Fife's East Neuk: Golf gems and other treats

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St Andrews Cathedral was one of Europe's most important during medieval times.

Crail Harbor is still busy with fishing boats bringing in lobster and prawns.

Crail's Balcomie Links is one of Old Tom Morris' wonderful designs that remains a stranger to many visitors.

Anstruther has more pleasure craft today together with some of Scotland's finest fish restaurants.

Anstruther's Fish Bar - Fish and Chip shop of the year for two years in a row.

East Neuk - Pittenweem

St Monans Church built by King David II dates from the 13th century.

Elie is a testing centenarian that shouldn't be missed.

Lundin Links is used as a British Open qualifying course.

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There's no Scottish town as familiar to golfers as St. Andrews -- it seems impossible to tire of this, the very place that gave birth to golf over six centuries ago. Stay here for a few days, a week, or even longer and you'll still never have enough time to play all the links courses, either in town or within a half hour's drive that demand attention. From the seven St. Andrews municipal courses (including the fabled Old Course) to the very special links at Kingsbarns, or the seaside gem at Elie, or Lundin Links, Crail and another two dozen besides - it's a never ending banquet of top-drawer golf that includes the best links layouts on the planet.

As important as St. Andrews is for her golf and accompanying accoutrements - the British Golf Museum and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club - this ancient royal burgh and the surrounding area offers much more than golf alone. Few other towns or cities in Scotland can boast such a rich and colorful, though often bloody past, nor do they have St. Andrews impressive centuries-old buildings and monuments to prove it.

This is home to Scotland's oldest (and one of Britain's, most prestigious) universities, established here in 1413. Much of St. Andrews most elegant architecture is in the original college buildings, dating from the 15th and 16th centuries and still used by the university today.

During Medieval times, St. Andrews was Scotland's ecclesiastical capital and the ruins of the cathedral date from the 12th century, when the country was ruled with an iron fist by the Catholic Church. St. Andrews Castle was built at the same time and played an important role in the civil war that raged during the period of the Reformation. Burnings at the Stake, murders, sieges and all manner of dastardly deeds were carried out during these turbulent times and St. Andrews was at the center of it all.

This is all exciting, blood curdling stuff epic movies are made of, in fact St. Andrews history is enough to make the epic plus a couple of sequels. For a change of pace and another side of St. Andrews' many different attractions, a brief, 20-minute drive south, along the Fife shore, reveals a far more peaceful and equally intriguing history.

This stretch of little more than 12 miles of rugged coastline is a region known as the East Neuk (neuk is Scottish for corner) - Fife's easternmost corner and home to a collection of picturesque, ancient fishing villages, each with its own special charm and character. Centuries ago these were bustling sea-ports, their ships and merchants trading with Scandinavia, Belgium and Holland. This influence can still be seen in the Dutch and Flemish architectural styles in the pastel colored old buildings and small cottages that line the quaysides. Often overlooked by visitors and practically void of crowds of tourists, the quieter, easy-going nature of an age gone by is everywhere, as are the never-ending, picture-postcard scenes of this Scotland of yesteryear.

A day spent exploring this charming part of the Kingdom of Fife, is a relaxing and totally fascinating experience. For those with an appreciation for the freshest seafood, it's also a chance to give the taste-buds a little exercise on some of the local specialties pulled from East Neuk waters only hours before. And if you still want to play an additional round or two, there are a few excellent links courses in the area.

The closest of the East Neuk villages to St. Andrews is Crail, sitting literally 20 minutes drive away. One of the most attractive, its history goes back to the 8th century, by 1100 it was a thriving town and Robert the Bruce made it a royal burgh in 1310.

Many of Crail's older buildings have a strong Dutch influence, especially the Tollbooth, dating from the 16th century. Located in Marketgate at the center of town, this was once the largest marketplace in all of Europe and by royal decree, one of a small handful of Scots towns permitted to hold its market on Sundays. Today Crail, with its magnificent harbor, has become a center for artists, but still has a busy small fishing fleet, specialized in bringing in lobsters and prawns.

