🧭 AI Slashes NHS Fife Waiting Times

Good morning, Fifers!

Here’s what’s coming your way today:

• £20m Budget Win for Kirkcaldy

• AI Slashes NHS Fife Waiting Times

• 61 Events to See This Weekend

Let’s jump in, there’s plenty to talk about!

— Duncan

TODAY’S TOP STORY

🔨 £20m Budget Win for Kirkcaldy

While many of the headlines for Wednesday's budget were dominated by tax rises, there is one announcement that will bring big changes to Kirkcaldy. We have covered the proposals for the town centre in detail over recent months, and while there has been much discussion from politicians, there had as yet been no firm confirmation on funding or timescales.

Now we know. Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that Kirkcaldy will receive the maximum allocation of £20m from the Growth Mission Fund, marking a major milestone for the long-awaited town centre revival. The funding will be delivered to Fife Council, which will oversee the spending and finalise plans and timescales for the work.

Nearly 700 residents recently had their say in a consultation about what changes they would like to see, including the demolition of the Thistle Street and Esplanade multistorey car parks. Suggestions included unique statement attractions similar to the Kelpies sculpture in Falkirk, a revamped waterfront, improved green spaces, and the type of businesses normally seen at beaches: fish restaurants, bars, ice cream parlours, and street food hubs.

Construction is expected to start as early as next year, with hopes that the investment will help attract private investment back into the area with new attractions and employers. Fife Council is already progressing key projects, including the demolition of the Esplanade multistorey car parks and the redevelopment of the former Postings site.

LOCAL HEADLINES YOU NEED TO KNOW

• 🧲 St Andrews scientists have joined a £20m UK-wide quantum biology project to uncover how animals sense Earth’s magnetic field and develop future magnetogenetic biomedical tools.

• 👨‍🏭 Glenrothes’ Bosch Rexroth workers will strike from December 8th to the 15th after 95% backed action against new contracts, which unions say could cut take-home pay by up to 40%.

• 🏭 Despite a positive meeting, UK ministers say there is “no route to profitability” for Mossmorran, ruling out intervention as the ethylene plant prepares to close in February, threatening over 400 jobs.

• 🎁 Fife Health Charity is urging locals to get involved this Giving Tuesday, whether by donating, sharing posts, or following online, to help support NHS Fife patients and staff across the region. Read more about what they’ve funded here.

• 📈 Fife Business Week drew more than 800 attendees across 18 events, with sessions focused on low-carbon transition, digital marketing, tendering, skills, and local supply chains.

• 🚴 Plans for a new £370,000 pump track in Dalgety Bay have been approved by Fife Council, marking a major milestone for the community. The 280-metre looped circuit will cater to bikes, scooters, skateboards, and wheelchairs.

• 🚉 A campaign to rename ‘Glenrothes with Thornton’ station, which sits three miles from Glenrothes in Thornton, has received backing from councillors, with the current name confusing visitors.

• 🏗️ The Forth Green Freeport, with Rosyth at its core, has received full UK government business case approval, unlocking £25m in seed capital to support reindustrialisation and job creation.

FEATURE OF THE WEEK

🤖 AI Cuts NHS Fife Waiting Times

Whilst many are debating the real productivity impact AI will have on our daily lives, NHS Fife has demonstrated its life-changing uses in practical healthcare settings, having fully rolled out new AI technology for MRI scanning that allows for faster, more accurate, and more comfortable scans while also reducing waiting times.

MRIs are a vital tool used in healthcare to help identify and assess a wide range of medical conditions. Using strong magnets and radio waves to take detailed pictures of the inside of the body, they are particularly effective at scanning soft tissue areas like the brain, muscles, and vital organs.

The new Deep Resolve technology uses AI to increase signal strength, leading to better quality images and also allows MRI scans to be carried out more quickly in cases where patients are unable to remain within the scanner for long periods.

Since its introduction in March 2025, the time taken to complete an MRI scan has shortened by more than 20%, with the average scan time reduced from around 30 minutes to less than 24 minutes. The increased capacity saw 1,900 extra appointments carried out in the first six months, with waiting times reduced from 6 weeks to 3-4 weeks.

The technology is now fully embedded across both Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline and the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, and has also helped deliver significant cost savings, with the increased capacity meaning there has been no need to use costly third-party mobile scanners. [NHS Fife]

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WHAT’S ON IN FIFE?

Please remember to double-check details with venues before travelling, as events can occasionally be cancelled or rescheduled at short notice, and some will require prebooked tickets.

