Fife boasts beautiful towns and villages, which are home to many fantastic hotels, restaurants and eateries, as well as gorgeous beaches for walks on nice days.
If you are looking for a place to spend some time enjoying outdoor pursuits, there are lots of coastal walks, plenty of wildlife to see and, of course, some of the world’s best and most well-known golf courses to play.
Fife is also known for its artisanal crafts and produce, so people looking for that something special (especially in the run up to Christmas) are sure to find the perfect item.
Here are some of the best places to go and things to do during your next trip to Fife.
Christmas Gift Cards at the Home of Golf
St Andrews Links is the largest public golfing complex in Europe. From the terrifying sight of Hell Bunker on the Old Course to the gentle slopes of the Balgove, the Home of Golf has become the ultimate golfing destination for all ages and abilities.
The St Andrews Links Gift Card can be used anywhere across the Links, whether the recipient wants to play, learn, shop or relax. The card can be redeemed against a round of golf on any of their seven courses or for a lesson at the St Andrews Links Golf Academy.
They can be used to purchase official merchandise online, in one of the shops in St Andrews or even for a post-round meal in one of the Links’ spectacular clubhouses. It’s the perfect gift for the golfer who has everything.
Last minute gift? St Andrews Links offer a virtual version of the card which can be sent electronically, so it’s never too late to send a gift from the Home of Golf.
Visit the website for more details.
Italians love to eat and their warm, welcoming hospitality – combined with their love of good quality fresh, seasonal produce – make their restaurants some of the best in the world. Italian food is prepared with care and attention, ensuring that each ingredient is given a chance to shine. And there’s no better time to visit one of Kirkcaldy’s best known Italian restaurants, La Passione.
As well as the fantastic a la carte menu, the festive menu starts on December 1 and runs right through to Christmas Eve. Get a three course lunch for just £12.95 per person or a three course dinner for £23.95 per person. The festive menu is a mix of traditional festive dishes (including turkey with all the trimmings) and Italian favourites, such as cannelloni and pizza, offering something for everyone.
It’s a great place to have a work Christmas lunch or night out (for tables of six or more people, there is a £6 per head deposit, payable when the booking is made).
Visit the website for more details.
The Drumoig Golf Hotel near Leuchars offers guests the best of the spectacular Fife countryside just minutes from Dundee.
In a quiet, stunning location, the 29-bedroom hotel’s restaurant overlooks the 18-hole, championship style golf course and picturesque ponds – complete with swans.
Between December 1 and 23, a three-course festive lunch menu – for just £19.95 per person – will be on offer, featuring dishes including homemade tomato and cranberry soup, wild game pate, salmon and beetroot gravadlax or roasted mushroom with spinach, blue cheese and cashews to start; traditional roast turkey, featherblade steak, baked citrus cod or roast butternut squash risotto for the main course; and Christmas pudding, iced hazelnut and nougat parfait, cheese and biscuits and cranberry and lime bread and butter pudding for pudding. Booking is advisable.
And for those keen golfers, Drumoig is offering 15 months’ membership for the price of 12. Get access to the full course – no mats – all year round (weather permitting).
Visit the website for more details.
Fife Craft Association is celebrating its 30th anniversary in December, with a two-day craft fair in Glenrothes.
The event, which will be held on December 2 and 3 (10am to 3pm each day) in the Rothes Halls Studio, will be a great place to see the handiwork of the association’s members and also pick up some Christmas presents for loved ones.
But before the big anniversary fair, there will be a show at the Student’s Union in St Andrews from 10.30am to 4.30pm on November 26.
The Fife Craft Association was established in 1986 with the aims of promoting craftwork, raising the standards of crafts, highlight the craftwork being done in Scotland and to organise fairs and exhibitions. The association welcomes members from all over Scotland.
Visit the website for more details.
Elmwood Golf is a beautiful parkland course on the outskirts of Cupar and has a wide range of facilities to suit everyone from beginners and juniors to the more experienced golfer.
