities of Scotland () are medieval universities, medieval and renaissance universities that continue to exist in the present day. Together, the four universities are the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, ol ...

and one of the oldest universities in the world, and the

Old Course at St Andrews The Old Course at St Andrews, also known as the Old Lady or the Grand Old Lady, is considered the oldest golf course in the world. It is a public course over common land in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, and is held in trust by the St Andrews Links ...

the world's oldest

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...

. A person from Fife is known as a ''Fifer''.

History

Fife, bounded to the north by the

and to the south by the

, is a natural peninsula whose political boundaries have changed little over the ages. The Pictish king list and De Situ Albanie documents of the Poppleton manuscript mention the division of the

realm or

Alba ''Alba'' ( , ) is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is also, in English-language historiography, used to refer to the polity of Picts and Scots united in the ninth century as the Kingdom of Alba, until it developed into the Kingd ...

ny into seven sub-kingdoms, one being Fife. The earliest known reference to the common epithet ''The Kingdom of Fife'' dates from only 1678, in a proposition that the term derives from the quasi-regal privileges of the Earl of Fife. The notion of a kingdom may derive from a misinterpretation of an extract from Wyntoun. The name is recorded as ''Fib'' in A.D. 1150 and ''Fif'' in 1165. It was often associated with Fothriff. The hill-fort of Clatchard Craig, near Newburgh, was occupied as an important

stronghold between the sixth and eighth centuries AD. Fife was an important royal and political centre from the reign of King

Malcolm III Malcolm III (; ; –13 November 1093) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Alba from 1058 to 1093. He was later nicknamed "Canmore" (, , understood as "great chief"). Malcolm's long reign of 35 years preceded the beginning of the Scoto-Norma ...

onwards, as the leaders of

gradually moved southwards away from their ancient strongholds around Scone. Malcolm had his principal home in

and his wife

Margaret Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...

was the main benefactor of

Dunfermline Abbey Dunfermline Abbey is a Church of Scotland parish church in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. The church occupies the site of the ancient chancel and transepts of a large medieval Benedictine abbey, which was confiscated and sacked in 1560 during the S ...

. The Abbey replaced Iona as the final resting place of Scotland's royal elite, with

Robert I Robert I may refer to: * Robert I, Duke of Neustria (697–748) *Robert I of France (866–923), King of France, 922–923, rebelled against Charles the Simple * Rollo, Duke of Normandy (c. 846 – c. 930; reigned 911–927) * Robert I Archbishop o ...

amongst those to be buried there. The Earl of Fife was until the 15th century considered the principal peer of the Scottish realm, and reserved the right of crowning the nation's monarchs, reflecting the prestige of the area. A new royal palace was gradually constructed at Falkland, formerly the stronghold of Clan MacDuff, and was used by successive monarchs of the

House of Stuart The House of Stuart, originally spelled Stewart, also known as the Stuart dynasty, was a dynasty, royal house of Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and later Kingdom of Great Britain, Great ...

, who favoured Fife for its rich hunting grounds. King

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

described Fife, in the golden fringe being the coast and its chain of little ports with their thriving fishing fleets and rich trading links with the

Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...

Wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...

and

salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

were all traded. Salt pans heated by local coal were historically a feature of the Fife coast. The distinctive red clay pan tiles seen on many old buildings in Fife arrived as ballast on trading boats and replaced the previously thatched roofs. In 1598, King James VI employed a group of 11 men from Fife, who became known as the Fife adventurers, to colonise the

Isle of Lewis The Isle of Lewis () or simply Lewis () is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. The two parts are frequently referred to as if they were separate islands. The t ...

in an attempt to begin the "civilisation" and de-gaelicisation of the region. This endeavour lasted until 1609 when the colonists, having been opposed by the native population, were bought out by Kenneth Mackenzie, the

clan chief The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard ci ...

of the Mackenzies. Fife became a centre of heavy industry in the 19th century. Coal had been mined in the area since at least the 12th century, but the number of pits increased ten-fold as demand for coal grew in the Victorian period. Previously rural villages such as

Cowdenbeath Cowdenbeath () is a town and burgh in west Fife, Scotland. It is north-east of Dunfermline and north of the capital, Edinburgh. The town grew up around the extensive coalfields of the area and became a police burgh in 1890. According to a 20 ...

rapidly swelled into towns as thousands moved to Fife to find work in its mines. The opening of the Forth and Tay rail bridges linked Fife with Dundee and Edinburgh and allowed the rapid transport of goods. Modern ports were constructed at Methil,

Burntisland Burntisland ( , ) is a former Royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland, on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. It was previously known as Wester Kinghorn or Little Kinghorn. The town has a population of 6,269 (2011). Burntisland is known ...

and

Rosyth Rosyth () is a town and Garden City in Fife, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth. Scotland's first Garden city movement, Garden City, Rosyth is part of the Greater Dunfermline Area and is located 3 miles south of Dunfermline city cen ...