📅 Friday, 28th November

Artisan Fridays Market - A lively weekly food market offering hot & cold food on Kirkcaldy High Street.
📁 Markets | 🕢 9am | 📍 Kirkcaldy High Street | 🎟️ Free

Creative Craft Club For Adults - Come and enjoy a regular Friday morning of creativity.
📁 Art | 🕢 10am | 📍 Letham Village Hall | 🎟️ £13.50

Sunshine on Leith - Fresh from military service, two friends return home to Edinburgh, hoping to find normalcy, love, and a new life.
📁 Movie | 🕢 11am | 📍 Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £5

Paint and Sip: Winter Scenes - Reflect on the seasons and relax with a glass of wine while we paint winter scenes.
📁 Art | 🕢 5:30pm | 📍 The R&A World Golf Museum, St Andrews | 🎟️ £20

Christmas Light Switch On - The Atrium will come alive with twinkling lights and sounds of the St Andrews Musical Choir.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 5:30pm | 📍 Fairmont St Andrews | 🎟️ £5

CIC Community Ceilidh - Come and join in the celebrations at our Annual Community Ceilidh.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 6pm | 📍 Old Parish Centre, Cupar | 🎟️ £3

Life Drawing - Artists of all levels welcome, from those established to those just curious to try life drawing or starting out.
📁 Art | 🕢 6:45pm | 📍 Dreel Halls, Anstruther | 🎟️ £7

Soul Station - Resident DJ Martin Duffy keeps us entertained, so bring your dancing shoes.
📁 Music | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Fire Station Creative, Dunfermline | 🎟️ 9.38

Psychic Night - Come along for a night of mediumship with Anne Clark, International Psychic Medium.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Auchtertool Village Hall | 🎟️ £10

Kingdom Of Madness - One of the UK’s finest exponents of melodic rock music.
📁 Music | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Backstage at the Green, Kinross | 🎟️ £35.20

Stevie McCrorie - Local singer-songwriter who won The Voice in 2015.
📁 Music | 🕢 7pm | 📍 PJ Molloys, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £17.60

Aladdin - Join Aladdin as he sets off on a bonkers Highland adventure in this Scottish take on the classic tale.
📁 Theatre | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £14.50

Gary Meikle: Neurospicy - Come join me in a show where I'll give you a 1st hand insight from my delusional eyes to what goes on in my ever-expanding mind.
📁 Comedy | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £27.50

Absolute Elvis - World-renowned Elvis Tribute Artist Johnny Lee Memphis brings the magic of The King to life.
📁 Music | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Rothes Halls, Glenrothes | 🎟️ £26

Heart and Art Sip and Paint Party - The perfect way to unwind, have fun and get creative, no experience is needed.
📁 Art | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 The Lomond Centre, Glenrothes | 🎟️ £33.22

📅 Saturday, 29th November

Anstruther RNLI's Brunch with Santa 25 - We welcome you and your family to come and enjoy a very special brunch with Santa.
📁 Family | 🕢 9am | 📍 Middle Pier, Anstruther | 🎟️ £11.55

Scandi Inspired Christmas Crafting Workshops - Paper crafting, metal embossing, clay decorations, orange pomanders, felt garlands and more.
📁 Art | 🕢 9:30am & 1pm | 📍 The Stables, Falkland Estate | 🎟️ £35

Flax Mill Hard Hat Tour - Exclusive hard hat tour of the historic Flax Mill.
📁 Tour | 🕢 10am | 📍 Silverburn Park | 🎟️ Free

East Neuk Knit - A celebration of knitting and fibre craft, meet up with friends, take part in workshops, and maybe even finish your Christmas shopping.
📁 Markets | 🕢 10am | 📍 Bowhouse, St Monans | 🎟️ £8+

Winter Intuitive Herbalism - Plant spirit herbalism workshop with local herbalist Rosy.
📁 Food & Drink | 🕢 10am | 📍 The Wynd, Falkland | 🎟️ £33.22

Foraging Walk & Wreath Making Workshop - Forage for greenery, then make your own beautiful seasonal and sustainable wreath to take home!
📁 Art | 🕢 10am | 📍 Ravenscraig Walled Garden, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £50

Langtoun Central Church Christmas Fayre - A tombola, hamper, raffle, bric-a-brac stall, plants stall, jewellery stall, Ice cream, teas & coffees, and more.
📁 Markets | 🕢 10am | 📍 Langtoun Central Church, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £3

