Guidebook for Falkland
Food Scene
Campbells Coffee House Eatery
High StreetHas the most amazing breakfasts, lunches and dinners!
Walk through the Estate to this brilliant place. Serves incredible home baking and vegetarian and and vegan food. Sit outside wrapped in blankets in amongst the trees - stunning!
Pillars of Hercules
Walk through the Estate to this brilliant place. Serves incredible home baking and vegetarian and and vegan food. Sit outside wrapped in blankets in amongst the trees - stunning!
All we will say is Duck Shepherds Pie. Yum
57 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Forgan's St Andrews
110 Market StAll we will say is Duck Shepherds Pie. Yum
The Stag Inn is just across the road, and is an excellent place to eat and drink, and they often have live music.
6 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
The Stag Inn
Mill WyndThe Stag Inn is just across the road, and is an excellent place to eat and drink, and they often have live music.
The Covenanter Hotel, famous for being Mrs Bairds B&B in Outlander has an excellent restaurant and bar.
The Covenanter Hotel
High StreetThe Covenanter Hotel, famous for being Mrs Bairds B&B in Outlander has an excellent restaurant and bar.
The Lomond Tavern
Horse MarketThe Lomond Tavern, a popular eatery for locals and visitors is also nearby.
Sightseeing
Right in the middle of the village this was the Hunting Palace for the Kings and Queens of Scotland.
70 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Palacio y Jardín de Falkland
East PortRight in the middle of the village this was the Hunting Palace for the Kings and Queens of Scotland.
Parks & Nature
Lomond Hills
Stunning views and incredible walks
Arts & Culture
Visit this lovely town and see the University, the Castle and Cathedral, the beaches and famous Old Course.
257 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
St Andrews
Visit this lovely town and see the University, the Castle and Cathedral, the beaches and famous Old Course.
Shopping
Fayre Earth
High StreetElizabeth makes the best coffees EVER
Neighbourhoods
Falkland itself is a friendly little community and has many boutique shops, pubs, and cafes right on your doorstep, as well as a corner shop, art gallery, hairdressers, post office, bakers and of course the stunning National Trust property, Falkland Palace is right across from the house. There are lots of peaceful walks through the Falkland Estate woods, a tennis club and golf course.
Since 2013 Falkland has been used for filming the huge US STARZ TV hit Outlander". The TV series which is based on the series of books by Diana Gabaldon tells the story of Claire Beauchamp who visits Inverness and mysteriously falls back through time to the Jacobite rising, where she meets the young outlaw Jamie Fraser. Falkland was used to re-create Inverness itself in the 1940's and many of the houses and shops were re painted and turned into 1940's shops and houses. Our cottage overlooks the monument in the village which featured heavily in the first episode and is just a couple of doors down from "Farrells" where Claire looked at the blue vase (now the lovely Fayre Earth Gift Shop) and Mrs Baird's B&B (the Covenanter Hotel). During the filming in 2016 the crew built a lean to building against our cottage which was used as part of a scene. Unfortunately, it was made from polystyrene so is no longer there! We have welcomed many Outlander fans who have used Thistle House as a base for their Outlander adventures!
In the evenings, Falkland has plenty to offer with the Covenanter Hotel and its excellent restaurant, as well as the Bruce Inn which offers draft ale and hearty meals as does The Lomond Tavern, a popular eatery for locals and visitors.
Just across from the cottage, the Campbell's bistro offers excellent coffee, lovely food and baking and you can even take your own wine in the evenings.
Walks and Hikes
You can walk through the woodland paths of the Falkland Estate to a lovely organic farm shop and café, called the Pillars of Hercules, where you can stock up on organically grown fruit and vegetables and sample delicious homemade cakes and soups. The Estate has many lovely walks through the woodlands that used to be the private hunting ground of Scotland royalty, up through the Mapsie Den to the beautiful waterfall or even up to the Lomond Hills. Find out all about this stunning estate and its walks visit: http://www.centreforstewardship.org.uk/visit/
There are many more walks and places to explore in the local area which can be found on the Living Lomonds website such as the geological marvels such as the bizarrely shaped Bonnet Stane and Carlin Maggies Stane.: http://www.livinglomonds.org.uk/
Further afield:
Falkland is also a perfect base for many lovely day trips. It takes just half an hour to get to the world-famous St Andrews, home of golf and full of historic sites, shops and restaurants, or you could follow the Fife Coastal Path and take in the lovely fishing villages of the East Neuk, such as Crail, Elie, Ansthruther and Pittenweem. Scotlands major cities, Edinburgh, Perth, Glasgow and Stirling are all approximate a one-hour drive away
The Kingdom Of Fife boasts a wonderful mix of stunning scenery, fascinating history, action packed activities and sports and world renowned cultural festivals - there really is something for everyone. For those interested in nature and the landscape, you could walk or cycle the Fife Coastal Path - that stretches 117 miles from the Forth Estuary in the south to the Tay Estuary in north and takes in wildlife, historic sites and stunning scenery. Fife also boasts 300 miles of dedicated cycle routes through pretty seaside villages and along country lanes and disused railway lines. Fife is also home to all three of Scotland’s Blue Flag award-winning beaches: Elie Ruby Bay, Aberdour Silver Sands and Burntisland, alongside several other award-winning beaches.
