East Neuk, Fife: Definitive Travel Guide for the East Neuk
The East Neuk is an incredible part of Fife to visit and one of Scotland’s most beautiful areas.
With its iconic harbour villages, stunning beaches, and incredible seafood, the East Neuk has bucket loads of quintessential coastal appeal. And there are heaps of wonderful places in the East Neuk to explore.
This is one of my favourite parts of Scotland and an area I find myself returning to time-and-time again.
This inlet of the Firth of Forth stretches for around 27km, incorporating harbour villages from Pittenweem to lesser-known Kingsbarns, as well as countless beaches, sea views, historical ruins, and walks along the gorgeous Fife coastline.
Whilst the East Neuk is by no means a hidden gem, it retains its authenticity and charm, especially for those who seek a slice of seaside life.
Here, fishing nets still dry around busy harbours and fishing boats bob gently in their sheltered waters. All framed, of course, by white washed cottages and the glint of their red tiled roofs.
ARE YOU PLANNING A TRIP TO FIFE’s East Neuk?
If you’re booking a trip to the East Neuk and want to know where to see, stay, and eat - we have you covered. Below are some of my top hotels, tours, and more!
Popular tours of the East Neuk:
Top places to stay in the East Neuk:
The Old Stable: for a gorgeous seaside hideaway (Pittenweem)
16 Westgate South: for the best holiday home (Crail)
Fife itinerary and map:
Want to explore coastal Fife and see it’s prettiest spots hassle-free? Check out our Fife itinerary here.
Happily, the East Neuk is easy to visit.
Made up of only six picturesque villages, it’s entirely possible to visit each over a few days. Conveniently linked by both a coastal road and a coastal walking trail, the East Neuk is utterly perfect for a weekend road trip or staycation.
It’s also an easy but wonderful day trip option from Edinburgh.
Here’s all the best places to visit in the East Neuk, plus things to do and where to find the best seafood. Plus, advice on how to get to, and around, the East Neuk of Fife.
The East Neuk Villages
There are six villages in the East Neuk, each postcard perfect. From west to east, the East Neuk villages are:
Elie: visit this picturesque village for sandy beaches and clifftop walks.
St Monans: compact, cute, with cosy cafes, visit this seaside haven for its welly boot garden!
Pittenweem: still a working harbour, visit for cafes, cottages, tiny beach, and seaside views.
Anstruther & Cellardyke: the biggest town and smallest community, both are wonderful spots.
Crail: my favourite East Neuk village, visit for restaurants and a gorgeous harbour.
Kingsbarns: a tiny village, visit for the best beach in the area.
Where is the East Neuk?
Before I launch into things to do in the East Neuk, I thought it best to explain its unusual name. Well, ‘Neuk’ is the Scottish interpretation of the word ‘nook’ – a sheltered, pocket-sized space. All in, a perfect description for this little corner of Fife.
Situated to the east coast of Scotland, the Fife peninsula is sandwiched between the Firths of Forth and Tay. The East Neuk runs along a portion of this coastline, between the harbour villages of Elie and Kingsbarns.
East Neuk of Fife Map
Check out this Fife map. You’ll see the East Neuk sits along the coast and includes villages like St Monans, Pittenweem and Crail.
Best things to do in the East Neuk
1. Elie
Most famous for its immaculate beaches and hidden sandy bays, Elie is the first village in the East Neuk. Elie is known for its village charm - here historic Edwardian homes, pristine streets, and colourful fishing cottages mean that this East Neuk village remains as quaint and lovely as ever.
Not only pretty, but there’s also heaps to do in Elie.
With miles of Fife coastline to explore, a coastal chain walk, watersports, fantastic beaches, and a few excellent eateries, Elie is a great summer spot.
Elie highlights:
Historic streets
Elie Chain Walk
Stay, eat, and drink at The Ship Inn
Elie beaches: Earlsferry Beach, Ruby Bay, and Shell Bay
2. St Monans
St Monans is another totally gorgeous place to visit in the East Neuk. Though this harbour hamlet is the smallest on the coast, in St Monans you’ll find really lovely things to do.
Once here, take some time to stroll around the intricate harbour, explore the historic church, and enjoy wonderful local seafood in one of the eateries.
Along the waterfront are a few fantastic eateries - personally, I recommend the Giddy Gannet for coffee and tasty treats or East Pier for seafood.
St Monans highlights:
St Monans harbour
Welly boot garden
St Monans Church
The Windmill
Newark Castle
Giddy Gannet Cafe
3. Pittenweem
Despite being one the smallest of the coastal villages, Pittenweem might just be one of the best places in the East Neuk to visit.
Once here, explore the picturesque, whitewashed houses with their iconic red tiled roofs along small Pittenweem beach. Then wander around the harbour and watch the busy fishing fleet at work. Next, explore the narrow streets where you’ll find seafood restaurants, cafes, and ice cream shops.
Alternatively, for those seeking a longer walk then check out the this stunning coastal trail. This coastal trail links all of the East Neuk villages, and the Pittenweem section (in either direction) is an easily walkable morning or afternoon stroll.
