Fife
:
This article is about the area in Scotland. For other uses, see Fife (disambiguation).Fife (
Fìobh in
Gaelic) is a
council area of
Scotland, situated between the
Firth of Tay and the
Firth of Forth, with landward boundaries to
Perth and Kinross and
Clackmannanshire. It was originally one of the
Pictish kingdoms, known as
Fib, and is commonly known as the
Kingdom of Fife within Scotland.
It is a
lieutenancy area, and was a
county of Scotland until 1975. It was very occasionally known by the
anglification Fifeshire in old documents and maps compiled by
English cartographers and authors. A person from Fife is known as a
Fifer.
From 1975 to 1996 Fife was a
local government region divided into three
districts —
Dunfermline,
Kirkcaldy and
North-East Fife. Since 1996 the functions of the district councils have been exercised by the
unitary Fife Council.
The historical town of
St Andrews is located on the east coast of Fife. It is well known for one of the most ancient universities in Europe, and as the home of
golf.
Popularly known as 'The Kingdom of Fife', the county of Fife probably takes its name from
Fibh, a 7th century
Pictish king. Fibh was one of the seven sons of
Cruithne, a warrior king who ruled over a wide area of ancient Scotland.
Legend has it that upon the death of Cruithne, the Pictish realm - known collectively as '
Pictavia' - was divided into seven sub-kingdoms or provinces, one of which became Fife. The name is recorded as
Fib in 1150 and
Fif in 1165.
The Kingdom of Fife probably also owes its popular epithet to the fact that its distinctive shape - bounded to the north by the
Firth of Tay and to the south by the
Firth of Forth - makes a natural peninsula whose political boundaries have changed little over the ages.
King
James VI of Scotland described Fife as a 'beggar's mantle fringed with gold' - 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.
Fife is a
peninsula in eastern Scotland bordered on the north by the River Tay estuary, on the east by the North Sea and the Firth of Forth to the south. The route to the west is partially blocked by the mass of the
Ochil Hills. Almost all traffic into and out of the county has to pass over one of three bridges, south on The
Forth Road Bridge, west on the
Kincardine Bridge or north east via The
Tay Road Bridge, the exception being traffic headed north on the [M90]. It is a sore point among local residents that the only two bridges in Scotland (Tay and Forth) on which a toll has to be paid are those leading into Fife.
There are a number of extinct volcanic features, such as the Lomond Hills which rise above rolling farmland, and Largo Law, a volcanic plug in the south east of the county. The coast has many fine but small harbours, from the industrial docks in Burntisland and Rosyth to the fishing villages of the East Neuk such as 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.
North of the Lomond Hills can be found many villages and small towns in a primarily agricultural landscape. The areas to the south and west of Fife, including the towns of
Dunfermline,
Glenrothes,
Kirkcaldy and the
Levenmouth region are much more industrial and densely populated.
*
Abercrombie,
Aberdour,
Anstruther,
Auchterderran,
Auchtermuchty*
Balfarg,
Ballingry,
Balmerino,
Balmullo,
Benarty,
Buckhaven,
Burntisland*
Cairneyhill,
Cardenden,
Carnbee,
Carnock,
Cellardyke,
Ceres,
Cluny,
Cowdenbeath,
Craigrothie,
Crail,
Crombie,
Crossford,
Crosshill,
Culross,
Cupar*
Dairsie,
Dalgety Bay,
Donibristle,
Dunfermline,
Dysart*
Earlsferry,
East Wemyss,
Elie*
Falkland,
Freuchie*
Gateside,
Glenrothes,
Guardbridge*
Hill End*
Inverkeithing*
Kelty,
Kennoway,
Kilconquhar,
Kilmany,
Kilrenny,
Kincardine,
Kinghorn,
Kinglassie,
Kingsbarns,
Kirkcaldy*
Ladybank,
Leslie,
Leuchars,
Leven,
Letham,
Limekilns,
Lindores,
Lochgelly,
Lower Largo,
Lundin Links*
MethilMethilhill*
Newburgh,
Newport-on-Tay,
North Queensferry*
Oakley*
Pitscottie,
Pittencrief,
Pittenweem*
Rosyth*
Springfield,
St Andrews,
St Monans,
Stratheden,
Strathkinness*
Tayport,
Thornton*
Upper Largo*
West Wemyss,
Woodhaven,
Wormit*
Balmerino Abbey*
Dogton Stone*
Dunfermline Abbey*
Fife Coastal Path*
Fife Folk Museum*
Forth Bridge*
Lomond Hills*
Scotstarvit Tower*
Scottish Fisheries Museum*
St. Andrews Botanic Gardens*
Tay Rail Bridge*
Tay Road Bridge*
Tentsmuir ForestSee :Category:Natives of Fife*
Robert Adam, architect
*
Ian Anderson, musician, frontman of
Jethro Tull*
Kevin Anderson (no relation to above), boxer
*
Jim Baxter, footballer
*
Andrew Carnegie, industrialist and
philanthropist*
Barbara Dickson, singer and actress
*Craig and Charlie Reid, better known as
The Proclaimers*
Alexander Selkirk, sailor and inspiration for
Robinson Crusoe*
Dougray Scott, actor
*
Jimmy Shand, accordion player
*
Adam Smith, economist
*
Ian Rankin, writer
*
Jack Vettriano, artist
*
East Fife F.C., Senior football club based in Methil
*
Raith Rovers F.C., Senior football club based in Kirkcaldy
*
Dunfermline Athletic F.C., Senior football club based in Dunfermline
*
Cowdenbeath F.C., Senior football club based in Cowdenbeath
*
Fife Flyers, the UK's oldest
ice hockey club
*
Fife Lions, Rugby League club
*
Aberdour Shinty Club, the only senior
shinty club in Fife.
*
St.Andrews Tigers, Senoir football club based in St.Andrews
*
Labour - 36
*
Liberal Democrat - 23
*
Scottish National Party - 12
*
Conservative - 2
*
Independent - 4
*
Independent Campaign for Local Hospitals - 1
*
Fife Direct*
Fife Today*
Kingdom of Fife Tourist Board*
The Fife Post*
Fife Coastal Path*
Historic houses in Scotland*
Museums in Scotland*
Abbeys and priories in Scotland*
Castles in ScotlandIn
William Shakespeare's play
Macbeth, the
Thane of Fife is
Macduff.
