Crail,
in The Kingdom of Fife, is a very popular East Neuk village
adored by both artists and photographers. The picture of
Crail harbor with its little houses, white walls, crowstepped
gables and red pantile roofs, features on the front of numerous
brochures and many calendars. Yet there is much more to
Crail than the pretty harbor which was the lifeline for
one of Scotland's most prosperous burghs in medieval times.
Crail is the oldest East Neuk Burgh, and became a Royal
Burgh in the 12th century. In 1310 Robert the Bruce granted
permission for Crail to hold markets on Sunday - always
a contentious point with the Reformers. The markets, which
were once among the largest in Europe, were held in the
Marketgait where the 17th century Mercat Cross stands.
The distinctive squat tower of the Tolbooth with its rare
Dutch type roof has a fish as a weathervane. This is an
old reminder of the days when the Crail Capon - a split
and dried haddock - was a famous delicacy associated with
Crail. The Tolbooth dates from the 16th century and used
to house the old Council Chamber, Courtroom and prison.
Also in Marketgait is Crail Parish Church on a site where
there has been a church since the 12th century.
Crail has many old houses and cottages and is best explored
on foot to capture the quiet atmosphere of a Scottish village.
The dominant building around the harbor is the large, white,
crowstepped, Customs House, built in 1690. East of Crail
is the Balcomie Links of the Crail Golfing Society which
is the seventh oldest golf club in the world. Visitors are
always welcome to enjoy the bracing air of Fife Ness while
out on a round of golf.
To the north of Crail lies the attractive coastal village
of Kingsbarns so named because the King's grain was stored
in the large barns before being transported to the Crail
or Falkland. The first church in Kingsbarns was built in
1631.
