Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
addition, you can compare the abstract beauty of, say, Joan Eardley's “Breaking
Wave” to a portrait by Scotland's currently best-selling, if critically panned, contem-
porary painter, Jack Vettriano. This unassuming and humble attraction is arguably
the best provincial art museum in Great Britain. What's more, all they request are
donations from visitors.
War Memorial Gardens, next to the train station.
&
01592/412-860.
Free admission. Mon-Sat
10:30am-5pm; Sun 2-5pm.
North Queensferry
Deep Sea World
In the early 1990s, a group of entrepreneurs sealed the
edges of an abandoned rock quarry under the Forth Rail Bridge, filled it with sea
water, and positioned a 112m (370-ft.) acrylic tunnel on the bottom. Stocked with a
menagerie of creatures, this bit of artificial sea is Scotland's most comprehensive
aquarium. Now, compared to what you'll find in cities such as Orlando, this may
seem amateurish. But from the submerged tunnel, you view kelp forests; sandy flats
favored by bottom-dwelling schools of stingray, turbot, and sole; and murky caves
that shelter conger eels and small sharks. Curiously, the curvature of the tunnel's
thick clear plastic makes everything seem about 30% smaller than it really is. For
£155, you can also arrange a “shark dive,” however, and see them full size.
Battery Quarry, North Queensferry.
&
01383/411-880.
www.deepseaworld.com. Admission £12 adults,
£ 10.25 seniors, £8.25 children, £38.50 families. AE, MC, V. Mon-Fri 10am-5pm; Sat-Sun 10am-6pm.
Where to Dine & Stay
Keavil House Hotel
This tranquil country hotel in the Best Western chain is set
on a dozen acres of forested land and gardens. The superior doubles are generous in
size and well appointed. Master bedrooms contain four-poster beds. The hotel offers
dining in its
Cardoon
restaurant.
Main St., Crossford. Take the A994, 3km (2 miles) west of Dunfermline; the hotel is off the main street
at the west end of the village.
&
01383/736-258.
Fax 01383/621-600. www.keavilhouse.co.uk. 47
units. £120 double with full breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; babysit-
ting; health club; room service.
In room:
TV, hair dryer.
Old Course Hotel
This aptly named hotel overlooks the 17th fairway—the infa-
mous “Road Hole”—of St. Andrews Old Course (to which the inn has no formal
connections). The rooms and facilities are world-class and have price tags to match.
The eating options encompass the contemporary
Sands
seafood bar and restaurant
and fine dining at the
Road Hole Grill,
where gentlemen are encouraged to wear
jackets to dinner.
Old Station Rd., St. Andrews.
&
01334/474-371.
Fax 01334/477-668. www.oldcoursehotel.co.uk. 144
units. £220 double with full breakfast. Children 11 and under stay free in parent's room. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; pool; pro shop; spa; Jacuzzi; steam rooms; salon; room service; massage;
babysitting; laundry service.
In room:
TV, minibar, coffeemaker, hair dryer.
Ostlers Close
MODERN SCOTTISH Fife has a host of good restaurants,
and this charming one in a 17th-century building is among the best. Located in the
town of Cupar, west of St. Andrews, Ostlers Close emphasizes fresh and local
produce. The daily-changing menus can feature dishes such as seared Isle of Mull
scallops, roast saddle of venison, or roast filet of Pittenweem cod.
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