. Kirkcaldy became the world centre for the production of

linoleum Linoleum is a floor covering made from materials such as solidified linseed oil (linoxyn), Pine Resin, pine resin, ground Cork (material), cork dust, sawdust, and mineral fillers such as calcium carbonate, most commonly on a Hessian fabric, hes ...

Postwar A post-war or postwar period is the interval immediately following the end of a war. The term usually refers to a varying period of time after World War II, which ended in 1945. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum, ...

Fife saw the development of Scotland's second

new town New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz (South Korean band), The Boyz * New (album), ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** New (Paul McCartney song), "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * New (EP), ''New'' (EP), ...

, Glenrothes. Originally to provide housing for miners at a new coal mine, the town eventually attracted a high number of modern Silicon Glen companies to the region. Fife Council and Fife Constabulary also centre their operations in Glenrothes. There are numerous notable historical buildings in Fife, some of which are managed by the

National Trust for Scotland The National Trust for Scotland () is a Scottish Building preservation and conservation trusts in the UK, conservation organisation. It is the largest membership organisation in Scotland and describes itself as "the charity that cares for, sha ...

Historic Scotland Historic Scotland () was an executive agency of the Scottish Government, executive agency of the Scottish Office and later the Scottish Government from 1991 to 2015, responsible for safeguarding Scotland's built heritage and promoting its und ...

. They include Dunfermline Abbey (the last resting place of Scottish royalty), the palace in Culross, Ravenscraig Castle in Kirkcaldy, Dysart Harbour area,

Balgonie Castle Balgonie Castle is located on the south bank of the River Leven, Fife, River Leven near Milton of Balgonie, east of Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland. The castle keep dates from the 14th century, and the remaining structures were added piecemeal unt ...

near Coaltown of Balgonie, Falkland Palace (hunting palace of the Scottish Kings), Kellie Castle near Pittenweem, Hill of Tarvit (a historical house), St. Andrews Castle, St. Andrews Cathedral and St. Rule's Tower.

Administrative history

Fife was one of the ancient

provinces of Scotland The provinces of Scotland were the primary subdivisions of the early Kingdom of Alba, first recorded in the 10th century and probably developing from earlier Pictish territories. Provinces were led by a '' mormaer'', the leader of the most powerfu ...

, under the authority of the

Mormaer In early medieval Scotland, a mormaer was the Gaelic name for a regional or provincial ruler, theoretically second only to the King of Scots, and the senior of a '' Toísech'' (chieftain). Mormaers were equivalent to English earls or Continenta ...

or Earl of Fife. The early province of Fife appears to have covered only that part of the later county lying east of a line from Newburgh to Scoonie. The western part of the later county was in the province of Fothriff, which also covered areas that would later become Kinross-shire and part of

, including the town of Clackmannan. By the early thirteenth century Fothriff had been joined to the earldom of Fife. Sometime between the reign of David I (reigned 1124–1153) and the mid-thirteenth century, this part of Scotland was divided into

shires Shire () is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries. It is generally synonymous with county (such as Cheshire and Worcestershire). British counties are among the oldes ...

, being areas administered by a

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...

. Kinross and Clackmannan were each given their own sheriffs, whilst the rest of the Fife and Fothriff area was placed under the authority of the Sheriff of Fife. Over time, Scotland's shires became more significant than the old provinces, with more administrative functions being given to the sheriffs. The larger earldom of Fife, including Kinross and Clackmannan, was therefore gradually eclipsed in importance by the smaller shire of Fife. In 1667

Commissioners of Supply Commissioners of Supply were local administrative bodies in Scotland from 1667 to 1930. Originally established in each sheriffdom to collect tax, they later took on much of the responsibility for the local government of the counties of Scotland. ...

were established for each shire, which would serve as the main administrative body for the area until the creation of county councils in 1890. Following the Acts of Union in 1707, the English term "county" came to be used interchangeably with the older term "shire". Elected county councils were established in 1890 under the

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 ( 52 & 53 Vict. c. 50) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which was passed on 26 August 1889. The main effect of the act was to establish elected county councils in Scotland. In this it fol ...

, taking most of the functions of the commissioners (which were eventually abolished in 1930). The two

burgh A burgh ( ) is an Autonomy, autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots language, Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I of Scotland, King David I created ...

s of

and

were deemed capable of managing their own affairs and so were excluded from the administrative area of the county council. The 1889 act also led to a review of boundaries, with several

exclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is s ...

s being transferred to a county they actually bordered, and parishes which straddled more than one county being adjusted such that each parish was entirely in a single county. These changes saw some adjustments to Fife's boundaries with Kinross-shire and Perthshire, with the most significant change being that Fife gained the two parishes of

Culross Culross (/ˈkurəs/) (Scottish Gaelic: ''Cuileann Ros'', 'holly point or promontory') is a village and former royal burgh, and parish, in Fife, Scotland. According to the 2006 estimate, the village has a population of 395. Originally, Culross ...

and Tulliallan, which had previously formed an exclave of Perthshire. Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy were brought within the administrative area of the county council in 1930, but classed as large burghs, allowing them to continue to deliver many local government functions themselves. Fife County Council was based at County Buildings in Catherine Street in Cupar, which had been built in 1817 as the county's sheriff court and meeting place for the commissioners of supply, replacing the town's medieval

tolbooth A tolbooth or town house was the main municipal building of a Scotland, Scottish burgh, from medieval times until the 19th century. The tolbooth usually provided a council meeting chamber, a court house and a jail. The tolbooth was one of th ...

which had performed the same functions. Fife County Council was abolished in 1975 under the

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65) is an Act of Parliament (UK), act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered local government of Scotland, local government in Scotland on 16 May 1975. The act followed and largely impleme ...