Golfers should note this handsome village is also home to the Crail Golfing Society, the world's 7th oldest golf club, with two championship links layouts. The historic, Balcomie Links and the newer, Craighead Links and neither will disappoint. With so much to see in and around the village, a round of golf, followed by a fine lobster lunch, then an afternoon spent discovering the village, can easily turn into a full day excursion.

But there's much more of the East Neuk to discover and Anstruther, the largest of the East Neuk villages, once the herring capital of the region, is worth visiting. The herring fleet is no longer here, but the Scottish Fisheries Museum, located on the quayside, eloquently tells the story of its importance to the village's past. Today, Anstruther's main claim to fame is its shops and restaurants. Ranking as one of Scotland's finest seafood restaurants, The Cellar offers an excellent menu based on locally caught fish, amid informal but quite sophisticated surroundings. If you prefer something a little more down to earth, try The Fish Bar, located on the quay. For the past two years this always crowded establishment has won the coveted award of being The Best Fish & Chip Shop in Scotland.

It's little more than a mile along the coast road from Anstruther, to the oddly named village of Pittenweem, a real charmer and the most active of the fishing ports of the East Neuk. The busy harbor is always crowded with brightly colored fishing boats and for those who get here early enough in the morning, watching the daily fish-market that takes place on the quayside, is a unique and fun experience.

Fishermen and artists seem to make up the bulk of Pittenweem's permanent residents and a stroll along the High Street reveals a number of very good art galleries, squeezed in between bakers, butchers and green-grocers shops. Take the time to admire Pitenweem's architecture with its Dutch overtones. Parts of the Parish Church date from the 14th century. Augustine Monks built a priory here in the 13th century, although most of the original structures were later integrated into surrounding buildings. Visit Kellie Lodging on the High Street, a 16th century townhouse that was once home to the Earls of Kellie, it's just another intriguing side of this fascinating village.

The name Pittenweem, means, the place of the cave and St. Fillan's cave, the reason for the name, should not be missed. The cave was used as a chapel by St. Fillan, a man with miraculous powers, in the 7th century. Since then the cave has been treated as a shrine and was re-dedicated in the 1930's. Services are still held here on a regular basis, but to see the cave, you must first go to the Gingerbread Horse Café on High Street and ask for the key -- it's just another part of the charm of this thoroughly delightful village.

But there are more quaint villages of the East Neuk to be explored and historic St. Monans, just another mile along the coast from Pittenweem, shouldn't be missed. The original village, established here in the early 9th century was called Inverie. St. Monan was allegedly enshrined here in the year 875 and the village renamed. Who St. Monan was and why he was laid to rest here depends upon which of a variety of different stories you believe.

We know he was either a Scottish Saint, an Irish Bishop or an Irish Missionary. He either died peacefully in his sleep after a long and fruitful life, or was killed by a band of invading Danes. The detail may not be as important as the fact that the shrine was developed into a church in the 13th century, which was extensively rebuilt during the 14th century, with King David II of Scotland taking an active involvement in the re-build. It's this magnificent 700 year-old church that must be seen, both inside and out

For those who want to take advantage of summer's 10:00 p.m. sunsets in this part of the world and would like to take in a round of golf after sightseeing, there's a selection of prime hidden gems of links courses nearby. A 5 or 6 p.m. starting time will give you ample time for 18-holes and you'll still back in your St. Andrews hotel, well before sunset.

The nearby village of Elie has an excellent, 130 year-old links course, where the great James Braid learned his golf. Filled with links surprises, including a few uniquely its own, be prepared for testy challenge. Bring a sense of humor along with you and you just might find this to be one of the most enjoyable rounds of your entire trip.

Lundin Links is another beauty, located only a couple of miles further along the coast and an unexpected surprise for those who may be under the wrong impression that an unfamiliar name means a second class layout. Nothing could be further from the truth and Lundin Links, used as a British Open qualifying course when St. Andrews hosts, will prove it in short order.

The East Neuk is jam-packed with very pleasant surprises, both on the golf courses and away from them and it's all a part of the real Scottish experience. For a few more suggestions on how this enchanting corner of Scotland can be included in your trip, click here.

©2009 David Brice / Golf International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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