This summer passenger trains to the old Fife resort town of Leven run for the first time since 1969, opening up a swathe of opportunities for exploring deeper into the Levenmouth area. New stations at Cameron Bridge and Leven are a welcome addition that means there has never been a better time to plan and enjoy a clean, green sustainable break in the glorious Kingdom of Fife. We’ve just been back and put our serious love for Fife hats on (we really do love the region) to come up with nine reasons you should hop on one of the new trains from Edinburgh to Levenmouth. We could, of course, list many, many more, but these are here to inspire you and set you off on a trip we promise you will never forget. Enjoy!
1. Lovely Leven
Before the advent of cheap jet travel Leven was a seriously popular beach resort. That sense of nostalgia and romance still lingers in the salty air. Get off the train, hear the gulls squawk and conjure up that wonderful Jack Vettriano (who was born in Levenmouth) painting of the ‘Singing Butler’ on the beach and you’ll be straight into the mood. There are amusement arcades, old world cafes and mile upon mile of unspoilt sand. Then there is ‘Postie’. This hulking, brightly patterned Scottie dog was born as part of a temporary art project. The community loved him so much, though. that they clubbed together to keep him. Very Levenmouth.
2. More than Just a Beach
Everyone we met was keen to stress there is so much more going in Leven these days than just the sands. Together Levenmouth Hub from charity Brag Enterprises is a shining example. Their brace of escape rooms, indoor crazy golf course and Hub Café tempts locals as much as they do visitors. Look out for a new gaming hub in the basement to chime with the new train line. Then there is Khee, a seriously classy lifestyle and furniture boutique. There is talk of a new Italian restaurant in the main square, of wine bars and delis as Leven spruces itself up for the big new arrival. Look out for the Fife Heritage Railway, a volunteer-run group with a fleet of diesel and steam locomotives. They are running monthly events and have big plans for Leven’s bright rail future.
3. The Ultimate Pathfinder
We’ve walked all over Scotland and the epic 117 mile Fife Coastal Path, Scotland’s longest coastal trail, is up there with any walk in the country. It sweeps right by Leven’s station. Break west for Methil and Buckhaven, before an old railway track opens up castles and Pictish caves on the way to the villages of East Wemyss and West Wemyss. Alternatively push east along the famous sands in search of the East Neuk. Temptations en route include Lundin Links and Lower Largo, with Upper Largo just inland.
4. The Great Outdoors
There is much more than just walking in Levenmouth. You can cycle all over and this is also the world-famous Home of Golf: Leven has its own golf clubs and there is a great course in Lundin Links too. The newer Dumbarnie course opened in 2000 and is an absolute stunner. With all that coastline it’s no surprise watersports are wildly popular. Join the local wild swimmers, or grab your board for stand up paddle boarding, or windsurfing. Look out too for the new sport of e-foil, as Fife is a bit of an e-foil pioneer.
5. World-class Wildlife
Levenmouth offers a quite remarkable range of flora and fauna. In the skies we have a wealth of migratory birds to enjoy, with one very welcome summer arrival the cute wee puffins, which nest on the local Forth islands. Year-round you can see those massive sea eagles haunting the coast. Leven’s beach itself is home to gulls, oystercatchers and curlews. In the water we’re talking everything from seals and porpoises, through to dolphins and whales. Yes, we did say whales! A less wild but great family-fun experience is offered by Claireville Alpacas, who let wee ones take the cute furry ones for a walk.
6. History
The Levenmouth area overflows with remarkable history that oozes from every pore. The Wemyss Caves are like nothing else we’ve seen, a collage of caves adorned in striking Pictish carvings. We recommend taking a guide from the excellent Save Wemyss Caves Society to really delve deep into the images that offer a window into the mysterious Picts. Nearby learn that Macduff wasn’t just a fictional creation of Shakespeare after all by visiting the ruins of the Thane of Fife’s old castle. It sits in a breathtaking spot gazing out over the Firth of Forth. West Wemyss has a castle too, as does Ardross just east of Elie. History hunters won’t be disappointed in this part of the world.
7. A Blossoming Charity Park
A local mental health charity took over the running of Leven’s Silverburn Park in 2012 and they have scarcely looked back since. This dynamic, largely volunteer-fuelled, group have reinvented the woodland behind the dunes. Walk their trails, bed down in one of the cosy wooden pods, camp, or just savour what we reckon are the best scones in Levenmouth in their café. They grow some of the café produce in their gardens, but the main focus is on ‘growing minds’. Look out for the hugely ambitious new project at Silverburn – giving new life to the old flax mill as a community and events hub.
8. Eat Supremely Well in Levenmouth
From land and sea as quickly as possible to your plate is the way things are done in Fife. And Levenmouth is no exception. We love Base in Levenmouth, with its locally baked bread and fresh steamed mussels from the Fife fishing village of St Monans. The local hotels have great food too. The Old Manor Hotel in Lundin Links is known for its steaks, while The Ship Inn in Elie excels with its boat-fresh seafood. If it’s a picnic you are after you’re in luck. Fresh vegetables and fruit tempt at Ardross Farm Shop, then pick your own soft fruits at Blacketyside Farm. Bowhouse is a real foodie haven. Look out for events where a flurry of local producers come to offer their ultra fresh wares.
9. Easy Way into the East Neuk
The new Levenmouth Rail Link leads you easily into Fife’s deeply picturesque East Neuk. Next stop walking east from Lower Largo is seriously pretty Elie, our pick of the East Neuk villages and towns with its sandy beach, beach cricket team and the ace Ship Inn, the latter a great place to stay and eat. The Elie Seaside Sauna is a great fun too. They now have two options – a cosy wee horse box, and a purpose-built larger sauna. Both are ideal after wild swimming. A wee birdie told us they may be expanding with a new sauna in Leven. Further east are gorgeous twins Pittenweem and St Monans, before bigger Anstruther, with its chippies and the Scottish Fisheries Museum, with Crail a postcard-perfect outlier in the far east.
*This post comes in association with Welcome to Fife. All views and opinions expressed are independent and are our own.
