Explore the East Neuk

Here are our Top Tips for visiting the East Neuk of Fife, honed over many decades of living and working here in Fife. We are truly blessed to have such great food ingredients literally on our doorstep, as well as stunning coastline, magnificent golf courses, a thriving arts scene, as well as our very own ancient university town, St. Andrews.

Things to do in East Neuk

Elie Attractions – Eating

  • Kinneuchar Inn – award winning restaurant/pub in Kilconquhar village – two miles inland. We highly recommend: the food is all prepared in-house from local ingredients. https://www.kinneucharinn.com/ 
  • Ship Inn  – famous pub with great beer garden, a very short walk from Wynd House.https://shipinn.scot/ 
  • Baern Bakery Cafe @ Bowhouse –  Hazel and Jacomo have created a really innovative bakery combining local ingredients to create taste-explosion baking.  Open during the day, and look out for summer supper clubs. Closed Mon/Tues. https://www.baern.co.uk/ 
  • The Pavillion Cafe at Elie Sports Club – easy, good value  eating and drinking. Open daily throughout the year. https://www.thepavilionelie.com/ 
  • 19th Hole  – local pub in Earlsferry, beside the golf course. Good for a pint and a bite to eat. https://www.the19th-hole.co.uk/
  • The Dory Bistro and Cafe, Pittenweem – eat delicious seafood in this art gallery turned restaurant. https://www.thedory.co.uk/
  • Eastern Touch Indian Restaurant, Anstruther – Voted best Indian Restaurant 2023, 2024 in Scottish Restaurant Awards. Delicious, good value, low key restaurant next to Barnetts Bakery in Anstruther. 
  • Giddy Gannet, St. Monans –  local cafe serving coffees and baking – great destination for refreshments after a walk along the coastal path from Elie.

 Local Food Shopping & Foodie Events

  • Ardross Farm Shop – just a mile along the road between Elie and St. Monans. Local fresh vegetables straight from the field, meat and other delicacies. Very good. https://www.ardrossfarm.co.uk/
  • Bowhouse – local producers, a butchery with meat directly from Balcaskie Estate, Scotland the Bread, Baern, Futtle organic brewery. Monthly market weekends, and special events. A mile outside Elie on way to St. Monans.  https://www.bowhousefife.com/

Activities  in Elie

Walking – Elie is on the Fife Coastal Path, a fabulous route around the coastline of Fife, taking in some of the coastal villages.
 https://fifecoastandcountrysidetrust.co.uk/walks/fife-coastal-path/

Elie Chain Walk – popular walk along the cliffs at the end of West Bay in Earlsferry. Check out the tide times – not for everyone, as it requires climbing up and down chains and ladders, and hanging on to rocks. Alternative walk is along the cliff top, along to Shell Bay.

Watersports – Elie Watersports at the harbour for paddleboard, windsurf and sail boat rentals https://www.eliewatersports.co.uk/

Golf – Elie is a golfing mecca, and a great base for a golfing holiday. Elie is blessed with a fabulous 18 hole links course, as well as a 9-hole Braids Course. Dumbarnie Links is just down the road, and many other wonderful links courses, including all the St. Andrews courses, are just a short drive away. 

Sauna and Swimming – You are spoilt for choice of beaches to swim from in Elie & Earlsferry; we have so many sandy beaches.

The Original Sauna in our sea garden inspired our friend Judith Dunlop to set up Scottish Seaside Saunas.

If you want a more communal swimming and sauna experience, you have the choice of two saunas at Elie Harbour, one next to the tidal pool at Cellardyke, and one overlooking the East Sands next to the Leisure centre in St. Andrews.

    • 9 Hole Golf and Putting Tennis and Padel
    Elie Sports Club has a great 9 hole Braids Course, a driving range and putting green, tennis courts, and two brand new Padel courts.  https://www.eliesportsclub.co.uk/
    Himalayas, St. Andrews is a fun golfing experience for whole family.  https://www.standrewsputtingclub.com/

    Best Beaches in East Neuk
    Elie & Earlsferry Beaches
    St. Andrews West and East Sands
    Cambo Sands at Kingsbarns

    Things to do East Neuk

    Here is our choice of interesting day trips from Elie for those who want to explore the East Neuk without a golf club in hand. 

    • Isle of May Boat Trip – this is one of the best nature trips I have been on, and well worth booking ahead, especially in the spring time when the Puffins and other seabirds are nesting on the island. Magical. https://www.isleofmayferry.com/
    • Kellie Castle & Gardens – Saved from ruin by the Lorimer family, this 16th century castle and gardens has been lovingly restored and is now owned by the National Trust. Well worth a visit. Also has a tea room. https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/kellie-castle
    • Cambo Estate and Gardens – The walled gardens at Cambo are really beautiful, and the restored stables house a cafe and gift shop. You can walk from the gardens down to Cambo Sands, one of the wildest beaches in the East Neuk https://www.camboestate.com/ There is also a distillery next to Cambo that you can go visit. 
    • Anstruther Fisheries Museum – really interesting museum about the fishing history of the East Neuk, with some very beautiful boats on display as well as good social history on the story of the herring fleet.  https://www.scotfishmuseum.org/

    Secret Bunker – top security hideaway for the Top Brass during WW2 and during the Cold War.  https://secretbunker.co.uk/

    St Andrews Castle and Cathedral- don’t miss the spot were George Wishart was burned at the stake in front of the castle – all part of the fiery religious history of St. Andrews, mediaeval pilgrimage destination to centre of the upheaval of the Scottish Reformation. https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/st-andrews-castle/

    St Rule Tower – climb the tower in the cathedral grounds of a panoramic view of the town. https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/enhance-your-visit/st-andrews-cathedral-st-rules-tower/

    St Salvator’s Chapel – Really lovely ancient chapel – recommend going to 11am service there during term time – the chapel choir is superb. https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/about/history/st-salvators/

    Lochleven Castle and Ferry – visit where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned, by taking a wee ferry boat across to the island in the middle of the Loch. An hour’s drive away.  https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/lochleven-castle/

    East Neuk villages to visit