Fife facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fife Fìobha
Coat of arms Council logo
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	Scotland
Lieutenancy area	Fife
Admin HQ	Glenrothes (since 1975) Cupar (until 1975)
Government
• Body	Fife Council
Area
• Total	512 sq mi (1,325 km2)
Area rank	Ranked 13th
• Rank	Ranked
Demonym(s)	Fifer
ONS code	S12000047
ISO 3166 code	GB-FIF

Fife, also called the Kingdom of Fife, is a special area in Scotland. It's known as a council area, which means it has its own local government. It's also a historic county, full of old stories and places.

Fife is located between two large sea inlets, the Firth of Tay to the north and the Firth of Forth to the south. It shares land borders with Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire. People from Fife are called Fifers.

Fife is the third largest local area in Scotland by population. About 367,000 people live here. Many live in the main towns: Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy, and Glenrothes. On the coast, you'll find St Andrews, home to the University of St Andrews, one of the oldest universities in the world. St Andrews is also famous for the Old Course at St Andrews, which is considered the world's oldest golf course.

Discovering Fife's Past: A Journey Through History

Fife is like a natural peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides. Its borders haven't changed much over a very long time. Long ago, it was believed to be one of the main kingdoms of the Picts, an ancient people of Scotland. This is why it's still often called the Kingdom of Fife. The name Fib was used for Fife as early as 1150 AD.

A very old fort called Clatchard Craig, near Newburgh, was an important Pictish stronghold between the 500s and 700s AD.

Royal Connections: Kings, Queens, and Castles

Fife became a key royal and political center when King Malcolm III ruled. Scottish leaders started moving south from their older strongholds. Malcolm made his main home in Dunfermline. His wife, Queen Margaret, helped build Dunfermline Abbey. This Abbey became the burial place for Scottish royalty, including Robert I.

The Earl of Fife was once considered the most important noble in Scotland. They even had the right to crown the new kings and queens. This shows how important Fife was.

A new royal palace was built at Falkland. It was a favorite spot for the House of Stuart kings and queens because of its great hunting grounds.

King James VI of Scotland once called Fife a "beggar's mantle fringed wi gowd" (a poor cloak with a golden fringe). He meant the golden fringe was the coast with its busy fishing villages and strong trade links with other countries. They traded things like wool, linen, coal, and salt.

Fife's Industrial Revolution and Modern Growth

In the 1800s, Fife became a hub for heavy industry. Coal mining had been happening since the 1100s, but it grew hugely during the Victorian era. Villages like Cowdenbeath quickly became towns as many people moved there for mining jobs.

New rail bridges, the Forth and Tay bridges, connected Fife to Edinburgh and Dundee. This made it easy to transport goods quickly. Modern ports were built at Methil, Burntisland, and Rosyth. Kirkcaldy became famous for making linoleum for the whole world.

After World War II, Glenrothes was developed as a "new town." It was first meant to house miners but later attracted many modern technology companies. Today, Fife Council and Police Scotland have their main offices in Glenrothes.

Historic Buildings: Exploring Fife's Landmarks

Fife has many amazing historic buildings. Some are looked after by the National Trust for Scotland or Historic Scotland. These include:

• Dunfermline Abbey (where Scottish royalty are buried)
• The palace in Culross
• Ravenscraig Castle in Kirkcaldy
• Falkland Palace (a hunting palace for Scottish Kings)
• Kellie Castle near Pittenweem
• St Andrews Castle
• St Andrews Cathedral and St. Rule's Tower

How Fife is Governed Today

Fife House, the main office for Fife Council

Fife is represented by politicians in both the Scottish Parliament and the UK Parliament. Five members represent Fife in the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). Four members represent Fife in the UK Parliament (MPs).

The main offices for Fife Council and Police Scotland are in Glenrothes. Council meetings happen at Fife House in the town center. This building was first built in 1969 for the Glenrothes Development Corporation.

Exploring Fife's Geography and Landscapes

Map of Scottish parishes in Fife and Kinross-shire

Fife is divided into 22 wards, each electing council members.

Fife is a peninsula in eastern Scotland. It's surrounded by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, and the Firth of Forth to the south. The Ochil Hills block part of the way to the west.

Most traffic going into or out of Fife uses one of four bridges:

• South: Forth Road Bridge (for public transport and cyclists) and Queensferry Crossing
• West: Kincardine Bridge
• North-east: Tay Road Bridge

Fife has old volcanic features like the Lomond Hills, which rise above farmlands. Largo Law is another volcanic plug in the east. The highest point in Fife is West Lomond, at 522 meters. The coast has small, pretty harbors, from industrial docks to fishing villages. The flat land north of the Lomond Hills, where the River Eden flows, is called the Howe of Fife.

Looking across the farmland of North East Fife to the distant Lomond Hills

North of the Lomond Hills, you'll find villages and small towns in a farming area. The south and west of Fife, including Dunfermline, Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy, and the Levenmouth area, are more populated and have some light industry.

The eastern part of Fife, with its string of villages, is known as the East Neuk (meaning "corner" or "projecting point of land"). These small settlements have unique stone buildings with special "Dutch" or "crow-stepped" gables. The fishing industry used to be very important here, but now the main fishing fleet operates from Pittenweem. Anstruther harbor is mostly used for pleasure boats.

Several islands are off the coast of Fife, such as the Isle of May, Inchkeith, and Inchcolm.

