Cupar is the former county and market town of North East Fife. It offers a wide range of shops and services, secondary schooling at Bell Baxter, and a broad range of both traditional and modern housing. A short distance south of Cupar is the historic village of Ceres, home of the Fife Folk Museum.
This area lies along the river Eden on the road from Cupar to St Andrews. The main settlements are Balmullo, Dairsie, Guardbridge and Leuchars. The east coast railway has a mainline station at Leuchars, serving St Andrews.
The new town of Glenrothes is a centre of high-tech industry and offers modern housing through all price ranges. The other towns and villages in the area include Coaltown of Balgonie, Kinglassie, Kirkforthar, Leslie, Markinch, Milton of Balgonie, Star of Markinch and Thornton.
This is an area of arable farming land stretching from west of Cupar to Gateside along the course of the Upper Eden. The principal villages are Auchtermuchty, Falkland and Ladybank. Others are Collessie, Dunshelt, Freuchie, Gateside, Kingskettle, Letham, Pitlessie and Strathmiglo. There are convenient links to the M90 for connections to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and Stirling.
Located by historic Loch Leven, Kinross is a small industrial town which, together with adjoining Milnathort, forms a local, mainly agricultural centre for this area, which is within Perthshire rather than Fife. Situated on the M90, Kinross offers fast links to Edinburgh, Glasgow and their airports, as well as to the north of Scotland via the M90 to Perth and the A9 to Inverness.
Besides being home to Raith Rovers FC, Kirkcaldy is Fife’s largest residential settlement. Burntisland, Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline and Kinghorn are other towns in West Fife. Property prices here are generally lower than in North East Fife.
Levenmouth is a mainly industrial area, its chief towns being Leven and Methil. The housing stock here is generally in the lower price ranges.
St Andrews is world famous as the ‘Home of Golf’, but is also renowned as a university town and holiday destination. The historic town centre offers a wide range of shops and restaurants. A wide range of schooling is available, including independent primary and secondary schools, while the local state school, Madras College, enjoys an excellent reputation. There is a full range of traditional and modern housing available, including student flats.
This part of North Fife is a largely agricultural area on the south bank of the River Tay. It stretches from the town of Newburgh in the west to the Tay Bridgehead towns of Wormit, Newport and
Tayport in the east. The Tay Bridgehead area is connected to Dundee by the Tay Road Bridge, while the Newburgh area in the west tends to orientate towards Perth. Other villages and
hamlets include Balmerino, Brunton, Drumoig, Dunbog, Gauldry, Grange of Lindores and Luthrie.
Stretching from Lundin Links in the west to Boarhills in the east, this famous coastal strip is much loved by artists and photographers. The main coastal locations are Lundin Links, Lower Largo, Elie and Earlsferry, together with the fishing villages of Anstruther, Crail, Pittenweem and St Monans. Kingsbarns and Boarhills lie on the north east coast. The inland villages include Arncroach, Colinsburgh, Kilconquhar and Upper Largo.