, which replaced Scotland's counties, burghs and landward districts with a two-tier structure of upper-tier

regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

and lower-tier

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

. Fife region was created covering the same area as the county, divided into three

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

and North-East Fife. In 1996 the district councils were abolished and Fife Regional Council became a

unitary authority A unitary authority is a type of local government, local authority in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Unitary authorities are responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are ...

known as Fife Council. Fife is one of the six local authorities in the city region of Edinburgh and southeast Scotland. There was a

parliamentary constituency An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provi ...

Fife Fife ( , ; ; ) is a council areas of Scotland, council area and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland. A peninsula, it is bordered by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Firth of Forth to the s ...

in the

House of Commons of the United Kingdom The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...

until 1885 and the Fife constituency in the

Parliament of Scotland In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

until the

Acts of Union 1707 The Acts of Union refer to two acts of Parliament, one by the Parliament of Scotland in March 1707, followed shortly thereafter by an equivalent act of the Parliament of England. They put into effect the international Treaty of Union agree ...

Governance

Fife is represented by five constituency members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) and four members of the United Kingdom parliament (MPs) who are sent to Holyrood and the

British Parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of ...

respectively. Following the 2015 general election, all four of the MPs constituencies were held by the

Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic party. The party holds 61 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, and holds 9 out of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, ...

. In the 2017 general election,

Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy is a county constituency representing the areas around the towns of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, in Fife, Scotland, in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

was regained by Labour. At the same election, the seat of North East Fife became the closest seat in the country with the SNP holding a majority of 2 over the Liberal Democrats. Three of the Scottish Parliament constituencies are held by the

and Mid Fife and Glenrothes. One is held by the

Scottish Liberal Democrats The Scottish Liberal Democrats () is a liberal, federalist political party in Scotland, part of UK Liberal Democrats. The party holds 5 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, 6 of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons and 86 of 1 ...

: North East Fife.

's administrative headquarters and

Police Scotland Police Scotland (), officially the Police Service of Scotland (), is the national police force of Scotland. It was formed in 2013, through the merging of eight regional police forces in Scotland, as well as the specialist services of the Scottis ...

's P Division (formerly Fife Constabulary) are based in Glenrothes. The Council meetings take place in Fife House in the town centre. The west wing of the building was built by the Glenrothes Development Corporation (GDC) as their offices in 1969, which was later used as the headquarters of Fife Regional Council from shortly after its creation in 1975.Ferguson ''A History of Glenrothes'' p.91.

Geography

Fife is a

peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

in eastern Scotland bordered on the north by the

, on the east by the

and by the

to the south. The route to the west is partially blocked by the mass of the

Ochil Hills The Ochil Hills (; ) is a range of hills in Scotland north of the River Forth, Forth valley bordered by the cities of Stirling, Perth, Scotland, Perth and the towns of Alloa, Kinross, and Auchterarder . The only major roads crossing the hil ...

. Almost all road traffic into and out of Fife has to pass over one of four bridges, south on the Forth Road Bridge (public transport and cyclists only) and Queensferry Crossing, west on the Kincardine Bridge or north-east via the Tay Road Bridge, the exception being traffic headed north on the M90. Tolls were abolished on the Tay Road Bridge and Forth Road Bridge on 11 February 2008. There are extinct

volcanic A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often fo ...

features, such as the Lomond Hills which rise above rolling farmland, and Largo Law, a

volcanic plug A volcanic plug, also called a volcanic neck or lava neck, is a volcano, volcanic object created when magma hardens within a Volcanic vent, vent on an active volcano. When present, a plug can cause an extreme build-up of high gas pressure if risi ...

in the east. At , the West Lomond is the highest point in Fife. The coast has fine but small harbours, from the industrial docks in

and

to the fishing villages of the

East Neuk The East Neuk () or East Neuk of Fife is an area of the coast of Fife, Scotland. "Neuk" is the Scots language, Scots word for nook or corner, and the East Neuk is generally accepted to comprise the fishing villages of the most northerly part o ...

such as

Anstruther Anstruther ( ; ) is a coastal town in Fife, Scotland, situated on the north-shore of the Firth of Forth and south-southeast of St Andrews. The town comprises two settlements, Anstruther Easter and Anstruther Wester, which are divided by a st ...

and Pittenweem. The large area of flat land to the north of the Lomond Hills, through which the River Eden flows, is known as the Howe of Fife. Northeast Fife

