Fife

abbey church, Dunfermline

Fife, council area and historic county of eastern Scotland, covering a peninsula bounded on the north by the Firth of Tay, on the east by the North Sea, on the south by the Firth of Forth, and on the west by Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire council areas. Fife council area covers the same area as the historic county.

Fife generally consists of lowlands that have an undulating relief, with the Ochil and Lomond hills rising in the western part of the region. The River Eden flows northeastward through the heart of Fife to empty into the sea near the town of St. Andrews. The Eden’s broad valley is known as the Howe (“Hollow”) of Fife and contains some of Fife’s best agricultural land. Coalfields lie in the southern and western portions of Fife. The climate is relatively dry—annual rainfall is 25–35 inches (625–900 mm)—and sunny, with a tendency toward cool coastal mists.

Fife’s ancient status as an independent Pictish kingdom probably earned it the byname “the Kingdom.” It became one of Scotland’s leading provinces, constituting one of the Scottish kingdom’s seven earldoms. Though remote from the rest of settled Scotland in the Middle Ages, Fife contained 14 of the 66 Scottish royal burghs. The coastal town of St. Andrews became both the seat of an archbishopric and the site of Scotland’s first university in the 15th century. The town of Falkland was a favourite residence of Scottish royalty, and seven Scottish kings are buried at the Abbey Church of Dunfermline Abbey. St. Andrews and its university were deeply involved in the events of the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century. The region has many mansions and churches, as well as the remains of several monasteries besides that at Dunfermline. In addition, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews is world-famous.

Modern Fife consists principally of an agricultural northeast and an industrial southwest. The chief crops grown are wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, and various vegetables. Livestock holdings include sheep, poultry, and beef and dairy cattle. The traditional fishing ports along the Forth have declined, with fishing activity now largely confined to the ports of Anstruther and St. Monance.

Fife’s industrial economy traditionally relied heavily on coal mining, but coal mining all but ceased by the end of the 20th century. The service sector has grown greatly, and manufacturing remains important. Glenrothes is Fife’s administrative capital. Area 512 square miles (1,325 square km). Pop. (2001) 349,429; (2011) 365,198.