Summer in Scotland means festival season and with so many to choose from up and down the country it can be difficult to know where to start. Gemma Armit, a Fife local and Scotland travel blogger at Two Scots Abroad has put together this great guide to the best summer festivals in Fife. I'm ashamed to say I've not been to any of these, however thanks to Gemma I've been inspired to check some out for myself and hopefully you will be too! One of the sweetest things about the Kingdom of Fife is the sense of community that spreads throughout summer in the form of its festivals. Towns and villages of all sizes club together to entertain visitors and celebrate tradition through music, theatre, food, sport and traditional highland dance. This guide is an insight into some of the best Scottish summer (and beyond) festivals in the region over the water from the capital, Edinburgh. Over one weekend in June, this food festival offers food stalls, educational talks, street music and chef shows in the town of Crail. Venues include Crail Harbour, BeechwalkPark and Crail Community Centre. Included in the itinerary is ‘Langoustine in a Box’ which content creators from the Feast of Fife press trip say is making waves so that is definitely one set to catch over this two-day culinary event. East Neuk Festival This 5-day music event is an explosion of culture set against the stunning backdrop of Fife’s East Neuk. Expect the unexpected as churches are transformed in concert halls in June! Previous venues include Anstruther Town Hall and Kilconquhar Church. July Byre in the Botanics No need to worry about the typical July Scottish summer weather at this Fife festival, artists perform under a roof during this fully seated gig. Expect a show by Midge Ure and opera from Oliver-award winning, OperaUpClose in 2018. Aberdour Festival Aberdour Festival runs for a mammoth 10 days and is jam-packed with art exhibitions, music, comedy, fossil walks and scarecrow hunting! The event also includes a variety of sports coaching and challenges such as bowls, cricket, tea dances, raft racing and the famous Donkey Brae Run. Are you the star of the show? Check out Aberdour does Strictly this summer! Can pampered pooch win the pet show? They’ve really thought of everything in Aberdour. While you are there, swing out Aberdour Castle which features in the popular TV series Outlander. Fans should check out this guide to Outlander tours and locations for more Rapture Festival The travelling gaming festival hits Glenrothes in August. Fife’s Rothes Halls will be taken over by Fortnite, PUBG, Minecraft and Roblox. There’s a vintage gaming section for us oldies and multiplayer challenges for social attendees. Special YouTuber guests announced soon. If you're visiting Fife why not explore more of the region? Check out my 'Things to do in Fife' page for more ideas. Throughout Summer Town Highland Games Close to every community’s heart is the annual gala day. Nearly every town in Fife celebrates summer with a gala parade, crowning of the summer king and queen, food, games and sometimes competitions. The bigger towns of also Burntisland (July) and Inverkeithing (August) play host to highland dancing competitions where dancers of all ages from a variety of dancing schools compete against each other while wearing traditional Scottish dress (kilt). There are over 60 highland dancing events in Scotland, click here to find out more. Balgove Night Market How has five years passed without us knowing about the Balgove Night Market? This farmers market runs from 5-9pm once a month (Tuesdays) throughout summer returns for a Christmas stint in December. Expect fresh meat, bread and flowers in a rustic setting. Address: Balgove Larder, Farm Shop, Butchery & Café, St Andrews, KY16 9SF Crail Raceway Drag car lovers can itch that need for speed during the various events at Crail Raceway over the summer months which include Crail Drag and Drift Thrash and The Big Weekender. As the summer months come to close and we look forward to the ‘tattie holidays’ one of Fife’s newest festivals takes place. Defend Fife is a multi-location festival focusing on Army, Airforce, navy and Homefront life in WW2 this September. It also celebrates the alliance and friendship between Scotland and Poland. The weekend kicks off with a Saturday morning parade which includes pipe bands, veteran groups, cadet forces and scouts. Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to bring artefacts (photos, medals, etc) to share and discuss. Expect to see vintage dress, crafts, food and a pop-up cinema! The second location is based at Lathalmond, the ex-WW2 Royal Navy Depot, and home to the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum. Mode of transport between Dunfermline and Lathalmond? Vintage bus of course. October Fife Beer Festival Fife’s Charity Beer Festival returns to Scotland’s old capital, Dunfermline. The two-day music, food and drink event takes place at the Glen Pavilion offering a tipple from over 50 of the best cask conditioned beers and over 20 types of cider. Keeping up with the times, a gin bar was introduced in 2017! Not the definitive list but a taster to what Fife has to offer through its festivals during the summer holidays and beyond. Keep up to date with what’s going on in the Kingdom here. Whether you love sports or a swalley, there’s something for everyone in the Kingdom and rest assured, it’s always sunny in Fife! Many thanks to Gemma Armit for sharing some of the fab festivals in Fife. Gemma is a Scotland travel blogger and the fingers and lens behind the incredibly useful travel site Two Scots Abroad and part owner of the SEO support site and consultancy team, Make Traffic Happen.
Follow her travels on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Comments are closed.
|
Follow my Scotland travel adventures on social media
If you have found my blog useful and would like to support me in creating future Scottish travel content, you can by me a coffee on my Ko-fi page. All 'coffee' donations are hugely appreciated
|