Wemyss Ware Pop-Up Shop: An Illustrious Christmas - Celebrate the festive season with a touch of handcrafted charm at the Wemyss Ware pop-up shop.
📁 Shopping | 🕢 10am | 📍 Kirkcaldy Galleries | 🎟️ Free

Christmas Craft Fayre - Christmas gifts, woollens for sale, and stocking fillers for 50p. The Coffee Shop will be serving its baking and light lunches.
📁 Markets | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 Fife Folk Museum | 🎟️ Free

Christmas Wreath Workshop - Learn good techniques so you can make a beautiful bespoke wreath in the lovely surroundings of the glasshouse.
📁 Art | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 Teasses Estate | 🎟️ £55

St Monans 1875 Memorial Talk - Come and hear from members of the group who have driven the campaign and why it has been so important for this community.
📁 Talk | 🕢 11am | 📍 Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther | 🎟️ £5

Christmas Fayre - Two days of great Christmas shopping of arts and crafts, cakes and lunches at the cafe and music on Sunday.
📁 Markets | 🕢 11am | 📍 Crail Community Hall | 🎟️ Free

Childrens Craft Session - Make your own Christmas tree decoration or a card and meet Granny Claus with her Winter Tales.
📁 Children | 🕢 11:30am | 📍 Fife Folk Museum | 🎟️

Lang Toun Lights - Come and enjoy a free, family-friendly celebration welcoming everyone to experience the magic of Kirkcaldy at Christmas.
📁 Family | 🕢 12pm | 📍 Kirkcaldy High Street | 🎟️ Free

Cast ON - A cosy, free fortnightly knitting & crochet meetup for all skill levels.
📁 Art | 🕢 1:30pm | 📍 Kirkcaldy Galleries | 🎟️ Free

Basketweave Dorset Buttons - Try out this stitch using different colours and weights of yarn to make beautiful buttons for your hand knits.
📁 Art | 🕢 2pm | 📍 Di Gilpin Wool Hoose, Anstruther | 🎟️ £60

Aladdin - Join Aladdin as he sets off on a bonkers Highland adventure in this Scottish take on the classic tale.
📁 Theatre | 🕢 2pm & 7pm | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £14.50+

Herring Girls and Gu’un the Fish ‘n That - Meet with artist Beverley Carruthers at her new sound installation as she speaks about her project, the legacy of the Herring Girls.
📁 Talk | 🕢 3pm | 📍 Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther | 🎟️ £5

Indexed Beings - Screening of 'Indexed Beings', followed by an artist talk with Helen Knowles and Soraida Chindoy.
📁 Movie | 🕢 6pm | 📍 St Andrews Botanic Garden | 🎟️ £5+

Guitar Heads - Performing the greatest hits from the golden age of the electric guitar with their own unique twist.
📁 Music | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Backstage at the Green, Kinross | 🎟️ £33

Aziz Ibrahim - Formerly of Simply Red & Stone Roses.
📁 Music | 🕢 7pm | 📍 The Monarch Bar, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £11.25

Sarah Banjo Album Launch - Get ready to groove to Sarah's latest tunes and experience the magic of her music live.
📁 Music | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Dreel Halls, Anstruther | 🎟️ £11.55

St. Andrews Day Cèilidh - Join us and the Òr Cèilidh Band for the first Cèilidh at Howe Beer Project!
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Howe Beer Project, Balmalcolm Den | 🎟️ £25

The Iotas - Cover band from Dunfermline covering everything from Bowie, to The Black Keys.
📁 Music | 🕢 8pm | 📍 Fire Station Creative, Dunfermline | 🎟️ Free

Forgan's St Andrews Ceilidh - Head to Forgan’s and experience one of our unforgettable ceilidhs.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 10pm | 📍 Forgans St Andrews | 🎟️ £5

📅 Sunday, 30th November

East Neuk Knit - A celebration of knitting and fibre craft, meet up with friends, take part in workshops, and maybe even finish your Christmas shopping.
📁 Markets | 🕢 10am | 📍 Bowhouse, St Monans | 🎟️ £8+

Hayley Matthews Art Christmas Pop-up Shop - There will be a selection of paintings, art prints, greetings cards, coasters and calendars.
📁 Shopping | 🕢 10am | 📍 Pier 88, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ Free

Rosyth Community Market - Fabulous selection of stalls selling a huge variety of food, crafts and more!
📁 Markets | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 Parkgate Community Centre, Rosyth | 🎟️ Free

