What's on inFife

Sitting between the Firths of Forth and Tay, Fife sometimes feels cut off from the rest of Scotland, or at least has the air of being a bit different.

Perhaps this is because visitors approach the area by crossing a bridge and this lends the region a kind of island feel. Or perhaps it is something snootierthat the region has traditionally been home to generations of Scottish monarchy and it is sometimes known as 'the Kingdom of Fife.'

However one thing is certainly worth such plaudits, and that is the landscape of Fife. Described by King James IV as a fringe of gold Fifes coastline is some of the best in the UK with numerous award-winning white and gold sandy beaches and hundreds of tiny fishing villages popping up everywhere you look.

Perhaps this landscape is why it has such a proud heritage and why it was once the center of both religious and secular power in Scotland.

Indeed Dunfermline was the chief stronghold of Celtic royalty and in the grounds of Dunfermline Abbey (also known as the Westminster of the North) there are buried 22 different kings, queens and other assorted royals. None other than Robert the Bruce is also buried there, and it holds the shrine of St Margaret.

For such a small region Fife has a considerable number of other historic sites and buildings, from the palace in Culross to Balgonie Castle, from Falkland Palace to Ravenscraig Castle as well as Kellie Castle, St. Andrews Castle (worth visiting for the dungeon alone) and St. Andrews Cathedral.

In addition, there is the mystical Dunino Church and Den, site of a former stone circle and featuring a sundial from 800AD.

For those who want to get out and about there are hundreds of parks and gardens in Dunfermline, including the beautiful Pittencrieff Park and the countryside between the city and coast is a mecca for birdwatchers and ramblers, with endless trails teaming with birds and wildlife.

Lastly, of course, for golf fanatics there is St. Andrews, the spiritual home of golf set in a beautiful and stunning medieval town.