fife
 On Fife's eastern-most stretch of coastline is a timeless gathering of ancient fishing villages, little changed and still little discovered judging by the tranquil air of their quayside streets and alleys. Each has its own particular character and charm, recalling times when they were all thriving sea-ports trading with the Low Countries and Scandinavia. This influence can still be seen in the distinctive Dutch and Flemish architectural styles.
Skirting the shores of Largo Bay are three charming hamlets, Upper Largo, Lower Largo and Lundin Links. Upper Largo offers an interesting exhibition at Scotland's Larder. Here they show the diversity of Scottish produce along with a restaurant and shop. This quiet country village is looked over by an ancient parish church. With its golden crescent of sand and picturesque little harbour, Lower Largo is probably the best known as the birthplace of Alexander Selkirk, the model for Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. A statue of Crusoe, looking expectantly out to sea, can be found in the village. Apparently, the man's manner was so annoying, his shipmates set him on the desert island to be rid of him. The Crusoe Hotel serves good bar meals and offers moderately priced but excellent accommodation with uninterrupted views over the Firth of Forth.
Further along the coast and following the A917, the villages of Elie and Earlsferry, at the eastern end of Largo Bay, are really one and the same place. With a mile of wide, sandy beach encircling the harbour area, this is one of Fife's most popular escapes. Local windsurfers and dinghy sailors take over the beach by the harbour and spend the weekend on the water with occasional jaunts to the Ship Inn where live entertainment and good food is laid on. Another good restaurant in town (though more formal) is the Bouquet Garni on the High Street. Golf is popular all along this coast thanks to the natural links land and Elie, or the Golf House Club, offers one of the best rounds unless the wind is blowing, which it so often does. A haven for well-healed retirees, Elie and Earlsferry has an exclusive air, procuring the reputation of 'Fife's Riviera'. The Lady's Tower, a short walk from the harbour, was built as a bathing box for Lady Janet Anstruther. The East Neuk villages are very close to one another and can be covered quite easily in a day. Three miles (5km) north-east along the coast from Elie is St Monans. This was a thriving fishing port making its living mainly from herring fishing and processing. Miller's boat-yard by the harbour is one of the oldest surviving boat-builders, established in 1747 and still producing fishing vessels today. St Monans parish church sits close to the sea-edge, a picturesque little building with its history connected to the time of David I. Inside, suspended in the transept, is a model of a full-rigged ship. This and the sound of breaking waves just outside the church remind the congregation of the area's long links with the sea.
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