Dunfermline, a former capital of Scotland, was established by Malcolm III as a new seat for royal power in the mid-11th century and this beautiful town is blessed with several historical venues that cannot be missed. Discover the rest of the Kingdom of Fifes royal connections by first visiting the Royal Burgh of Culross, home to an ochre-coloured palace, an extremely grand and impressive house built in the 16th century. Head to the historic town of St Andrews, with its fascinating history this picture-perfect town is illustrated in the medieval centre with its narrow alleys and cobbled streets. Pay a visit to the remains of what was once Scotland’s largest and most magnificent church, climb to the top of the 33 m high St Rule’s Tower for wonderful views of the town and learn more in the Cathedral Museum.
Wildlife in Fife: Although one of the smallest regions in size, the Kingdom of Fife boasts a phenomenal number of coastal habitats which are home to various species. With three river estuaries as well as forests and wetlands, the region is the perfect place to spot a vast array of wading birds and wildfowl. Its coastline and islands also provide shelter to marine animals such as grey seals as well as large seabird colonies.
Attractions: Travel through the UK’s longest underwater viewing tunnel, dive with sand tiger sharks, explore the seal sanctuary and witness the beautiful coral reefs at Deep Sea World, Scotland’s national aquarium. Another fun filled family day out can be spent at the Scottish Deer Centre, home to many different kinds of deer alongside wolves, otters, Highland bulls and Scottish wildcats. Did you know that Fife was home to Scotland’s best-kept secret for over 40 years? Hidden beneath an innocent farmhouse in the East Neuk, discover Scotland’s Secret Bunker, a 100 ft underground bunker, the size of two football pitches, one on top of the other.
Fife’s Festivals: There are a number of fantastic local festivals taking place in towns and villages throughout Fife, such as the Bruce Festival, where you can step back in time, or visit Cambo Estate during the Snowdrop Festival in February and March and see carpets of snowdrops by starlight. Literary lovers will enjoy Scotland’s largest poetry festival in March, the StAnza Poetry Festival in St Andrews, which gives vitality to poetry in Scotland’s oldest university town. The Crail Food Festival takes place in June offers the chance to meet local producers alongside cooking demonstrations, taste sessions and live street music. At the East Neuk Festival you can listen to enchanting chamber music in the churches and unusual venues and during the Pittenweem Arts Festival in early August, inspiring artists take over garages and gardens and you can catch a glimpse into exhibitors homes. Don’t miss St Andrews Golf Week, a week-long festival of golf activities in the home of golf or catch golf action at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. There are a variety of Highland games taking place in the summer in towns and villages such as Cupar and Markinch, while the oldest free games in Scotland is held in Ceres.
37 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Falkland
Falkland itself is a friendly little community and has many boutique shops, pubs, and cafes right on your doorstep, as well as a corner shop, art gallery, hairdressers, post office, bakers and of course the stunning National Trust property, Falkland Palace is right across from the house. There are lots of peaceful walks through the Falkland Estate woods, a tennis club and golf course.
Since 2013 Falkland has been used for filming the huge US STARZ TV hit Outlander". The TV series which is based on the series of books by Diana Gabaldon tells the story of Claire Beauchamp who visits Inverness and mysteriously falls back through time to the Jacobite rising, where she meets the young outlaw Jamie Fraser. Falkland was used to re-create Inverness itself in the 1940's and many of the houses and shops were re painted and turned into 1940's shops and houses. Our cottage overlooks the monument in the village which featured heavily in the first episode and is just a couple of doors down from "Farrells" where Claire looked at the blue vase (now the lovely Fayre Earth Gift Shop) and Mrs Baird's B&B (the Covenanter Hotel). During the filming in 2016 the crew built a lean to building against our cottage which was used as part of a scene. Unfortunately, it was made from polystyrene so is no longer there! We have welcomed many Outlander fans who have used Thistle House as a base for their Outlander adventures!
In the evenings, Falkland has plenty to offer with the Covenanter Hotel and its excellent restaurant, as well as the Bruce Inn which offers draft ale and hearty meals as does The Lomond Tavern, a popular eatery for locals and visitors.
Just across from the cottage, the Campbell's bistro offers excellent coffee, lovely food and baking and you can even take your own wine in the evenings.
