Crail,
in The Kingdom of Fife, is a very popular East Neuk village
adored by both artists and photographers. The picture of Crail
harbor with its little houses, white walls, crowstepped gables
and red pantile roofs, features on the front of numerous brochures
and many calendars. Yet there is much more to Crail than the
pretty harbor which was the lifeline for one of Scotland's most
prosperous burghs in medieval times.
Crail is the oldest East Neuk Burgh, and became a Royal Burgh
in the 12th century. In 1310 Robert the Bruce granted permission
for Crail to hold markets on Sunday - always a contentious point
with the Reformers. The markets, which were once among the largest
in Europe, were held in the Marketgait where the 17th century
Mercat Cross stands.
The distinctive squat tower of the Tolbooth with its rare Dutch
type roof has a fish as a weathervane. This is an old reminder
of the days when the Crail Capon - a split and dried haddock
- was a famous delicacy associated with Crail. The Tolbooth
dates from the 16th century and used to house the old Council
Chamber, Courtroom and prison. Also in Marketgait is Crail Parish
Church on a site where there has been a church since the 12th
century.
Crail has many old houses and cottages and is best explored
on foot to capture the quiet atmosphere of a Scottish village.
The dominant building around the harbor is the large, white,
crowstepped, Customs House, built in 1690. East of Crail is
the Balcomie Links of the Crail Golfing Society which is the
seventh oldest golf club in the world. Visitors are always welcome
to enjoy the bracing air of Fife Ness while out on a round of
golf.
To the north of Crail lies the attractive coastal village of
Kingsbarns so named because the King's grain was stored in the
large barns before being transported to the Crail or Falkland.
The first church in Kingsbarns was built in 1631.
Crail is ideally located for easy trips to St Andrews, Dunfermline,
Culross, Perth, Edinburgh, Falkland Palace, and all of
historic Fife.
If you would like to visit this area as part of a highly personalized
small group tour of my native Scotland please e-mail me:
Return
to Fife