North of the Lomond Hills can be found villages and small towns in a primarily agricultural landscape. The areas in the south and west of Fife, including the towns of

, Glenrothes,

and the

Levenmouth Levenmouth is a conurbation comprising a network of settlements on the north side of the Firth of Forth, in Fife on the east coast of Scotland. It consists of three principal coastal towns; Leven, Fife, Leven, Buckhaven, and Methil, and a number ...

region are lightly industrial and more densely populated. The only areas which could claim to be heavily industrial are

, around the naval dockyard and perhaps the Mossmorran Natural Gas Liquids fractionation plant on the outskirts of Cowdenbeath. The east corner of Fife, along the string of villages between Earlsferry and Kingsbarns, and along with their hinterland, is known as the East Neuk (corner, or projecting point of land) of Fife; small settlements around sheltered harbours, with distinctive vernacular "Dutch" or corbie (crow) stepped gabled and stone-built architecture. The area has amongst the highest concentration of second homes and holiday lets in Scotland. The

fishing industry The fishing industry includes any industry or activity that takes, cultures, processes, preserves, stores, transports, markets or sells fish or fish products. It is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization as including recreational, sub ...

, on which the coastal East Neuk settlements were built, has declined in recent years with the main fishing fleet now operating from Pittenweem and the harbour in Anstruther being used as a marina for pleasure craft. There are several islands located off the coast of Fife, such as the

Isle of May An isle is an island, land surrounded by water. The term is very common in British English. However, there is no clear agreement on what makes an island an isle or its difference, so they are considered synonyms. Isle may refer to: Geography * Is ...

, Inchkeith and Inchcolm. The former Preston Island south of Valleyfield is no longer an island following land reclamation work.

Demography

Settlements

Cupar took over as

county town In Great Britain and Ireland, a county town is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county, and the place where public representatives are elected to parliament. Following the establishment of county councils in ...

from

Crail Crail (; ) is a former royal burgh, parish and Community council#Scotland, community council area (Royal Burgh of Crail and District) in the East Neuk of Fife, Scotland. The locality has an estimated population of 1,630 (2018). Etymology The ...

in the early 13th century. Glenrothes is now the administrative centre, after the decision to locate the headquarters of the newly established Fife Regional Council there in 1975. Fife's three major towns are

(awarded

city status City status is a symbolic and legal designation given by a monarch, national or subnational government. A municipality may receive city status because it already has the qualities of a city, or because it has some special purpose. Historically, ci ...

in 2022) and Glenrothes. According to the 2012 estimate, Dunfermline is the largest settlement by population, followed by

then Glenrothes. The next most sizeable towns by population are

, Methil and

Dalgety Bay Dalgety Bay () is a coastal town and parish in Fife, Scotland, on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, 9 miles from Edinburgh city centre. It is part of the Greater Dunfermline Area and is connected to Inverkeithing to the West. The civil pa ...

. Largest settlements by population:

Historic parishes

The county was formerly divided into parishes, often but not always based on a town or village: * Abbotshall * Abdie * Aberdour * Anstruther Easter * Anstruther Wester * Arngask (to

Perthshire Perthshire (Scottish English, locally: ; ), officially the County of Perth, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore, Angus and Perth & Kinross, Strathmore ...

in 1891) * Auchterderran *

Auchtermuchty Auchtermuchty ( ; , 'upland of the pigs/boar') is a town in Fife, Scotland. It is beside Pitlour Hill and north of Glenrothes. History Until 1975 Auchtermuchty was a royal burgh, established under charter of James V of Scotland, King Jame ...

* Auchtertool * Ballingry *

Balmerino Balmerino is a small village and former monastic centre in Fife, Scotland. It is the home of Balmerino Abbey and the former Abbot of Balmerino, abbots of Balmerino who were great regional landlords. It became a secular lordship in 1605 when th ...

* Beath * Buckhaven *

* Cameron * Carnbee * Carnock * Cellardyke * Ceres * Collessie *

* Creich * Crossgates *

(to Fife from Perthshire, 1891) * Cults * Cupar * Dairsie * Dalgety * Dunbog *

* Dunino * Dysart * Elie * Falkland * Ferry Port on Craig * Flisk * Forgan * Freuchie * Glenrothes *

Inverkeithing Inverkeithing ( ; ) is a coastal town, parish and historic Royal burgh in Fife, Scotland. The town lies on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, northwest of Edinburgh city centre and south of Dunfermline. A town of ancient origin, Inverke ...

* Kelty *

Kemback Kemback (Scottish Gaelic: ''Ceann Bac'') is a village and parish in Fife, Scotland, located east of Cupar. The present village was developed in the 19th century to house those working the flax mills on the nearby Ceres Burn. From 1681 the minis ...

* Kennoway *

Kilconquhar Kilconquhar (, locally also ) is a village and parish in Fife in Scotland. It includes the small hamlet of Barnyards. It is bounded by the parishes of Elie, Ceres, Cameron, St Monans, Carnbee, Newburn and Largo.Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotl ...

