The ancient Kingdom of Fife is steeped in rich history and dramatic scenery. The region is located on a sprawling peninsula on Scotland’s east coast, appreciated for its cinematic scale, ambience, and pure sense of drama. The name ‘Kingdom of Fife’ derives from its historical significance as one of the major Pictish kingdoms, once known as Fib. This four-day itinerary guides visitors through the region’s charming fishing villages, to iconic landmarks and across wild coastal paths. It's a place where visitors can escape, relax and unwind. Explore the historic home of Scotland’s ancient monarchs and tuck into world-class local produce — all within an easy drive from Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city.
There’s no grander arrival than crossing one of the Forth Bridges, with magnificent views of the Firth of Forth estuary. From Edinburgh Airport, it’s a 13-mile drive, where you will travel over the Queensferry Crossing on route to Fife’s picture-postcard village of North Queensferry. From here, you can enjoy views of the Forth Bridge — a railway bridge and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Treat yourself to lunch at The Wee Restaurant: an intimate spot run by a husband and wife team, which serves simple seasonal dishes.
After lunch, push northwest, with a photo stop at Rosyth Castle. Continue to Fife’s lesser-known western flank and the quaint village of Culross on the 117-mile Fife Coastal Path. It’s home to a brilliantly preserved 17th-century port, which you may recognise from the TV series Outlander. Don’t miss the historic garden at Culross Palace and, lined by grand old buildings, the village’s cobbled streets.
Head east along the 64-mile Fife Pilgrim Way — a walking route that’s divided into seven manageable chunks, with a bus service that means you can leave a car at one end. Cut inland to Dunfermline, once Scotland’s de facto capital. Despite a rich history, it also proudly holds the title of the country’s newest city, granted in 2022 as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
Begin by visiting Dunfermline Palace, the grand abode where the ill-fated — later beheaded — King Charles I was born. Adjacent to the palace is an abbey that is the final resting place of Scotland’s best-known monarch, Robert the Bruce.
Savour the city’s treasures at the brilliantly revamped Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries. Andrew Carnegie — born in Dunfermline in 1835 — became one of the world’s wealthiest people and the first global philanthropist. He left an indelible imprint on his hometown and always felt it deserved the city status that, finally, it enjoys today. Two associated attractions not to be missed are the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum and Pittencrieff Park. The latter is a park from which he was
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On 7 June 2023, trams ran down Leith Walk for the first time in 67 years, opening up parts of Edinburgh little trammelled by visitors. The new 2.91-mile, eight-stop route sweeps north from Edinburgh’s heart to meet the Firth of Forth at the docks district of Leith, then turns west to reach its end at Newhaven’s historic harbour. The arrival of the trams has injected life along the way: Leith Walk’s pavements have been widened, and new cafes, bars and restaurants are drawing in locals and travellers alike.
After spending Christmas on MSC Euribia, I’m convinced there’s no better place to celebrate the holiday season than on a cruise ship. In fact, I’m thinking MSC may secretly stand for Merry Sailing Christmas because it even managed to snag Santa, who was handing out gifts and looking like he’d had a grand old time at the buffet.
According to professional travel organisation, European Best Destinations, the Portuguese island of Madeira is the best place to see the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display. The travel experts polled a panel of 11,963 travellers from 112 countries, mainly from the United Kingdom (22,42%) and the United States (18,91%) and found the top destination to count down the 2024 New Year is Madeira, followed by Marbella (Spain) with London ranking number three. Here are the top ten.
New Year’s Eve can be an expensive affair if you plan on traveling—even, as it turns out, if you plan on doing a staycation stateside. In a recent study conducted by TravelMag.com, New Orleans was found to be the priciest city in the world to book a hotel room on New Year’s Eve.
If they can grow tea in England, why not Scotland? So pondered Susie Walker-Munro after hearing about Cornwall’s Tregothnan Estate. An idea took root, but her plan wouldn’t be without challenges — not least Scotland’s short growing season and harsh winters.
Located 10 miles off Scotland's north-eastern coast, the Orkney islands are a treasure trove of history, from the famous Neolithic village Skara Brae to the hauntingly beautiful Ring of Brodgar – a spellbinding stone circle that was a site of ritual and ceremony. However, when I visited another of Orkney's famous prehistoric sites, the Maeshowe tomb, my first impression was of an unremarkable green mound surrounded by a ditch.
There’s nothing better than wrapping up warm and getting outside, especially knowing that the reward for a day well spent embracing the elements is warming up by the fire with a hot chocolate, or a wee dram, as part of a winter break in Scotland. Scotland is the place to be as winter begins to call, opt for one or more of the following winter experiences from the speed of sled dog racing to idyllic ice skating, or an adrenaline-fuelled weekend of skiing and snowboarding!
Skiing is not a cheap sport. It requires a lot of gear and, depending on where you live, travel. For families, the expense mushrooms with each child, often before they can determine whether skiing — or snowboarding — is an activity the children actually like.
With some 300 sunny days annually, Spain’s third-largest city Valencia is a popular spot for visitors, yet it remains pleasantly uncrowded, making it perfect for a weekend city break. Almost equidistant from its bigger sisters Madrid and Barcelona, this charming city on Spain’s southeastern coast is striking — expect Blue Flag beaches, distinctive neighbourhoods, fragrant orange groves and heaps of heritage.
While the annual Times Square ball drop draws hordes of tourists each year, locals will be the first to tell you that the event can be a little overwhelming. Massive queues, frigid temperatures and a lack of easily-accessible bathrooms are just a few factors that could take the night from magical to maddening—but fortunately, visitors are able immerse themselves in the splendor of Manhattan on New Year’s Eve without having to stand shivering in a crowd all night with a stay at one of the neighborhood’s most charming hotels.
Dad shoes may be the ultimate cool-girl travel shoe, but dad boots—you know, those serious and heavy-looking, bordering on workman, boots—are yet to have their moment. In fact, practical walking boots as a whole are in desperate need of a modern makeover—the closest cool options that come to mind are the chunky Ganni Chelsea boots. That is until I recently discovered and tested some boots by French brand Palladium. What caught my eye were the chunky rubber soles teamed with a slick sneaker-like silhouette; like a Converse high-top but much more sturdier. Plus there’s even a dedicated travel collection designed to be ultra-lightweight—ideal for those carry-on-only trips.
Kingsbarns Distillery is the brainchild of Scottish golf caddie Douglas Clement. As a long-time caddie at Kingsbarns Links in the East Neuk of Fife in Scotland, Clement was constantly entertaining wealthy golfers who visited from all over the world to play Golf at St Andrews. His clients always wanted to go to a distillery for whisky tasting during their visit but there was nothing nearby, so he began to form a plan.