Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the

Firth of Forth The Firth of Forth () is the estuary, or firth, of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth. It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south. Name ''Firth'' is a cognate of ''fjord'', a Norse word meani ...

, with inland boundaries with

Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross ( sco, Pairth an Kinross; gd, Peairt agus Ceann Rois) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Fife, Highland and S ...

(i.e. the historic counties of

Perthshire Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...

and

Kinross-shire The County of Kinross or Kinross-shire is a historic county and registration county in eastern Scotland, administered as part of Perth and Kinross since 1930. Surrounding its largest settlement and county town of Kinross, the county borders Per ...

) and Clackmannanshire. By custom it is widely held to have been one of the major Pictish kingdoms, known as ''Fib'', and is still commonly known as the Kingdom of Fife within Scotland. A person from Fife is known as a ''Fifer''. In older documents the county was very occasionally known by the

anglicisation Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...

Fifeshire. Fife is Scotland's third largest local authority area by population. It has a resident population of just under 367,000, over a third of whom live in the three principal towns,

Dunfermline Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...

Kirkcaldy Kirkcaldy ( ; sco, Kirkcaldy; gd, Cair Chaladain) 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, ...

and Glenrothes. The historic town of

St Andrews St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) 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 fou ...

is located on the northeast coast of Fife. It is well known for the University of St Andrews, the most ancient university of Scotland and one of the oldest universities in the world. From the 15th century it was the metropolis of the former

Archdiocese of St Andrews The Archdiocese of St Andrews (originally the Diocese of St Andrews) was a territorial episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in early modern and medieval Scotland. It was the largest, most populous and wealthiest diocese of the mediev ...

, St Andrews Cathedral having been the seat of the most senior bishop of Scotland since the 10th century. St Andrews is also renowned as the home of golf.

History

Fife, bounded to the north by the Firth of Tay 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 {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 The Poppleton manuscript is the name given to the fourteenth-century codex probably compiled by Robert of Poppleton, a Carmelite friar who was the Prior of Hulne, near Alnwick. The manuscript contains numerous work ...

mention the division of the Pictish realm or Albany 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 The fort of Clatchard Craig was located on a hill of the same name by the Tay. A human presence on the site has been identified from the neolithic period onward and the fort itself was occupied from the sixth century AD until at least the eight ...

, near Newburgh, was occupied as an important Pictish stronghold between the sixth and eighth centuries AD. Fife was an important royal and political centre from the reign of King Malcolm III onwards, as the leaders of Scotland gradually moved southwards away from their ancient strongholds around Scone. Malcolm had his principal home in

and his wife

Margaret Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian. Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular througho ...

was the main benefactor of Dunfermline Abbey. The Abbey replaced

Iona Iona (; gd, Ì Chaluim Chille (IPA: �iːˈxaɫ̪ɯimˈçiʎə, sometimes simply ''Ì''; sco, Iona) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there ...

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 of ...

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, 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 hi ...

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. Wool,

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

, coal and salt were all traded.

Salt pans Salt pans can refer to: * Salt pan (geology), a flat expanse of ground covered with salt and other minerals, usually found in deserts ** Sabkha, a phonetic translation of the Arabic word for a salt pan (geology) * Salt evaporation pond, a method o ...

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 The Gentleman Adventurers of Fife or Fife Adventurers were a group of 11 noblemen-colonists, largely from eastern Fife, awarded rights from King James VI to colonise the Isle of Lewis in 1598. Background In 1597, the MacLeod clan chiefs were s ...

, to colonise the

Isle of Lewis The Isle of Lewis ( gd, Eilean Leòdhais) or simply Lewis ( gd, Leòdhas, ) 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 ...

