Dunfermline and West Fife
Linked as it is to Edinburgh and the Lothians by the two Forth Bridges and as home to the international ferry port of Rosyth, Dunfermline and West Fife is most visitors' first introduction to the 'Kingdom'.
Although the coast of southern Fife is largely industrial in character - with everything from cottage industries to the refitting of nuclear submarines - development of the area has been done sensitively and there are many scenic and historical attractions that make the it worth exploring.
West of the bridges sits Culross (pronounced 'coorus'), one of Scotland's most picturesque settlements. The town's development began in the 5th century and Culross today is in excellent condition, thanks to the work of the National Trust for Scotland, which has been renovating its whitewashed, crow-stepped-gabled and red-tiled buildings.
Scotlands capital until 1603, Dunfermline lies inland seven miles east of Culross, north of the Forth bridges. This 'auld, grey toun' is built on a hill, dominated by the abbey and ruined palace at the top. Dunfermline's centre, at the top of the hill around the abbey and palace, holds an appeal of its own, with its narrow, cobbled streets, pedestrianised shopping areas and gargoyle-adorned buildings.
Fife's south coast curves sharply north at the mouth of the Forth to open out onto what has been referred to as the 'Fife Riviera' - a cluster of seaside holiday centres including Aberdour, Burntisland and Kinghorn that boast excellent beaches, watersports, golf and sailing. One of the best ways of exploring this part of the region is along the Fife Coastal Path, a waymarked walking trail that picks its way for over fifty miles along the coast all the way from North Queensferry up to Crail in the East Neuk.