Towns and Villages in Fife

Cupar became the main town of the county in the early 1200s. Today, Glenrothes is the administrative center. Fife's three biggest towns are Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline (which became a city in 2022), and Glenrothes. Dunfermline has the largest population, followed by Kirkcaldy and then Glenrothes. Other important towns include St Andrews, Cowdenbeath, Rosyth, Methil, and Dalgety Bay.

Largest Settlements by Population

Fife's Rich Culture and Arts

Falkland Palace

A Scottish farm from the 1600s.

The Lomond Hills from Auchtermuchty

Fife is home to many important historic buildings and special conservation areas. Key historic homes include:

• Falkland Palace
• Kellie Castle
• Dunfermline Palace
• St Andrews Castle
• Culross Palace
• Ravenscraig Castle in Kirkcaldy

Fife also has many important old churches and abbeys:

• St Andrews Cathedral was once a very powerful religious center.
• Dunfermline Abbey is where many Scottish kings were buried.
• Balmerino Abbey and Culross Abbey were built in the 1200s.
• Lindores Abbey was founded a century earlier.

Fife hosts several important cultural events, like the Stanza Poetry Festival, East Neuk Festival, and Pittenweem Arts Festival. The Byre Theatre in St Andrews and the Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy are popular places for shows.

Fun Places to Visit in Fife

The Fife Coastal Path

The famous Forth Bridge

St Andrews Cathedral

St Andrews Castle

The Isle of May

Deep Sea World

The Swilcan Bridge on the Old Course

Dunfermline Abbey

Pittencrieff Park

Fife offers many exciting places to visit, whether you love history, nature, or animals:

• Aberdour Castle
• Deep Sea World (an aquarium)
• Dunfermline Abbey
• Falkland Palace
• Fife Coastal Path (a walking trail along the coast)
• Fife Folk Museum
• Forth Bridge (a famous railway bridge)
• Isle of May (an island known for its wildlife)
• Kellie Castle
• Kingsbarns Distillery and Visitor Centre
• Old Course at St Andrews (for golf fans)
• Pittencrieff Park
• Scotland's Secret Bunker (a hidden Cold War bunker)
• Scottish Deer Centre
• Scottish Fisheries Museum
• St Andrews Castle
• St Andrews Cathedral
• Swilcan Bridge (a famous bridge on the Old Course)
• Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve

Famous People from Fife

Many well-known people come from Fife:

• Robert Adam, a famous architect.
• Stuart Adamson, a musician from bands like Big Country.
• Ian Anderson, the frontman of the band Jethro Tull.
• Iain Banks, a popular writer.
• Jim Baxter, a famous footballer.
• Sir James Black, a scientist who won a Nobel Prize.
• Edith Bowman, a BBC Radio DJ.
• Gordon Brown, a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
• Andrew Carnegie, a very rich industrialist and giver of money to good causes.
• Jim Clark, a two-time Formula One racing champion.
• Barbara Dickson, a singer and actress.
• Sir Sandford Fleming, an engineer who suggested worldwide standard time zones.
• Shirley Henderson, an actress.
• Richard Jobson, a filmmaker and musician.
• Deborah Knox, an Olympic gold medalist in curling.
• Val McDermid, a crime writer.
• Old Tom Morris, a golf legend and four-time Open Championship winner.
• Craig and Charlie Reid, a famous singing duo.
• Dougray Scott, an actor.
• Alexander Selkirk, a seafarer who inspired the book Robinson Crusoe.
• Jimmy Shand, a well-known accordion player.
• Adam Smith, a famous philosopher and economist.
• KT Tunstall, a musician.
• Jack Vettriano, an artist.
• Jocky Wilson, a darts player.

Sports in Fife: A Hub for Athletes

St Andrews in Fife is known as the home of golf. It's where The R&A, the main group for golf rules worldwide, is based. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is the oldest golf club in the world.

Fife has several football clubs that play in Scotland's professional leagues:

• Dunfermline Athletic
• East Fife (from Methil)
• Kelty Hearts
• Raith Rovers (from Kirkcaldy)

The Fife Flyers (from Kirkcaldy) are the oldest ice hockey club in the UK. They play in Britain's top league.

Fife also has eight rugby union clubs, including Howe of Fife and Kirkcaldy. The University of St Andrews has the oldest rugby club in Fife.

For other sports, you can find:

• Kingdom Kangaroos, Fife's only Australian Rules Football team.
• Aberdour Shinty Club, with teams for both men and women.
• Two competitive basketball teams: Dunfermline Reign and Fife Steel.

Fife is also a great place for motorsport:

• Knockhill Racing Circuit is Scotland's main motorsport venue.
• Cowdenbeath Racewall is a track for stock car racing.
• Lochgelly Raceway has a drifting course and an oval track.
• Crail Raceway has a drag strip and a karting circuit.

Media and News in Fife

Fife has several local newspapers:

• Fife Free Press in Kirkcaldy
• Dunfermline Press in Dunfermline
• Glenrothes Gazette in Glenrothes
• East Fife Mail in Leven
• Fife Herald in Cupar
• St Andrews Citizen in St Andrews

The only radio station based in Fife is Kingdom FM. There's also Fife Youth Radio, run by young people. Other radio stations like Tay FM and Forth 1 also broadcast to parts of Fife.

Images for kids

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  Map of Scottish provinces in 1689 showing the earldom of Fife, which included Kinross and Clackmannan.

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  County Buildings, Cupar, the former headquarters of Fife County Council

See also

In Spanish: Fife para niños