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 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 rapidly swelled into towns as thousands moved to Fife to find work in its mines. The opening of the

Forth Forth or FORTH may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''forth'' magazine, an Internet magazine * ''Forth'' (album), by The Verve, 2008 * ''Forth'', a 2011 album by Proto-Kaw * Radio Forth, a group of independent local radio stations in Scotla ...

and

Tay Tay may refer to: People and languages * Tay (name), including lists of people with the given name, surname and nickname * Tay people, an ethnic group of Vietnam ** Tày language *Atayal language, an Austronesian language spoken in Taiwan (ISO 639 ...

rail bridges linked Fife with Dundee and Edinburgh and allowed the rapid transport of goods. Modern ports were constructed at

Methil Methil (Scottish Gaelic: Meadhchill) is an eastern coastal town in Scotland. It was first recorded as "Methkil" in 1207, and belonged to the Bishop of St Andrews. Two Bronze Age cemeteries have been discovered which date the settlement as ov ...

Burntisland Burntisland ( , sco, also Bruntisland) is a former royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland, on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to the 2011 census, the town has a population of 6,269. It was previously known as Wester Kingho ...

and Rosyth. Kirkcaldy became the world centre for the production of linoleum. Postwar Fife saw the development of Scotland's second

new town New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

, 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. County buildings, Cupar

The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 established a uniform system of county councils in Scotland and realigned the boundaries of many of Scotland's counties. Subsequently, Fife County Council was created in 1890. Fife County Council was based at County Buildings in Catherine Street in Cupar. From 1975 to 1996 Fife was a local government region, divided into three districts:

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

Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...

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 me ...

until 1885 and the Fife constituency in the Parliament of Scotland until the

Acts of Union 1707 The Acts of Union ( gd, Achd an Aonaidh) were two Acts of Parliament: the Union with Scotland Act 1706 passed by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act 1707 passed by the Parliament of Scotland. They put into effect the te ...

. There are numerous notable historical buildings in Fife, some of which are managed by the National Trust for Scotland or Historic Scotland. They include Dunfermline Abbey (the last resting place of Scottish royalty), the palace in Culross, Ravenscraig Castle in Kirkcaldy, Dysart Harbour area, Balgonie Castle 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.

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

Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...

. In the

2017 general election This national electoral calendar for 2017 lists the national/federal elections held in 2017 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *5 November ...

, Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath 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

: Cowdenbeath,

and Mid Fife and Glenrothes. One is held by the Scottish Liberal Democrats: North East Fife. Fife Council's administrative headquarters and Police Scotland's P Division (formerly

Fife Constabulary Fife Constabulary was the territorial police force responsible for the Scottish council area of Fife. The area policed by Fife Constabulary had a resident population of just over 350,000, almost a third of whom lived in one of the three princ ...

) are based in Glenrothes. The Council meetings take place in Fife House (formerly known as Glenrothes 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.Ferguson ''A History of Glenrothes'' p.91. The former administrative seat was Cupar. Since the last Scottish election in 2012, Fife Council has been run as a minority by the Labour party, with a total of 35 seats, with support of Tory and independent councillors.

Alex Rowley Alexander Andrew Penman Rowley (born 30 November 1963) is a Scottish politician who served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2015 to 2017 and acting leader of the party from August to November 2017. He has been a Member of the ...

was elected leader of Fife Council but demitted office following his election as an MSP. David Ross succeeded as leader in February 2014. The SNP and the other parties form the opposition.

Geography

Fife is a

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

in eastern Scotland bordered on the north by the Firth of Tay, on the east by the North Sea and by the

to the south. The route to the west is partially blocked by the mass of the Ochil Hills. 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 features, such as the Lomond Hills which rise above rolling farmland, and

Largo Law Upper Largo or Kirkton of Largo is a village in the parish of Largo, near the East Neuk of Fife, Scotland. It rests on the southern slopes of Largo Law and half a mile north of Largo Bay and the rather larger village of Lower Largo. It is the ho ...

, a volcanic plug in the east. At , the

West Lomond West Lomond is the highest point in the county of Fife, Scotland and the highest peak in the Lomond Hills. Its cone-shaped summit, which is the remains of a volcanic plug, rises above an escarpment of Carboniferous sandstone and limestone layers, ...

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

and Rosyth to the fishing villages of the East Neuk such as

Anstruther Anstruther ( sco, Ainster or Enster ; gd, Ànsruthair) is a small coastal resort 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 ...