* Kilmany * Kilrenny *

Kinghorn Kinghorn (; ) is a town and parish in Fife, Scotland. A seaside resort with two beaches, Kinghorn Beach and Pettycur Bay, plus a fishing port, it stands on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, opposite Edinburgh. Known as the place where K ...

* Kinglassie * Kingsbarns * Kingskettle *

Ladybank Ladybank () is a village and former burgh of Fife, Scotland. It is about north of Edinburgh, southwest of Cupar, close to the River Eden, Fife, River Eden. Its 2006 population was estimated at 1,582. History Before the 18th century, this area ...

* Largo * Leslie *

Leuchars Leuchars (pronounced or ; "rushes") is a town and parish near the north-east coast of Fife in Scotland. The civil parish has a population of 5,754 (in 2011) Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS101SC – Usually Resident Population, publ. by Nati ...

* Leven * Lochgelly * Logie * Lumphinnans *

Markinch Markinch (, Scottish Gaelic: Marc Innis) is both a village and a parish in the heart of Fife, Scotland. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the village has a population of 2,420. The civil parish had a population of 16,530 (in 2011).Census ...

* Methil * Monimail * Moonzie * Newburgh * Newburn * Pitlessie * Pittenweem *

* Saline * Scoonie * St Andrews & St Leonards * St Monance (and Abercrombie) *

Strathmiglo Strathmiglo () (Ordnance Survey ) is a village and parish in the north east of Fife, Scotland on the River Eden, Fife, River Eden. It lies on the old A91 road from Milnathort to Cupar and St. Andrews but was bypassed by a new road to the north ...

* Thornton * Torryburn * Wellwood * Wemyss * Wormit

Communities

Fife is divided into 105 community council areas, 85 of which have

community council A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain. In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. ...

s as at 2023.

Culture

Fife contains 4,961

listed buildings In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

and 48

conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...

s. Domestic sites of importance include Falkland Palace, Kellie Castle, Dunfermline Palace, St Andrews Castle,

Culross Palace Culross Palace is a late 16th to early 17th century merchant's house in Culross, Fife, Scotland. The palace, or "Great Lodging", was constructed between 1597 and 1611 by Sir George Bruce of Carnock, George Bruce, the Laird of Carnock. The house ...

and Kirkcaldy's

Ravenscraig Castle Ravenscraig Castle is a ruined castle located in Kirkcaldy which dates from around 1460. The castle is an early example of artillery defence in Scotland. History The construction of Ravenscraig Castle by the mason Henry Merlion and the master c ...

. Fife also has a number of ecclesiastical sites of historical interest. St Andrews Cathedral was home to the powerful Archbishopric of St Andrews, and later became a centre of the

Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process whereby Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke away from the Catholic Church, and established the Protestant Church of Scotland. It forms part of the wider European 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Fr ...

, while

was the last resting place of a number of Scottish kings.

and

abbeys were both founded in the 13th century by the

Cistercians The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

, while a century before Lindores Abbey was founded by the Tironensians outside Newburgh; all were highly important sites. The Stanza Poetry Festival, East Neuk Festival, and Pittenweem Arts Festival are events of national cultural importance. Smaller festivals like the Cupar Arts Festival and Largo Arts Week also take place. The Byre Theatre in St Andrews and Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy are both highly regarded as touring venues, the latter also being the base of the

grand opera Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterized by large-scale casts and Orchestra, orchestras. The original productions consisted of spectacular design and stage effects with plots normally based on o ...

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

Fife Opera. The Byre has re-opened in Autumn, 2014 following its going into

administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal: the process of dealing with or controlling things or people. ** Administrative assistant, traditionally known as a se ...

in 2012. The Alhambra Theatre in Dunfermline and Rothes Halls in Glenrothes are also popular venues for touring musicians, theatre companies, comedians and local musical theatre groups to perform. Dunfermline Children's Gala is an annual event, held in June and is the largest gala in Fife. Primary school pupils parade through the centre of the city to Pittencrieff Park. It began in 1902 and is now organised by a charity and funded entirely by donations.

Places of interest

* Aberdour Castle * Balbirnie Stone Circle * Balfarg *

Balmerino Abbey Balmerino Abbey, or St Edward's Abbey, in Balmerino, Fife, Scotland, was a Cistercians, Cistercian monastery which has been ruinous since the 16th century. History It was founded from 1227 to 1229 by monks from Melrose Abbey with the patronag ...

* Bunnet Stane *

Cambo Estate Cambo Estate lies close to the village of Kingsbarns in north-east Fife, Scotland. It is within the East Neuk, south-east of St Andrews. At the heart of the estate lies the 19th-century Cambo House, the home of Erskine baronets, Sir Peter Erski ...

