From Queensferry we drive
up and onto the Forth Road Bridge, and this giving you
a great view across to the eighth wonder of the world
- the Forth Rail Bridge. At over a mile and a half
(2300m)
long, the bridge was completed in 1890, and until recently
was the longest Cantilever bridge in the world. It
is
a true testament of Scottish engineering.
Once over the bridge we enter the Kingdom of Fife. This
is so called due to the unique geography of the area,
bounded to the south by the wide Firth of Forth, to the
north by the Firth of Tay and to the east by the North
Sea. To the west lie the rolling Ochil hills. So, Fife
is pretty much cut off from the rest of Scotland, and
so remained semi-independent for longer than other parts.
Central Fife used to be very poor, until the discovery
of coal, while the towns and villages along its coastline
were rich from all the trade across the North sea, hence
the description of the area as a 'Beggar's mantle ringed
with gold'. Shortly before Dunfermline, childhood home
of Andrew Carnegie, we head east towards Kirkcaldy, birthplace
of another famous 'fifer' Adam Smith, who wrote the 'Wealth
of Nations'. This book is recognised as the 'bible' of
Capitalism. From Kirkcaldy we enter the area known as
the 'East Neuk', from the Scottish word 'Neuk' meaning
corner, and its small picturesque fishing villages hugging
the coastline, infamous in the past as a paradise for
smugglers. We pass Upper Largo, birthplace of Alexander
Selkirk, a sailor marooned on the desert island of Juan
Fernandez, inspiring Daniel Defoe to write 'Robinson Crusoe',
before stopping for a short while in the quiet village
of Crail.
From Crail it is a short hop to the medieval town of
St Andrews. St Andrew is the patron Saint of Scotland,
and according to legend his remain were washed up on
the Fife coast. Whether true or not, St Andrews has
been the capital of the Scottish Church for the best
part of a thousand years. As a testament to its power
and the power of the Roman Church the Canmore Kings
built a huge Norman Cathedral, the biggest in all of
Scotland. During the upheavals of the Reformation, which
pitted the Catholic Church against the Protestant New
Order (the Church of Scotland), this symbol of Papal
authority was destroyed, leaving only its huge eastern
tower and a few stumps. It is well worth the visit to
imaging what it must once have been like. St Andrews
is also home to the oldest University in Scotland. At
nearly 600 years old, St Andrews university is one of
Scotland's 4 Ancient universities, a number that few
other counties, with 10 times our population can boast.
Currently, St Andrews University has a famous student
in Prince William. St Andrews is most famously the home
of golf, with the Old Course just off the town centre,
next to the long sand beach, which itself was used in
the opening credits of 'Chariots of Fire'. We give you
3 hours to explore this unique town.
From St Andrews we take a pleasant drive through the
rolling countryside of central Fife, with its small
villages and patchwork of farms, to Falkland. Falkland
Palace dominates this old village, and was one of the
main residences of the old Royal family of Scotland,
the Stewarts (Stuarts). It's gardens are well worth
a visit. After an hour here we cross the Lomond hills
past Loch Leven, where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned
by her Protestant nobility. And then it is straight
back to Edinburgh.
Return time - Approx 6.00pm
This full day tour departs
daily from Central Edinburgh. 9.30am - 6.00pm.
Adult Price:
£33
Child Price:
£30 (3 - 16 yrs)
Inclusions
Transportation by top of the range 16 seat Mercedes
minicoaches for a more personal service.
Forced air ventilation as standard.
Services of a professional driver/guide
.
Exclusions
Lunch and refreshments.
Entrance to St Andrews Cathedral & Castle, Falkland
Palace.
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