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, Buckhaven, and Methil, and a number of villages a ...

region are lightly industrial and more densely populated. The only areas which could claim to be heavily industrial are Rosyth, 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, 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, Inchkeith and Inchcolm. The former

Preston Island Preston Island is a former artificial island in the Firth of Forth, Scotland. The reclaimed land was once used for salt production, using local coal. It is part of Fife. History Preston Island, south of Low Valleyfield in the Firth of Forth, w ...

south of Valleyfield is no longer an island following land reclamation work.

Settlements

Cupar took over as

county town In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...

from Crail 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 in 2022) and Glenrothes. According to the 2012 estimate, Dunfermline is the largest settlement by population, followed by Kirkcaldy then Glenrothes. The next most sizeable towns by population are St Andrews, Cowdenbeath, Rosyth, Methil and Dalgety Bay. The rest of Fife includes smaller towns such as Inverkeithing, Kincardine, Anstruther, Lochgelly, Burntisland, Leven, Newburgh, Tayport and Cupar, and villages such as Springfield, Kinglassie, Kinghorn, Elie, Auchtertool, Crossgates, Ballingry and Auchtermuchty. The county was formerly divided into parishes, often but not always based on a town or village: *

Abbotshall Kirkcaldy and Dysart is a civil parish on the south coast of Fife, Scotland, lying on the Firth of Forth, containing the towns of Kirkcaldy and Dysart and their hinterland. The civil parish was formed in December 1901 by an amalgamation of the par ...

Abdie Abdie is a parish in north-west Fife, Scotland, lying on the south shore of the Firth of Tay on the eastern outskirts of Newburgh, extending about 3 miles eastwards to the boundary of Dunbog parish,Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, by Francis Groom ...

Aberdour Aberdour (; Scots: , gd, Obar Dobhair) is a scenic and historic village on the south coast of Fife, Scotland. It is on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, looking south to the island of Inchcolm and its Abbey, and to Leith and Edinburgh beyo ...

* Anstruther Easter * Anstruther Wester * Arngask (to

in 1891) * Auchterderran * Auchtermuchty * 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 abbots of Balmerino who were great regional landlords. It became a secular lordship in 1605 when the abbey's lands wer ...

* Beath *

Buckhaven Buckhaven is a town on the east coast of Fife, Scotland, on the Firth of Forth between East Wemyss and Methil. Buckhaven is on the Fife Coastal Path, and near to Wemyss Caves and Largo Bay. History The name Buckhaven is probably from the ...

Cameron Cameron may refer to: People * Clan Cameron, a Scottish clan * Cameron (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Cameron (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) ;Mononym * Cam'ron (born 197 ...

* Carnbee * Carnock * Cellardyke * Ceres * Collessie * Cowdenbeath * Crail * Creich * Crossgates * Culross (to Fife from Perthshire, 1891) * Cults * Cupar * Dairsie * Dalgety * Dunbog *

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

Kennoway Kennoway is a village in Fife, Scotland, near the larger population centres in the area of Leven and Methil. It had an estimated population of in . It is about three miles inland from the Firth of Forth, north of Leven. This position gave it imp ...

* Kilconquhar * Kilmany * Kilrenny * Kinghorn * Kinglassie * Kingsbarns * Kingskettle *

* Ladybank * Largo *

Leslie Leslie may refer to: * Leslie (name), a name and list of people with the given name or surname, including fictional characters Families * Clan Leslie, a Scottish clan with the motto "grip fast" * Leslie (Russian nobility), a Russian noble family ...

* Leuchars * Leven *

Lochgelly Lochgelly ( ; gd, Loch Gheallaidh, IPA: �ɫ̪ɔxˈʝaɫ̪ai is a town in Fife, Scotland. It is located between Lochs Ore and Gelly to the north-west and south-east respectively. It is separated from Cowdenbeath by the village of Lumphinnans ...