* Caves of Caiplie * Church of St Mary on the Rock * Craigtoun Country Park * Culross Abbey * Deep Sea World *

* Dunfermline Palace * Falkland Palace * Fife Coastal Path * Fife Folk Museum * Fife Heritage Railway * Fife Pilgrim Way * Forth Bridge * Inchcolm Abbey *

* Kellie Castle * Kingsbarns Distillery and Visitor Centre * Kirkcaldy Galleries * Lindores Abbey * Lindores Abbey distillery * Links Market * Lochore Meadows * Lomond Hills Regional Park * Lundin Links standing stones * MacDuff's Cross * Museum of the University of St Andrews * Newark Castle * Norman's Law *

* Pittencrieff Park *

* Reaper (sailing vessel) * Riverside Park, Glenrothes * Rosyth Castle * Scotland's Secret Bunker * Scottish Deer Centre * Scottish Fisheries Museum * Seafield Tower * St Andrews Aquarium * St Andrews Castle * St Andrews Cathedral * St Andrews Museum * Swilcan Bridge * Tay Rail Bridge * Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve * R&A World Golf Museum

Notable Fifers

Robert Adam Robert Adam (3 July 17283 March 1792) was a British neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam (architect), William Adam (1689–1748), Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and train ...

, architect * Stuart Adamson, musician (

Big Country Big Country are a Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife, in 1981. The height of the band's popularity was in the early to mid 1980s, although they have retained a cult following for many years since. The band's music inc ...

, the Skids) * Robert Hope Moncrieff Aitken,

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in the 13th, Bengal Native Infantry, awarded the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

* William Allan, classicist at the University of Oxford *

Ian Anderson Ian Scott Anderson (born 10 August 1947) is a British musician best known for being the chief vocalist, Flute, flautist, and acoustic guitarist of the British rock band Jethro Tull (band), Jethro Tull. He is a multi-instrumentalist who also p ...

, musician, frontman of Jethro Tull *

Iain Banks Iain Banks (16 February 1954 – 9 June 2013) was a Scottish author, writing mainstream fiction as Iain Banks and science fiction as Iain M. Banks, adding the initial of his adopted middle name Menzies (). After the success of '' The Wasp Fact ...

, writer * Lady Anne Barnard, travel writer, artist and socialite of the period * Andrew Whyte Barclay, physician, Lumleian lecturer, and Harveian orator * Jim Baxter, footballer * David Bethune, Archbishop of St Andrews * George Bethune, MSP for Kilrenny * James Bethune, Archbishop of St Andrews * James Bethune, Archbishop of Glasgow * Janet Bethune, noblewoman * Mary Bethune, attendant of

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

* Elizabeth Bethune, mistress of King

James V of Scotland James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV a ...

* Guy Berryman, bassist from the band

Coldplay Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey (band m ...

* Sir James Black, pharmacologist and nobel prize winner * Sir Ernley Blackwell, lawyer and civil servant * Edith Bowman, BBC Radio 1/6 DJ * Caroline Brazier, librarian *

Gordon Brown James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. Previously, he was Chancellor of the Ex ...

, former British Prime Minister and

Chancellor of the Exchequer The chancellor of the exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and the head of HM Treasury, His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, t ...

and former MP for

* Scott Brown,

and Celtic F.C. footballer * Gregory Burke, playwright * Kenn Burke, ballet dancer *

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie ( , ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the History of the iron and steel industry in the United States, American steel industry in the late ...

, industrialist and philanthropist * Henry Chisholm, steel industry executive *

Jim Clark James Clark (4 March 1936 – 7 April 1968) was a British racing driver from Scotland, who competed in Formula One from to . Clark won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles with Lotus, and—at the time of his death—held the ...

, two-times Formula One World Drivers' Champion * James Clephan, Lieutenant on board HMS ''Spartiate'' during the

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval engagement that took place on 21 October 1805 between the Royal Navy and a combined fleet of the French Navy, French and Spanish Navy, Spanish navies during the War of the Third Coalition. As part of Na ...

* Archibald Constable, publisher, bookseller and stationer * Kenneth Cranham, actor *

King Creosote Kenny Anderson (born January 1967), known primarily by his stage name King Creosote, is an independent singer-songwriter from Fife, Scotland. To date, Anderson has released over forty albums, with his latest full length, '' I DES'', released in ...

, musician * Lawrence Daly, General Secretary of the NUM * David Danskin, principal founding member of Arsenal FC * James Dewar, judge *

Barbara Dickson Barbara Ruth Dickson (born 27 September 1947) is a Scottish singer and actress whose hits include " I Know Him So Well" (a chart-topping duet with Elaine Paige), " Answer Me" and " January February". Dickson has placed fifteen albums on the UK ...

, singer and actress * Thomas Millie Dow, artist, a member of the Glasgow School * Peter Dumbreck, racing driver and 1998 Macau Grand Prix winner *

Philip Charles Durham Admiral (Royal Navy), Admiral Sir Philip Charles Henderson Calderwood Durham, Order of the Bath, GCB (baptised 29 July 1763 – 2 April 1845) was a Royal Navy officer whose service in the American War of Independence, French Revolutionary War ...

, sailor and captain of HMS ''Defiance'' at Trafalgar * Marjorie Fleming, child writer and poet * Sir Sandford Fleming, engineer, who proposed worldwide standard

time zones Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to compa ...

