ACTIVITIES IN THE LOCAL AREA

Twenty one things to do for buttons or even for free in the East Neuk

Kindly supplied by Ronald McDonald www.pittenweemharbour.co.uk

1) Watch the fishing boats leave from Pittenweem harbour, or watch them return and land their catch.

2) Visit the walled organic garden at Kellie Castle.

3) Spend the day in Tentsmuir Nature Reserve and Sands. Take bicycles and barbecue makings or picnic hamper/coolbox.

4) On alternative Thursdays and Fridays pick up a bargain at Macgregors Auction in St Andrews (Thursdays for bric-a-brac, ceramics, pictures, boxed lots, Friday for furniture).

5) Stand behind the 18th Green and 1st tee at the Old Course and jeer at the poor unfortunate whose golfing career has been leading up to this moment and who then makes a complete cods of the first drive and clap appreciatively for any good drives or chips landing on the green at the 18th. When you are tired of this (or if the unfortunate becomes threatening), go play the Himalayas, the 18 hole putting green next to the R & A (70p).

6) Walk around the East Neuk villages, taking in Pittenweem’s Wynds, St Fillan’s cave, Crail Harbour, the village and loch at Kilconquhar and St Monans Kirk and windmill.

7) Walk part of the Fife Coastal path every day.

8) Do the Chain Walk south of Earlsferry.

9) Go to the Crail Car Boot Sale (alternate Sundays).

10) Visit a museum with free entry – Crail Museum and Heritage Centre, St Monans Heritage Museum, St Andrews Museum and St Andrews Preservation Trust and Garden.

11) Visit the spot where 24 year old student, Patrick Hamilton, was burnt at the stake in November 1528. Apparently he’d gone off to Germany for his third year and came back worried about his ’kreishlauf’, demanding a ’Platz an der sonne’ and spouting National Socialist propaganda. They knew a thing or two about how to deal with bolshie students in those days.

12) Admire the aeronautic skills of the fulmar as they swoop across the cliffs behind St Andrews cathedral then (on Sunday) to the pier walk. Wear a red cloak if you want to be taken for a student.

13) Visit an art gallery – many in Pittenweem, Crail or St Andrews

14) Visit Crail Pottery.

15) Get a copy of the weekly ’What’s On’ guide from any of the Tourist Information Centres and do something unusual like going to an inaugural lecture by a University Professor.

16) Do a trawl of St Andrews classy charity shops (located in South St., Bell St and Greyfriars Garden).

17) Go to Dunino Church, go through the blue gate at the side of the church and enter the mystical dell – dependent on your mood, it’s somewhere between the Hobbit and the Blair Witch Project.

18) Look in estate agents windows and marvel at the high cost of property in the East Neuk.

19) Go the Cellar Bar at Aikmans and listen to some live rock or folk (join in if you brought an instrument as Tuesdays are folk sessions).

20) Go to magus Muir and stand at the spot where Archbishop Sharp was murdered in front of his daughter Isabel in May 1679 and a few yards away visit the gravestone of the Covenanters dispatched 6 months later in a revenge execution.

21) Go the Lower Largo and see the house where Alexander Selkirk, who was marooned on an island off Chile for 4 years, was born. Selkirk was the inspiration for Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. Then lunch at the Robinson Crusoe pub.

Twenty one things to do for money in the East Neuk. Kindly supplied by Ronald McDonald www.pittenweemharbour.co.uk

1) Visit the Isle of May on board the May Princess. Take binoculars as the island is a breeding ground for puffins, guillemots and razorbills. You’ll also see plenty of grey seals which pup here in October.

2) Do some form of watersports in Elie or St Andrews (East Sands).

3) Take in some live theatre at the Byre in St Andrews.

4) Find something you’d like to see at the New Picture House Cinema in St Andrews (3 screens).

5) Too cool for swimming? Visit the East Sands Leisure Centre in St Andrews or if you want waves and rapids then go to the Olympia Centre in Dundee.

6) Go into the ballot for a round on the Old Course. If successful it will rid you of £50 in winter and £110 in summer. Or, if you don’t want to take a chance just hand over £70 at St Andrews Bay or £135 at Kingsbarns.