Walks and Hikes
You can walk through the woodland paths of the Falkland Estate to a lovely organic farm shop and café, called the Pillars of Hercules, where you can stock up on organically grown fruit and vegetables and sample delicious homemade cakes and soups. The Estate has many lovely walks through the woodlands that used to be the private hunting ground of Scotland royalty, up through the Mapsie Den to the beautiful waterfall or even up to the Lomond Hills. Find out all about this stunning estate and its walks visit: http://www.centreforstewardship.org.uk/visit/
There are many more walks and places to explore in the local area which can be found on the Living Lomonds website such as the geological marvels such as the bizarrely shaped Bonnet Stane and Carlin Maggies Stane.: http://www.livinglomonds.org.uk/
Further afield:
Falkland is also a perfect base for many lovely day trips. It takes just half an hour to get to the world-famous St Andrews, home of golf and full of historic sites, shops and restaurants, or you could follow the Fife Coastal Path and take in the lovely fishing villages of the East Neuk, such as Crail, Elie, Ansthruther and Pittenweem. Scotlands major cities, Edinburgh, Perth, Glasgow and Stirling are all approximate a one-hour drive away
The Kingdom Of Fife boasts a wonderful mix of stunning scenery, fascinating history, action packed activities and sports and world renowned cultural festivals - there really is something for everyone. For those interested in nature and the landscape, you could walk or cycle the Fife Coastal Path - that stretches 117 miles from the Forth Estuary in the south to the Tay Estuary in north and takes in wildlife, historic sites and stunning scenery. Fife also boasts 300 miles of dedicated cycle routes through pretty seaside villages and along country lanes and disused railway lines. Fife is also home to all three of Scotland’s Blue Flag award-winning beaches: Elie Ruby Bay, Aberdour Silver Sands and Burntisland, alongside several other award-winning beaches.
Dunfermline, a former capital of Scotland, was established by Malcolm III as a new seat for royal power in the mid-11th century and this beautiful town is blessed with several historical venues that cannot be missed. Discover the rest of the Kingdom of Fifes royal connections by first visiting the Royal Burgh of Culross, home to an ochre-coloured palace, an extremely grand and impressive house built in the 16th century. Head to the historic town of St Andrews, with its fascinating history this picture-perfect town is illustrated in the medieval centre with its narrow alleys and cobbled streets. Pay a visit to the remains of what was once Scotland’s largest and most magnificent church, climb to the top of the 33 m high St Rule’s Tower for wonderful views of the town and learn more in the Cathedral Museum.
Wildlife in Fife: Although one of the smallest regions in size, the Kingdom of Fife boasts a phenomenal number of coastal habitats which are home to various species. With three river estuaries as well as forests and wetlands, the region is the perfect place to spot a vast array of wading birds and wildfowl. Its coastline and islands also provide shelter to marine animals such as grey seals as well as large seabird colonies.
Attractions: Travel through the UK’s longest underwater viewing tunnel, dive with sand tiger sharks, explore the seal sanctuary and witness the beautiful coral reefs at Deep Sea World, Scotland’s national aquarium. Another fun filled family day out can be spent at the Scottish Deer Centre, home to many different kinds of deer alongside wolves, otters, Highland bulls and Scottish wildcats. Did you know that Fife was home to Scotland’s best-kept secret for over 40 years? Hidden beneath an innocent farmhouse in the East Neuk, discover Scotland’s Secret Bunker, a 100 ft underground bunker, the size of two football pitches, one on top of the other.
Fife’s Festivals: There are a number of fantastic local festivals taking place in towns and villages throughout Fife, such as the Bruce Festival, where you can step back in time, or visit Cambo Estate during the Snowdrop Festival in February and March and see carpets of snowdrops by starlight. Literary lovers will enjoy Scotland’s largest poetry festival in March, the StAnza Poetry Festival in St Andrews, which gives vitality to poetry in Scotland’s oldest university town. The Crail Food Festival takes place in June offers the chance to meet local producers alongside cooking demonstrations, taste sessions and live street music. At the East Neuk Festival you can listen to enchanting chamber music in the churches and unusual venues and during the Pittenweem Arts Festival in early August, inspiring artists take over garages and gardens and you can catch a glimpse into exhibitors homes. Don’t miss St Andrews Golf Week, a week-long festival of golf activities in the home of golf or catch golf action at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. There are a variety of Highland games taking place in the summer in towns and villages such as Cupar and Markinch, while the oldest free games in Scotland is held in Ceres.
Consejos para la ciudad
Facilidad para moverse por la casa
Getting here
Falkland is a rural village so we do highly recommend car hire.
Parking: In the Winter (October – March) you may be able to park directly in front of the house on the pavement as the yellow lines are not in use in the Winter. In the Summer season the village gets very busy with tourists and you are NOT allowed to park on these yellow lines outside the house at all. You also can not park next to the house in the wee lane as this belongs to the house next door. The best place to park is opposite the house down the lane that leads to the Stag Inn. There is usually parking available there, again avoiding the yellow lines. If there are no spaces keep driving down that lane and go over the little bridge. Turn to your left and park on the right hand side of the lane, making sure there is room to get a car past you. I have never failed to get a parking space.