, engineered on the

Intercolonial Railway The Intercolonial Railway of Canada , also referred to as the Intercolonial Railway (ICR), was a historic Canada, Canadian railway that operated from 1872 to 1918, when it became part of Canadian National Railways. As the railway was also compl ...

and the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

* Valentine Fleming, member of parliament and father of the author

Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer, best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his ...

* John Forbes, named the city of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

* Chris Fusaro, rugby player * William Gear, artist * Thomas Lomar Gray, engineer noted for his pioneering work in seismology * Martin Grehan, footballer * Samuel Greig, Russian admiral and "Father of the Russian Navy" *

Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. A Literary realism, Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry ...

, minister of religion,

Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every year. After chairing the Ass ...

and Professor of Ecclesiastical History at

Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the town council under the authority of a royal charter from King James VI in 1582 and offi ...

* Alexander Henderson, theologian, and an important ecclesiastical statesman * Shirley Henderson, actress * George Horne_(rugby_union), rugby player * Peter Horne, rugby player * Bob Howie and Dave Howie, rugby players * Ninian Imrie, army officer and geologist * Richard Jobson, filmmaker, television presenter, musician, the Skids * Peter Johnstone, Celtic FC footballer * Henrietta Keddie, novelist who wrote under the pseudonym Sarah Tytler * Deborah Knox, Olympic gold medallist in curling *

Craig Levein Craig William Levein (born 22 October 1964) is a Scottish professional association football, football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of Scottish Premiership club St Johnstone F.C., St Johnstone. During his playing c ...

, Scottish former professional footballer and manager * Jackie Leven, singer-songwriter * Wallace Lindsay, classical scholar, palaeographer, Professor of Humanity at St Andrews University * Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie, 16th-century writer * George Lauder Sr, Politician, industrialist * George Lauder Jr, Industrialist * Anne Macaulay musicologist, archaeologist, author and lecturer * Douglas Mackinnon, director *

Val McDermid Valarie McDermid (born 4 June 1955) is a Scottish crime writer, best known for a series of novels featuring clinical psychologist Dr. Tony Hill and his collaborators in the police department. Her work is considered to be part of a sub-genre k ...

, writer * Ken McNaught, footballer, Aston Villa F.C. centre back, 1982 European Cup Winner * Willie McNaught, footballer, Raith Rovers F.C. defender * Steve Mason_(musician), The Beta Band, King Biscuit Time, Black Affair * Old Tom Morris,

greenskeeper A greenskeeper is a person responsible for the upkeep of a golf course. Their duties include all Horticulture, horticultural practices, as well as the setting of flag-sticks and marking of Hazard (golf), hazards. Other responsibilities typically ...

St Andrews Links and 4 times champion of

The Open Championship The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...

* Tom Nairn, political theorist of nationalism * Rab Noakes, singer, songwriter, record producer * Aileen Paterson, author/illustrator * John Philip, missionary in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

* David Pitcairn, physician * John Pitcairn, British Royal marines, Marine officer killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill * William Pitcairn, physician * Ian Rankin, writer * The Proclaimers, Craig and Charlie Reid, singer-songwriters of the Proclaimers * David Rollo (rugby union), David Rollo, rugby player * Craig Russell (British author), writer * Clive Russell, actor * Saint Mungo, missionary and patron saint/founder of Glasgow (born in

) * Dougray Scott, actor * John Scrimgeour of Myres, Master of Work to the Crown of Scotland, Master of Work for royal buildings for James V and Mary, Queen of Scots * Alexander Selkirk, seafarer and inspiration for ''Robinson Crusoe'' * Jimmy Shand, accordion player * Daniel Sloss, comedian * Adam Smith, philosopher and economist * Jordan Smith (actor), Jordan Smith, actor * Mary Fairfax Somerville, science writer and polymath * Catherine Steele, plant biochemist * David Steel, former Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament and leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal party and Member of the Scottish Parliament, MSP for Lothians (Scottish Parliament electoral region), Lothian and Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), MP for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (UK Parliament constituency), Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale * Ian Stewart (musician), Ian Stewart, co-founder of the Rolling Stones * Lawrence Storione, miner and anarchist organiser * John Struthers (anatomist), Sir John Struthers, first Regius Professor of Anatomy at the University of Aberdeen * John McDouall Stuart, explorer of Australia's interior * Michaela Tabb, first female snooker referee to appear at the Crucible * William Tennant (poet), William Tennant, scholar and poet * John Thomson (footballer, born 1909), John Thomson, Celtic F.C., Celtic and Scotland men's national football team, Scotland goalkeeper * KT Tunstall, musician * Jack Vettriano, artist * William Montgomery Watt, historian, Emeritus Professor in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Edinburgh * Andrew G. L. Whitelaw, neonatologist, researcher, and medical academic * David Wilkie (artist), Sir David Wilkie, painter * Alexander Wilson (astronomer), Alexander Wilson, surgeon, type-founder, astronomer, mathematician and meteorologist * James Wilson (Founding Father), James Wilson, signer of US Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, appointed by George Washington to first Supreme Court of the United States, Supreme Court * Jocky Wilson, darts player * James Yorkston, musician * Douglas Young (classicist), Douglas Young, poet, scholar, translator, and leader of the