* Logie * Lumphinnans * Markinch *

* Monimail * Moonzie * Newburgh * Newburn *

Pitlessie Pitlessie is a small village in Cults, Fife, Scotland. It is roughly southwest of the nearest large town, Cupar, and north of Edinburgh. It had an estimated population of 325 in 2010. Situated in the heart of the Howe of Fife, the village was ...

* Pittenweem * Rosyth *

Saline Saline may refer to: * Saline (medicine), a liquid with salt content to match the human body * Saline water, non-medicinal salt water * Saline, a historical term (especially US) for a salt works or saltern Places * Saline, Calvados, a commune in ...

* Scoonie * St Andrews & St Leonards *

St Monance ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...

(and Abercrombie) *

Strathmiglo Strathmiglo ( gd, Srath Mioglach) (Ordnance Survey ) is a village and parish in Fife, Scotland on the 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 in the 1970s. N ...

* Thornton *

Torryburn Torryburn (previously called Torry/ Torrie) is a village and parish in Fife, Scotland, lying on the north shore of the Firth of Forth. It is one of a number of old port communities on this coast and at one point served as port for Dunfermline. It ...

* Wellwood * Wemyss * Wormit

Culture

The Lomond Hills seen from Auchtermuchty, Howe of Fife

Fife contains 4,961 listed buildings and 48

conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

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, the Laird of Carnock. The house was mainly built in t ...

and Kirkcaldy's Ravenscraig Castle. Fife also has a number of ecclesiastical sites of historical interest. St Andrews Cathedral was home to the powerful

Archbishopric of St Andrews The Bishop of St. Andrews ( gd, Easbaig Chill Rìmhinn, sco, Beeshop o Saunt Andras) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of St Andrews in the Catholic Church and then, from 14 August 1472, as Archbishop of St Andrews ( gd, Àrd-easbaig ...

, and later became a centre of the Scottish Reformation, while Dunfermline Abbey was the last resting place of a number of Scottish kings.

and Culross abbeys were both founded in the 13th century by the

Cistercians The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, 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 ...

, while a century before

Lindores Abbey Lindores Abbey was a Tironensian abbey on the outskirts of Newburgh, Fife, Newburgh in Fife, Scotland. Now a reduced ruin, it lies on the southern banks of the River Tay, about north of the village of Lindores and is a scheduled ancient monumen ...

was founded by the

Tironensians The Tironensian Order or the Order of Tiron was a medieval monastic order named after the location of the mother abbey (Tiron Abbey, french: Abbaye de la Sainte-Trinité de Tiron, established in 1109) in the woods of Thiron-Gardais (sometimes '' ...

outside Newburgh; all were highly important sites. The

Stanza Poetry Festival StAnza is a poetry festival which takes place in March in the university town of St Andrews, Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island ...

, East Neuk Festival, and Pittenweem Arts Festival are events of national cultural importance. Smaller festivals like the

Cupar Arts Festival Cupar Arts Festival is a biennial arts festival that takes place in Cupar, Scotland for twelve days in October. More than 10,000 visitors are expected to attend the 2013 festival, which will feature 40 artists from around the world and was welcomed ...

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

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

Fife Opera Fife Opera is a semi-professional grand opera opera company, company dating back to 1976, and based in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. It has produced over 40 full-scale productions since its inception. At present, it is one of only a handful of companies ...

. The Byre has re-opened in Autumn, 2014 following its going into administration in 2012.

Notable Fifers

* Robert Adam, architect * Stuart Adamson, musician ( Big Country, The Skids) *

Robert Hope Moncrieff Aitken Colonel Robert Hope Moncrieff Aitken (8 February 1826 – 18 September 1887) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Comm ...

, Lieutenant in the 13th, Bengal Native Infantry, awarded the Victoria Cross * William Allan, classicist at the University of Oxford *

Ian Anderson Ian Scott Anderson (born 10 August 1947) is a British musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work as the lead vocalist, flautist, acoustic guitarist and leader of the British rock band Jethro Tull. He is a multi-instrumentalist w ...