By Air: The nearest airports are Edinburgh (35 miles / 56km), Dundee (24 miles / 39 km)
You can fly to Edinburgh Airport direct from most European capitals or connect through any of the London Airports if coming from further afield. Cars can then be easily hired from Edinburgh Airport and its approx. 45mins drive over the Forth Road Bridge to get to Falkland. You could also arrange a taxis or Uber for around £50. You can also fly to Dundee airport from London City Airport with Air France or with FlyBe from Belfast. It takes approx. 30 mins to drive to the house.
By Train: The nearest Train Stations are at Markinch or Ladybank (5 miles / 8km), which are both approx 10 min drive away. Taxis can be prearranged and the fare is approximately £10. You can get to the centres of Edinburgh (1 hour), Dundee (30 mins), or Perth (20 mins) by train from these stations.
By Bus: There are bus stops in both the village of Falkland and by the Pillars of Hercules cafe. Check Traveline Scotland for details.
Taxis: Falkland Taxis 07855854117
Emergency Information: In case of Emergency dial 999. You are in Falkland, Fife, Scotland. Nearest Hospital: Queen Victoria Hospital - Accident & Emergency Department, Kirkcaldy
No te pierdas
Local amenities
Nearest Shop: There is a small village shop opposite the Palace which stocks basic groceries and wine, beer and snacks.
Nearest Supermarket: Glenrothes (8 miles away) has an Asda, Aldi, Lidl and Morrison’s all next to each other. All the big Supermarkets will deliver to the cottage if you set up an online order.
Nearest Pub: The Stag Inn is just across the road, and is an excellent place to eat and drink, and they often have live music. The Covenanter Hotel, famous for being Mrs Bairds B&B in Outlander has an excellent restaurant and bar, and the Bruce Inn which offers draft ale and hearty meals is just 1 minutes’ walk away. The Lomond Tavern, a popular eatery for locals and visitors is also nearby.
If you are not having a drink (remember Scottish drink driving laws are very strict and to give you a basic idea, you can only drink approx an inch less than a pint if you are a man!) there are some great pubs and places to eat further afield such as:
Balgove Steak Barn: 30 mins Just outside St Andrews https://www.balgove.com/pages/steak-barn
Forgans or Mitchells: 40 mins St Andrews http://www.forgans.co.uk/
Kettlebridge Bar and Restaurant: 10 mins https://www.facebook.com/Kettlebridge/
Pitlessie Village Inn: 10 mins http://www.pitlessievillageinn.com/
The Peat Inn: 20 mins https://www.thepeatinn.co.uk/
Nearest Café: Just across from the house, the Campbell's bistro offers excellent coffee, lovely food and baking and you can even take your own wine in the evenings.
The Pillars of Hercules Organic Café is a lovely walk through the woods away, where you can stock up on organically grown fruit and vegetables and sample delicious homemade cakes and soups.
Nearest Coffee: Fayre Earth Gift Shop, just 2 doors away serves delicious coffee and the owner Elizabeth is a lovely lady who will be able to offer you lots of local advice.
Nearest Chemists: There is one in the village - 2 mins walk
Nearest Golf courses: You can literally take your pick as there are literally hundreds within a 39 mile radius! Falkland has its own Golf Course or you can try the world-famous courses of St Andrews, although you will need to book months in advance.
Nearby beaches: St Andrews is just 33 kms away with its 2 gorgeous beaches of West Sands and East Sands, with Tentsmuir Beach just north of the town and the stunning beaches of Elie Ruby Bay, Aberdour Silver Sands and Burntisland found along the East Neuk (45 mins drive)
Nearest Fishing: Trout/Fly fishing can be enjoyed at the Ballo Fishery up West Lomond Hill (07521 060362), Salmon Fishing can be found on the River Tay.
Nearest Distillery: Eden Mill Distillery (Guardbridge – 30 mins), Kingsbarns Distillery (45 mins), Lindores Abbey Distillery (20 mins)
Nearest Bird Watching: Ballo Reservoir up West Lomond (10 mins) or RSPB centre 20 mins by car. Ospreys and Sea Eagles have been sighted at Vane Farm (Loch Leven) and Ballo.
Costumbres y cultura
Don't have a drink if you are driving!
Scottish drink driving laws are very strict and to give you a basic idea, you can only drink approx an inch less than a pint if you are a man! It is probably best not to bother!
Qué debes empacar
Bring boots and a rain jacket!
The weather in Scotland is very very changeable. Even in Summer it can suddenly get very cold and wet so always bring with you:
1. A rain jacket
2. Jumpers or fleeces
3. Boots or wellies