The locally based staff at Pettycur Bay Holiday Park have compiled 40 suggestions of fun and engaging things to do when visiting the Kinghorn and the Burntisland area. Some of the suggestions will also take holidaymakers to West Fife, the East Neuk, and St Andrews.
There’s also a rundown of interesting facts about the Pettycur area.
The list includes everything from exploring the amazingly clean beaches (all along the Kinghorn area up to the East Neuk and St Andrews,) where you can rock pool, fish for crabs, or ride on the sands with Melville Equestrian, to visiting St Monan’s Windmill, wandering around the St Andrews Botanic Gardens, taking to the water with Forth Tours, or grabbing a thrill with a race experience at Knockhill Racing Circuit, near Dunfermline.
If you need suggestions of where to eat then tuck into a traditional fish supper in the heritage fishing village of Anstruther, sample numerous local Fife gins, such as Darnley’s, Eden Mill, or Pilgrims, and finish it off with a delicious Fudge Doughnut from iconic Fife baker, Fisher & Donaldson who supply cakes to Pettycur Bay.
It is an interesting afternoon out to feed a deer at the Scottish Deer Centre near Cupar, and there is a lovely tea room on the High Street – Walker’s Upholstery & Interiors where they also refurbish furniture.
Those who love local history may be interested to know that Burntisland was in the past referred to as Little Kinghorn or Wester Kinghorn. The burning of fisherman’s huts is said to have given the name of Burntisland.
Between 1870-1894, the north side of Pettycur Bay, now the site of a housing scheme, housed a saltworks which used sea water and coke ovens. Other local industry from the past was the United Glass bottle works, established in 1902 to make glass bottles for the Scotch whisky trade, which had expanded in the previous 20 years. It was probably intended to supply bottles to Haigs, who had a large bottling plant not far away at Markinch. Despite its small scale this works survived until 1982, when there was a slump in the Scotch whisky trade. It was demolished soon afterwards, and the site was then redeveloped for housing.
A slightly gruesome landmark can be found at the south west corner of Kinghorn Cemetery. Witches’ Hill has an old iron ring that is said to be where the witches from neighbouring towns were chained and burned.
Another one to check out is marked by a plaque and is near the holiday park. This is the site where King Alexander III of Scotland, returning on horseback to Kinghorn Castle to see his new wife Yolande of Dreux, fell to his death in March 1286.
The reason for much of the popularity of this coast lies in the fact that, following the opening of the Forth Railway Bridge in 1890, the North British Railway started to promote Kinghorn’s picturesque sheltered bay and beach as a resort, which led to considerable development of the town. And even today it is a short railway journey from Edinburgh to Kinghorn by ScotRail.
40 Things to do:
- Go Rock Pooling & Crab Fishing
- Visit the amazingly clean beaches
- Visit Cluny Clays, a popular visitor attraction
- Visit Kinghorn Loch & its Ecology Centre
- Visit the Kino Cinema
- See what’s on at the Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy, or the Alhambra in Dunfermline.
- Visit Wellsgreen Golf
- Take a trip up to Eden Mills, St Andrews and sample their gin
- Likewise Kingsbarns Distillery, in Kingsbarns, near St Andrews
- Visit St Andrews Cathedral
- Stand on the iconic Swilcan Bridge, St Andrews Old Course
- Feed a deer at the Scottish Deer Centre near Cupar
- Visit Falkland Palace in the picturesque village of Falkland
- View all three Bridges across the Firth of Forth
- Visit Scotland’s Secret Bunker, a WW2 Bunker near Anstruther
- Check out Craigtoun Country Park in St Andrews
- Visit Dunfermline Abbey, a historic Norman Abbey in Dunfermline
- Visit the peacock sanctuary at Pittencrief Park, also in Dunfermline
- Visit Crail Harbour
- Enjoy a fish tea in Anstruther
- Visit Culross Palace
- Check out Lindores Abbey Distillery
- Wander around Cambo Gardens at Kingsbarns
- Visit Knockhill Racing Circuit – enjoy a race experience
- Visit Cowdenbeath Racewall
- Another lovely castle is Kellie Castle & Garden
- Watch the fish at St Andrews Aquarium
- See seabirds at the Isle of May Nature Reserve
- Take to the water with Forth Tours
- Sample other Fife gins such as Darnley’s & Pilgrims
- Wander around St Andrews Botanic Garden
- Check out The R&A World Golf Museum
- Visit Kingsbarns Golf Links
- Visit Cairnie Fruit Farm & Mega Maze
- Walk around Tentsmuir Forrest
- Visit the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum
- Visit Hill of Tarvit Mansion House & Garden
- Horse riding on the Beach with Melville Equestrian
- St Monans windmill, oldest Church
- Tuck into a doughnut from Fisher & Donaldson
Some interesting facts:
- The present pier was built in 1760. It was used by small vessels and ferries to Leith and Newhaven.
- On the north side of Pettycur Bay, now the site of a housing scheme, there was a saltworks using sea water and coke ovens – 1870- 1894.
- At the south west corner of Kinghorn Cemetery is the Witches’ Hill, with its old iron ring that is said to be where the witches of our neighbouring town were chained and burned.
- Burntisland was in the past referred to as Little Kinghorn or Wester Kinghorn.
- King Alexander III was returning on horseback to Kinghorn Castle to see his new wife Yolande of Dreux, when he fell and was found dead on the beach of Pettycur Bay in March 1286.
- A burn, fed from the freshwater Kinghorn Loch above the town, once provided the town with its water and subsequently provided the source of power to drive the machinery of flax mills.
- Following the opening of the Forth Railway Bridge in 1890, the North British Railway started to promote Kinghorn’s picturesque sheltered bay and beach as a resort, which led to considerable development of the town.
- An annual attraction is the Black Rock ‘5’ Race, commonly referred to as the “Black Rock ‘5’” or the “Black Rock Race”. A road and beach running race of about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) it has been held in Kinghorn each year since 1987. Its distinguishing feature is the loop around the Black Rocks, over a mile from the shore, and largely under water except at low tide.
- Bottle works United Glass – Pettycur Glass Works, Kinghorn, Fife This works was established in 1902 to make glass bottles for the Scotch whisky trade, which had expanded enormously in the previous 20 years. It was probably intended to supply bottles to Haigs, who had a large bottling plant at Markinch, not far away. Despite its small scale this works survived until 1982, when there was a slump in the Scotch whisky trade. It was demolished soon afterwards, and the site redeveloped for housing.
- Burntisland gained independence from Kinghorn in 1586.
- The burning of fisherman’s huts gave the name of Burntisland.
- Burntisland Gained Royal Burgh status under King James 5th in 1541.
- Cunzie Neuk: According to most of the Historians of the Burgh, they do not mention anything about a mint or the minting of coins, but according to enquiries being made by the daughter of Provost Smith, she has found that there is a record kept by the Guild of Goldsmith of Edinburgh that in a corner of “Cunzie Neuk” there was a mint for the minting of coins.