, musician, frontman of Jethro Tull * Iain Banks, 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 James Bethune (July 7, 1840 – December 18, 1884) was an Ontario lawyer and political figure. He represented Stormont in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal member from 1872 to 1879. He was born in Glengarry County in Upper C ...

, Archbishop of St Andrews *

, Archbishop of Glasgow * Janet Bethune, noblewoman *

Mary Bethune Mary Jane McLeod Bethune ( McLeod; July 10, 1875 – May 18, 1955) was an American educator, philanthropist, humanitarian, womanist, and civil rights activist. Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women in 1935, established the organiz ...

, attendant of Mary, Queen of Scots *

Elizabeth Bethune Elizabeth Bethune, or Beaton (died after 1581), was one of the mistresses of King James V of Scotland. Their daughter, Lady Jean Stewart, married Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll. Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir David Beaton of Creich, a ...

, mistress of King James V of Scotland * Guy Berryman, bassist from the band Coldplay * James Black (pharmacologist), 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), Caroline Brazier, librarian * Gordon Brown, former British Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer and former MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath * Scott Brown (footballer, born June 1985), Scott Brown, Scotland and Celtic F.C. footballer * Gregory Burke, playwright * Kenn Burke, ballet dancer * Andrew Carnegie, industrialist and philanthropist * Henry Chisholm, steel industry executive * Jim Clark, two-times Formula One World Drivers' Champion * James Clephan, Lieutenant on board HMS Spartiate (1798), HMS ''Spartiate'' during the Battle of Trafalgar * Archibald Constable, publisher, bookseller and stationer * Kenneth Cranham, actor * King Creosote, musician * Lawrence Daly, General Secretary of the NUM * David Danskin, principal founding member of Arsenal F.C., Arsenal FC * James Dewar (judge), James Dewar, judge * Barbara Dickson, 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, sailor and captain of HMS Defiance (1783), HMS ''Defiance'' at Battle of Trafalgar, Trafalgar * Marjorie Fleming, child writer and poet * Sandford Fleming, Sir Sandford Fleming, engineer, who proposed worldwide standard time zones, engineered on the Intercolonial Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway * Valentine Fleming, member of parliament and father of the author Ian Fleming * John Forbes (British Army officer), John Forbes, named the city of Pittsburgh * Chris Fusaro, rugby player * 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 (minister), Thomas Hardy, minister of religion, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Edinburgh University * Alexander Henderson (theologian), Alexander Henderson, theologian, and an important ecclesiastical statesman * Shirley Henderson, actress * Peter Horne, rugby player * Bob Howie and Dave Howie, rugby players * Ninian Imrie, army officer and geologist * Danny Inglis, darts player * Richard Jobson (television presenter), Richard Jobson, filmmaker, television presenter, musician, The Skids * Peter Johnstone (footballer), Peter Johnstone, Celtic FC footballer * Henrietta Keddie, novelist who wrote under the pseudonym Sarah Tytler * Deborah Knox, Olympic gold medallist in curling * Craig Levein, 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 * Anne Macaulay musicologist, archaeologist, author and lecturer * Douglas Mackinnon, director * Val McDermid, writer * Ken McNaught, footballer, Aston Villa F.C. centre back, 1982 European Cup Winner * Willie McNaught, footballer, Raith Rovers F.C. defender * Old Tom Morris, greenskeeper St Andrews Links and 4 times champion of The Open Championship * Tom Nairn, political theorist of nationalism * Rab Noakes, singer, songwriter, record producer * Aileen Paterson, author/illustrator * John Philip (missionary), John Philip, missionary in South Africa * 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 * 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. and Scotland 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 * 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, 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. 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. 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. Kingdom Kangaroos are Fife's only Australian Rules Football team, with training held in Rosyth and

. Aberdour Shinty Club have two men's teams, two women's teams and multiple youth squads. Fife also 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, an
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 th

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, Radio Tay and Edinburgh's 97.3 Forth One, broadcast to the northern and southern parts of the region respectively.

References

External links

*
Knowfife Dataset

Fife Council
{{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