Pittenweem highlights:
Explore the old village streets
St Fillans Cave
Pittenweem lighthouse
Pittenweem beach
Pittenweem harbour
The Dory Seafood Bistro
Cocoa Tree Café or Clock Tower Café
4. Anstruther & Cellardyke
Bustling Anstruther is the only town in the East Neuk, and its certainly the largest destination on our list. Known for its bustling harbour, Anstruther is always busy with pleasure vessels, fishing boats, and boat tours to the nearby Isle of May nature reserve.
Directly across from the harbour is the Shore, Anstruther’s high street. It’s the perfect place for a stroll, to people watch, eat in one of the delicious restaurants, and pick up a souvenir.
Afterwards, indulge in the local seafood at the world-famous Anstruther Fish Bar – usually there’s a queue but its certainly worth the wait! That being said, Anstruther isn’t all just the harbour. There’s also a small sandy beach where you can swim or SUP.
Cellardyke
Once you’ve explored Anstruther, walk along the shore to neighbour Cellardyke. Though joined together, these are vastly different places. In the pretty village of Cellardyke, you’ll find narrow, cobbled streets and traditional fishing homes lead to a secluded and tiny harbour.
This is a peaceful spot and great for dolphin spotting. For a tasty treat, visit The Grind for incredible crepes and coffee served by the sea.
Anstruther & Cellardyke highlights:
Anstruther harbour
The Shore
Anstruther Fish Bar
Boat trips
Cellardyke harbour
The Grind airstream cafe
5. Crail
One of the most historic places in the East Neuk, picture perfect Crail is best known for its pretty harbour; here you can watch the fishing boats at work then sample delicious seafood at the Shack.
In fact, the whole village of Crail is wonderful - though compact, its nonetheless filled with quaint streets, gorgeous old buildings, and absolutely heaps of history.
Once you arrive in Crail, you’ll find plenty to see and do. Firstly you can visit the Crail Heritage Museum to find out more about Crail’s history and culture. Then take a wander around the beautiful old streets, visit the church, galleries, speciality shops, and pottery.
Finally, take a coastal walk along the cliffs to windswept Fife Ness Lighthouse at Fife’s most easterly point. Or walk 30-minutes west, to the beautiful Caiplie Caves. Known locally as the coves, this natural landmark of eroded sandstone has a long history and is a beautiful spot for a coastal stroll.
Afterwards, indulge in the wonderful foodie scene flourishing around Crail – there are a handful of really incredible places to eat, including the Shoregate and harbourside Seafood Shack.
Crail highlights:
Crail beach
Fife Ness Lighthouse
Seafood Shack
The high street’s independent small shops
Crail Heritage Museum
Caiplie Caves
6. Kingsbarns
Kingsbarns is the last village in the East Neuk. Once the grain store for the royal court at nearby Falkland, nowadays the small village is beautiful with pretty cottages clustered around a village square.
Plus, there’s tons to do around Kingsbarns, including whisky and gin tours at the distillery, gardens and woodland walks at Cambo Estate, and finally wonderful Kingsbarns Beach with its long sweeping stretch of golden sand; easily one of the best beaches in Fife.
Kingsbarns highlights:
Stroll around the Square
Kingsbarns Beach
Cambo Gardens
Kingsbarns Distillery
Darnley’s Gin Distillery
Cheesy Toast Shack
How to visit the East Neuk
By car
As with many places along the Fife coast, the easiest way to visit the East Neuk is by car. Each village is easily accessible and in my experience offers plenty of car parking. The drive is very straightforward, especially if you’re near the M90, where you’ll then link to the A917. From there follow the incredibly well sign-posted Fife Coastal Road which connects the East Neuk villages.
Edinburgh to Elie: 1hr
Glasgow to Elie: 1.5hrs
By bus
Alternatively, if you’re travelling by public transport, there are some really great bus options (though not the train).
The Stagecoach 95 bus service runs regularly between all the coastal villages and towns from Elie to Kingsbarns. You can check the full bus timetable here.
For those travelling from Edinburgh, the Stagecoach X60 stops in most East Neuk villages. Plan your journey here.
On a tour
Each of these highly rated tours leave from Edinburgh and take in the fishing villages before also visiting historic St Andrews:
By campervan
Personally, I’ve always found the East Neuk to be campervan friendly. There are tons of campsites and holiday parks, and a handful of official overnight stops in some beachside car parks for a small donation. Kingsbarns (here) and Ruby Bay (here) are my personal favourites.
For those who don’t have their own rolling home but would like to try van life in the East Neuk, hire your own van from Go Forth or Fife Camper Hire. Finally, if you do choose to stay off-grid, please remember to be considerate of the local community and wildlife: that means take away your rubbish and don’t dump waste water.
On foot
Stretching 178km, the stunning Coastal Path is the longest trail in Scotland following an entire section of coastline. Whilst walking the whole thing may be unrealistic for some people, the most beautiful section of the Fife Coastal Path is undoubtedly the East Neuk.
Between the villages there are insanely beautiful clifftop views and pristine wild beaches. Whilst in the villages are incredible places to stay and eat. Plus the walk itself offers easily accessible and straightforward sections. Alternatively, I’ve included the best sections from each village in my Fife posts.
You can find full details and smaller stages of the walking route here.
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