7) Do the historical walking tour of St Andrews town and university.

8) Do the historical open top bus tour of St Andrews town and University if your feet are killing you or you’re just feeling lazy.

9) Spend an hour at the Secret Bunker. Maggie had her nuclear des res in a hole at Box near Bath. This places was where the Scots powers that be were going to scurry when the balloon went up. From here they would be in a position to offer helpful advice to their fellow countrymen on matters such as how to build your personal nuclear shelter under the stairs using cardboard cartons.

10) Go for lunch at the Links Clubhouse in St Andrews. Try to grab the corner table which gives a great view of the 18th green of the New Course.

11) Go horseriding in Tentsmuir Forest.

12) Buy a kite from Wind & Water and fly it on the West Sands.

13) Visit a museum – there’s the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther £3.50 and the British Golf Museum in St Andrews £4.

14) Go down the mines and counter-mines, early examples of siege techniques at St Andrews Castle - £3

15) Take the kids to Craigtoun Country Park for a fabulous day out with adventure playground, trampolines, miniature railway, aviary, putting, crazy golf, boating and the like. Entrance ticket pays for all facilities.

16) Visit Deep Sea World in North Queensferry.

17) Visit Sensation – Scientific discovery centre in Dundee. Kids won’t want to leave.

18) Visit Discovery Point in Dundee where Captain Scott’s famous polar exploration ship, Discovery, returned home. Then go over the road and have lunch in the Jute Café Bar at the DCA (Dundee Contemporary Arts).

19) Visit the Scottish Deer Centre and feed the beasts by hand, watch the wolves being fed (not by hand) and be amazed by the falconry displays.

20) Spend time wandering around the St Andrews Botanic Garden.

21) Enjoy some light exercise at Elie Sports Club where golf (ideal for juniors, seniors and improvers), driving range, putting, tennis and bowling are on offer.

We have an abundance of energetic activities for you to sample in the area. They are all within a short drive of your accommodation.

Please click on the links below:
Walking
Cycling - Fife cycle park - Kennoway pump track - Pitmedden Forest - Tentsmuir Forest
Off Road Driving
Quad Biking
Archery / Clay Pidgeon Shooting
Flying Lessons
Sailing/Windsurfing/Waterskiing/Inflatable Rides
Golf Courses
Golf Tuition
Orienteering
Abseiling
Canoeing / Kayaking
Swimming
Indoor Karting
Fishing @ Loch Fitty
Fishing @ Teasses
Please call the numbers below for further information
Horse Riding @ Kinshaldy Stables - 01334 838 527
Tennis, Putting & Driving Range @ Elie Sports Club - 01333 330 955
Guided Walks - St. Andrews - 01334 850 638
Guided Walks - Crail - 01333 450 869

If you enjoy shopping then Edinburgh is just a 40 minute drive and boasts some of the finest shopping experiences in the UK. Harvey Nichols has a fab restaurant on the top floor overlooking Princes Street in Edinburgh.

All shops are within walking distance of each other interspersed with plenty of restaurants, bistros, coffee shops and bars.

For the less hardy there is St. Andrews which also has some lovely shops.

Finish the day off with a trip to the theatre and dinner.

Also there are many art galleries, museums and theatres to choose from.

There are also plenty of outdoor activities with the Fife Coastal Path being a great way to visit the East Neuk's fishing villages.

Please click on the links below:
The Byre Theatre - St. Andrews
The Adam Smith Theatre - Kirkcaldy
The Lomonds Gallery - Cupar
Kelly Castle & Gardens
Falkland Palace
Edinburgh Playhouse
The Usher Hall - Edinburgh
Harvey Nichols - Edinburgh
Jenners – Edinburgh

Welcome To The Kingdom of Golf!

St. Andrews and the surrounding area has been referred to as ’A GOLF THEME PARK’. We boast some of the best Links Courses in the U.K. There are Parkland courses as well. Courses to suit all abilities.