Set against the backdrop of the Tarvit and Lomond Hills, the environmentally friendly course is gaining in reputation in Scotland’s golfing heartlands and offers the flexibility to play golf as little or as often as you like.
With various season tickets available from as little as £145, Elmwood is the ideal venue to play, practice and enjoy socialising with friends and family.
And right now you can get a fantastic deal on an early Christmas present for the golfer in your life. Get a 16 month membership at Elmwood for the price of just 12 months on all of the season ticket categories.
The membership would start on December 1, 2016 and runs right through to March 31, 2018!
Visit the website for more details.
With 65 years’ experience in the coaching industry, Fife-based Moffat and Williamson’s mission remains the same: To provide the highest possible level of service to all customers – whether on school contract, private hires, continental tours or a local service – providing safe, clean, comfortable, affordable travel to all.
Moffat and Williamson operates a number of service runs in Fife and Dundee, including the St Andrews town service, Glenrothes to Markinch, Leuchars to Dundee and the 236 and 88 services in Dundee, as well as the daily school runs for Bell Baxter, Madras College and Newport Primary School.
The company currently operates a fleet of over 30 coaches – with seating capacity ranging from 40, 49, 53, 57, 70 and 83 – offering lots of options for people looking to hire a coach for small or large groups. Representatives are always on hand to answer queries or quote prices for private hire jobs.
Visit the website for more details.
Kingsbarns Distillery and Visitor Centre, in the beautiful East Neuk of Fife, opened its doors in early December 2014.
It is situated between St Andrews and Crail, close to the world-famous Kingsbarns championship golf course and the Cambo Estate. The historic and charming East Newhall Farm steadings have been carefully restored and converted into a small distillery with exhibition, tasting rooms, shop and café.
In addition to regular distillery tours, further whisky tasting options are available in the cafe and shop. While the Kingsbarns Single Malt is still maturing, the whisky menu comprises the Wemyss’ family range of Wemyss Malts, as well as a taste of Kingsbarns new make spirit.
Kingsbarns Distillery is open all year, with winter hours 11am to 4pm. Please check website for current tour times and availability. Tours can be booked on the website or by phone. Under 18s go free with paying adult and there is ample free parking.
Visit the website for more details.
The five star Eden Mansion Hotel is located amongst beautiful grounds only five minutes’ drive from the Royal & Ancient Old Course of St Andrews.
A truly magical place for visitors to stay is in one of their elegant suites. Guests can also enjoy fine food and drink in the hotel’s exquisite restaurant or private dining rooms.
The highly talented head Chef, Ian Syme, uses the finest of local ingredients as guided by each season. Equally lavish, but for more casual dining, or drinks with friends, try the 1920s Gatsby’s Bar.
Recently voted the best afternoon tea in St Andrews, Eden Mansion has a great November deal, as well as special Christmas party lunches and dinners on offer and limited availability for Christmas Day and New Year.
Make a reservation now by calling 01334 614400 or email ask@edenmansion.com. Vouchers for all aspects of the hotel are available online and make the prefect Christmas gift.
Visit the website for more details.
Looking for a cosy pub to enjoy a Christmas meal? The Rule in St Andrews is just the spot!
Enjoy the festive menu, with two courses for £13.99 and three for £15.99. Starters include prawn and crab cocktail, tomato and Jersey cream soup and smoked Applewood soufflé, while on the main course are dishes such as traditional roast turkey and trimmings, an 8oz rump steak and slow roast lamb shank.
And if you still have room for pudding, you can pick from a list that includes Christmas pudding, champagne sorbet and baked vanilla cheesecake.
And the kiddies get their own menu (£4.99 for two courses and £6.49 for three), with plenty to choose from! Children are welcome in the family friendly bar until 10pm.
If you are looking for a great place for a night out, The Rule comes to life as the lights go down. With an extensive drinks menu and the best DJs in town, there’s no better place to kick off your night.