Sports

in Fife is the home of golf, and the headquarters of The R&A, the governing body of the sport throughout the world, aside from the United States and Mexico. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, from which it was devolved in 2004, is the world's oldest golf club. Golfers from all over the world visit Fife to play the many famous Links courses, from the seven courses available to play in St Andrews alone to Scotscraig, Kingsbarns, Crail (two courses), Elie, Dumbarnie Links, Lundin Links, Leven Links and Kinghorn as well as the many parkland, heathland and clifftop courses scattered across the region. Fife has four association football, football clubs that play in the Scottish Professional Football League: Dunfermline Athletic F.C., Dunfermline Athletic, East Fife F.C., East Fife (based in Methil), Kelty Hearts F.C., Kelty Hearts, and Raith Rovers F.C., Raith Rovers (based in Kirkcaldy); Cowdenbeath F.C., Cowdenbeath played at this level between 1905 and 2022 but are now members of the Lowland Football League. Fifteen clubs compete in the East of Scotland Football League, East of Scotland League while one plays in the Scottish Junior Football Association, East Region, SJFA East Region. There are also many amateur clubs in Fife playing in various amateur leagues across the region. Fife Flyers (based in Kirkcaldy) are the UK's oldest ice hockey club and play in Britain's top flight, the Elite Ice Hockey League. Fife is also home to eight rugby union clubs. Howe of Fife RFC, Howe of Fife (based in Cupar), and Kirkcaldy RFC, Kirkcaldy play in Scottish Rugby's national leagues while Dunfermline RFC, Dunfermline, Rosyth Sharks, Glenrothes RFC, Glenrothes, Madras College FP RFC, Madras, Waid Academy (based in Anstruther) compete in the Caledonia Regional League, Caledonia regional leagues. University of St Andrews RFC, University of St Andrews – the oldest rugby club in Fife – play in the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) system. Cricket is also widely played in Fife. Clubs include Freuchie Cricket Club, Falkland Cricket Club, Glenrothes Cricket Club, Largo Cricket Club, Dunnikier Cricket Club (based in Kirkcaldy), Dunfermline & Carnegie Cricket Club, Broomhall Cricket Club (based in Charleston) and Ship Inn Cricket Club (based in Elie) who play their matches on Elie Beach. Freuchie Cricket Club famously won the UK national Village Cup at Lords in 1985 and to date are the only Scottish team to have done so. Kingdom Kangaroos are Fife's only Australian Rules Football team, with training held in

and

. Aberdour Shinty Club have two men's teams, two women's teams and multiple youth squads. Fife has two competitive basketball teams; Dunfermline Reign B.C., Dunfermline Reign, who play out of St Columba's Roman Catholic High School, Dunfermline, St Columba's High School in Dunfermline and compete across a number of national Scottish Basketball Championship Men, SBC competitions, and Fife Steel, a Kirkcaldy-based team, operating a number of age groups, with a senior men's and an under 19's team currently playing in Division 3 of the Lothian Men's Basketball League. Fife is the location of several of the nation's motorsport venues: Knockhill Racing Circuit, Scotland's national motorsport venue and the only Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA-graded venue in the country; Cowdenbeath Racewall, a stock car oval racing venue; Lochgelly Raceway, a venue containing the Driftland drifting course and a 1/4 mile oval; and Crail Raceway, a venue located on a former military aerodrome containing a 1/4 mile drag strip and a karting circuit, operated by the East of Scotland Kart Club.

Media

Locally published newspapers include the ''Fife Free Press'' in

; the ''Dunfermline Press'' in

; the ''Glenrothes Gazette'' in Glenrothes, the ''East Fife Mail'' in Leven, the ''Fife Herald'' in Cupar / Howe of Fife and the ''St Andrews Citizen'' in

. D. C. Thomson & Co., DC Thomson publishes Fife and West Fife editions of the ''The Courier (Dundee), Dundee Courier & Advertiser'', and the Counties Edition of the ''Evening Telegraph (Dundee), Evening Telegraph'' is sold in Fife. The only Fife-based radio station is Kingdom FM. There is also a community radio station that broadcasts each evening and is run solely by youths, called Fife Youth Radio. Other local radio stations, Tay FM, Greatest Hits Radio Tayside & Fife and Edinburgh's Forth 1 and Greatest Hits Radio Edinburgh, Lothians & Fife, broadcast to the northern and southern parts of the region respectively. British power metal band Gloryhammer has dedicated its entire discography to a fictitious fantasy tale about Fife, in which its heroic kings, aided by valiant knights from

, clash with intergalactic forces of evil.

Notes

References

External links

KnowFife Dataset
{{Authority control Fife, Council areas of Scotland Counties of Scotland Pictish territories Counties of the United Kingdom (1801–1922) Lieutenancy areas of Scotland Peninsulas of Scotland Regions of Scotland