1) The Old Course, St Andrews
It all started around 1400AD and six centuries later the Old Course will host its 27th Open (not the British Open as BskyB would have it) - it’s THE Open, in 2005. You’ll need a handicap certificate (max 24 for men, 36 for women), £110 (£50 in winter) and a bit of luck to be successful in the daily ballot.

2) The New Course, St Andrews
It’s new but only in comparison to the Old as it was laid out in 1895. Owing to its undulating terrain it’s generally regarded as a tougher challenge than the Old. Green fee £55.

3) Jubilee Course, St Andrews
Two years younger than the New, the Jubilee, opened in honour of Queen Victoria’s Silver Jubilee in 1897, is right next to the sea and, being partly laid out on the sand dunes, is the roughest of the 3 championship courses Hosts the amateur Championship in 2004. Green fee £50

4) Eden Course, St Andrews
Designed by the legendary Harry S Colt and opened at the start of the Great War, the Eden has the most testing undulating greens of all the links courses. Green fee £30

5) The Castle Course, St Andrews
Following the coastline east of St Andrews, The Castle Course is two miles from the town centre. Work on the ground began early in 2005.
The designer, David McLay Kidd, creator of Bandon Dunes on the West Coast of America, has created a typical Scottish golf experience. Each hole has a choice of five tees and the course will be playable between about 5300-7200 yards.
There is also a clubhouse warm-up area and practice putting green.

6) The Torrance and Devlin Courses, St Andrews
The Torrance is a championship links course while the Devlin is built on top of cliffs. Both were co-designed by the late Gene Sarazen and the dramatic terrain makes them probably the most visually stunning courses in this part of the world. Green fees are £70 for the Torrance and £80 for the Devlin. They also offer a great fourball deal (£99) until the end of March.

7) Dukes Course, St Andrews
Designed by 5 times Open Champion, Peter Thomson and run by the Old Course Hotel Golf Resort, the Duke’s championship course is set on a hill above the town, enjoying panoramic views of the town , the bay and the Angus coastline up to Carnoustie and Arbroath. Green fee £30 (fairway mats) until the end of March, rising to £75 in high season.

8) Strathtyrum Course, St Andrews
It opened in 1993 and although it’s built on sand, it’s essentially a parkland course. Green fee £20

9) Kingsbarns Golf Links
The championship course opened in 2000 and is similar in style and challenge to the European in Ireland. Scene of my personal Waterloo when on my first outing with St Andrews GC I amassed a grand total 13 Stableford points. Green fee about £135

10) Crail Golfing Society
The 7th oldest golf club in the world has two courses; the Balcomie laid out in 1895 by Old Tom Morris and incorporating the original 8 holes laid out in 1786; and the newer Craighead with USGA spec greens. Fabulous location at Fife Ness with seaviews at every hole and serious risk of OB into the sea at several. Green fee from £35. (winter rate £20 until 31st March).

11) Charleton Golf Course
Privately owned pay and play parkland course with great views over the firth.. Popular with tourists and golfing societies. Green fee from about £25.

12) Anstruther Golf Course
Fun 9 hole course running along the sea between Anstruther and Pittenweem. Green fee for 9/18 holes £10/£14 weekday and £12/£16 at weekends.

13) Elie Golf House Club
Ancient course laid out in the 16th century but they didn’t get round to forming a club until the 1870s. Green fee £40, £50 at weekends. Incredible views.

14) Lundin Golf Club
The most southerly of the East Neuk courses. Voted one of the top UK links courses by Golf Monthly and used as a qualifier for the Open. Green fee £15 until mid March (fairway mats)High season rate expected to be £40 weekdays and £50 weekends

We boast five of Scotland’s six ‘Blue Flag Beaches' and plenty of other award winning beaches as well.

Other Fun Attractions To Have A Look At Are:-

Please click on the links below:
St. Andrews Aquarium
Boat Trips to the Isle of May
Golf Courses
Golf Tuition
Watersports / Bicycle Hire
Off Roading / Quad Biking
Indoor Karting
Swimming
Fishing
Scotland’s Secret Bunker

Please call the numbers below for further information
Horse Riding (Kinshaldy) - 01334 838 527
Tennis (Elie Sports Club) - 01333 330 955
Scottish Deer Centre - 01337 810 391

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