St Andrews Day Free Entry - Free museum entry all day to celebrate St Andrews Day, exploring 7 galleries all about St Andrews with activities and crafts.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 St Andrews Heritage Museum | 🎟️ Free

Winter Collective Christmas Market - Gather your friends and family for a day of shopping, eating & activities.
📁 Markets | 🕢 11am | 📍 Pratis Barns, Leven | 🎟️ Free

Christmas Fayre - Two days of great Christmas shopping of arts and crafts from, cakes and lunches at the cafe and music on Sunday.
📁 Markets | 🕢 11am | 📍 Crail Community Hall | 🎟️ Free

Farmer's Talk with Bowbridge Alpacas Scotland - Join the family team from Bowbridge Alpacas as they talk about how they got into alpaca farming.
📁 Talk | 🕢 11:30am | 📍 Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther | 🎟️ £5

Wemyss Ware Pop-Up Shop: An Illustrious Christmas - Celebrate the festive season with a touch of handcrafted charm at the Wemyss Ware pop-up shop.
📁 Shopping | 🕢 12pm | 📍 Kirkcaldy Galleries | 🎟️ Free

Culross Community Market - Enjoy a fantastic day of local shopping, delicious food, and live music.
📁 Markets | 🕢 12pm | 📍 Culross Green | 🎟️ Free

Falkland Estate Monthly Market - Enjoy browsing the monthly Makers Market held in our beautiful and unique spaces here at the Stables.
📁 Markets | 🕢 12pm | 📍 The Stables, Falkland Estate | 🎟️ Free

Guitar Heads - Performing the greatest hits from the golden age of the electric guitar with their own unique twist.
📁 Music | 🕢 1pm | 📍 Backstage at the Green, Kinross | 🎟️ £33

Balbirnie River Restoration Community Walkover - Join us for a walkover of the Back Burn at Balbirnie Park to discuss the proposed river restoration works and offer your views.
📁 Walk | 🕢 1pm | 📍 Balbirnie Park | 🎟️ Free

Festive Wreath Making Workshop - Special festive wreath making workshop, led by local florist Beewildblooms.
📁 Art | 🕢 1:30pm | 📍 Rusacks St. Andrews | 🎟️ £60

Steeking with Gordon Cree - Come and explore the exciting potential of steeking your knits in this 2 hour workshop.
📁 Art | 🕢 2pm | 📍 Di Gilpin Wool Hoose, Anstruther | 🎟️ £60

Tunisian Crochet with Samira Hill - What Tunisian Crochet is and how it works, all the techniques and standard stitches.
📁 Art | 🕢 2pm | 📍 Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther | 🎟️ £60

📅 Monday, 1st December

After School Crafts: Wrapping Paper Printing - Let’s get festive and create your own wrapping paper.
📁 Children | 🕢 3:15pm | 📍 Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther | 🎟️ Free

🎉 Multi-Day Events & Exhibitions

Santa’s Grotto - Santa's Grotto is always one of our most popular experiences at Dobbies Dunfermline, and this year it's even more magical!
📅 Sun, 23rd November - Wed, 24th December | 🕢 Varies | 📍 Dobbies, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £14+

Collecting the Contemporary: Scottish Art at Kirkcaldy Galleries - This display features works by modern and contemporary painters who were inspired by Scotland.
📅 Fri, 31st January - Wed, 31st December | 🕢 10am | 📍 Kirkcaldy Galleries | 🎟️ Free

Jack Vettriano Exhibition 2025 - Collection of Jack Vettriano prints, including rare and sold-out pieces.
📅 Tue, 4th March - Thu, 15th January 2026 | 🕢 10am | 📍 Affordable Arts, Methil | 🎟️ Free

From These Parts: Scotland, Art and Identity - Special preview evening filled with live music, drinks, and creative activities.
📅 Sat, 18th October - Sun, 15th February 2026 | 🕢 10am | 📍 Wardlaw Museum | 🎟️ Free

Unveiling the Madonna - Discover the story behind the Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist, the oldest painting in our art collection.
📅 Sat, 8th November - Sat, 7th March 2026 | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 St Andrews Museum | 🎟️ Free

Bunker Shots: Stories of Golf and Conflict - Surprising connections between golf and conflict, including the impact on golfers and their equipment.
📅 Fri, 18th April - Tue, 31st March 2026 | 🕢 9:15am | 📍 The R&A World Golf Museum, St Andrews | 🎟️ £17.50

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Cheers,

Duncan