Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
It's worth stopping in this popular seaside town to ramble around impressive Aberdour
Castle (HS; www.historic-scotland.gov.uk ; adult/child £5/3; 9.30am-5.30pm Apr-Sep,
to 4.30pm Oct, 9.30am-4.30pm Sat-Wed Nov-Mar) . Long a residence of the Douglases of
Morton, the stately structure exhibits several architectural phases; it's worth purchasing
the guidebook to better comprehend what you see. Most charming of all is the elaborate
doocot (dovecote) in the garden. Be sure to pop into the beautiful Romanesque church of
St Fillan's , next door to the castle.
It's difficult to imagine a more enchanting setting than that enjoyed by the Forth View
Hotel ( 01383-860402; www.forthviewhotel.co.uk ; Hawkcraig Point; s £45-65, d
£65-95; Apr-Oct; ) , a friendly B&B right on the water in a secluded location. The
front rooms offer utterly fabulous views through huge windows across the firth to Edin-
burgh and the hospitality is most welcoming. Happily, there's also an excellent little sea-
food restaurant, Room with a View ( www.roomwithaviewrestaurant.co.uk ; lunch mains
£10-13, dinner mains £14-19; lunch Wed-Sun, dinner Wed-Sat) , in the front room. It's
tough to find the place - part of its charm; follow signs for Silver Sands beach, go through
the car park and down a steep narrow lane on the other side.
With real ales and good vegetarian choices on the menu, the family-run Aberdour
Hotel ( 01383-860325; www.aberdourhotel.co.uk ; 38 High St; s/d £65/85; ) on
the main road through town is not only a good place to stay, but also a tummy-warming
meal stop (mains £8 to £12), and there's an emphasis on hearty, home-cooked food.
There are regular trains to Edinburgh (40 minutes) and Dundee (one hour) from Aber-
dour, as well as buses to nearby Dunfermline (40 minutes).
Kirkcaldy
POP 46,912
Kirkcaldy (ker- caw -dee) sprawls along the edge of the sea for several miles and has a
rather shabby promenade with spectacular pounding surf on windy days. It's worth stop-
ping in town to visit the excellent museum. Kirkcaldy is famous as the birthplace of 18th-
century Enlightenment philosopher and economist Adam Smith, the man who features on
the English £20 note.
A short walk east from the train and bus stations, you'll find the Kirkcaldy Museum &
Art Gallery (War Memorial Gardens; admission free; 10.30am-5pm Mon-Sat, 2-5pm
Sun) , hopefully reopened after extensive remodelling. The kids will have a ball as there
are plenty of hands-on attractions; there's also an impressive collection of Scottish paint-
Search WWH ::




Custom Search