🧭 Another Award for Fife’s Restaurant Scene

Good morning, Fifers! On Friday, we asked which of the four proposed new train stations or lines you think would benefit Fife the most. A new St Andrews Line was the clear winner with 40% of the vote, followed closely by the Halbeath Park & Ride Station at 35%. An Alloa to Dunfermline line received 16%, and a new Newburgh Station came in at 9%.

Here’s what’s coming your way today:

• Another Award for Fife’s Restaurant Scene

• Top Green Award for a Fife Coastal Nature Project

• 59 Events to See This Week

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

— Duncan

TODAY’S TOP STORY

🌿 Top Green Award for a Fife Coastal Nature Project

The University of St Andrews has just scooped a prestigious Green Gown Award for its Nature Networks project, beating over 100 other sustainability initiatives from across the UK and Ireland.

The award-winning project is impressive in scale, with 16 kilometres of Fife coastline from Guardbridge to Kingsbarns being transformed through habitat creation and restoration. What makes this particularly special is the collaborative spirit behind it, with 27 sites contributed by local partners, including Fife Council, Cambo Estate, Kinkell Byre, and St Andrews Botanic Garden.

The results speak for themselves: two new wetland areas, nearly 2.4 kilometres of native hedgerow, new woodland, meadows, and even a herd of Highland cows now grazing at a previously neglected conservation site. With over 400 local residents, students and staff volunteering their time to help make it happen.

If you'd like to get involved with future conservation work, the University welcomes volunteers. Find out more on their website.

LOCAL HEADLINES YOU NEED TO KNOW

• 🏥 NHS Fife has reminded unwell visitors to postpone visiting loved ones in hospital to help prevent the spread of winter illnesses.

• 🎨 A new £7,500 award in memory of late Fife-born artist Jack Vettriano has been announced to boost the career of new talent following in his footsteps.

• ⚓ SNP councillor Brian Goodall has opposed the next stage of dismantling HMS Swiftsure at Rosyth Dockyard, calling the removal of its nuclear reactor “a stage too far.” He argues the experimental process is unsafe, costly, and unnecessary without a long-term waste storage solution.

• 🎓 Fife College celebrated with more than 500 students during its annual graduation ceremonies this week. 230 students received diplomas and degrees at the city’s historic Abbey and a further 350 at St Bryce Kirk in Kirkcaldy.

• 🗳️ The Buckhaven, Methil and Wemyss Villages by-election results are in, with SNP candidate Anne Marie Caldwell being elected to the Fife Council in Ward 22. With a turnout of 27.3% the total number of ballot papers received was 3,774.

• 💇‍♀️ Leven hairstylist-turned-tech entrepreneur Tracey Aitken won Career Changer of the Year at the 2025 Scotland Women in Technology Awards for her HairTracker app, which helps salon professionals digitally track clients’ hair journeys.

• 🌞 Scottish Water Horizons has completed a £1 million solar project in Cowdenbeath, installing 1,700 panels to power its waste facility and cut carbon emissions by 109 tonnes annually.

• 🎬 Fife councillors are set to review the impact of Outlander filming on West Fife villages, including Culross, following repeated issues with parking, resident access, and community consultation.

• 🏘️ Kirkcaldy councillors have put plans for 20mph speed limits on hold after a June consultation received just 350 responses (under 0.6% of the population), with 67% opposing; further community feedback will be sought before any decision.

FEATURE OF THE WEEK

🍽️ Another Award for Fife’s Restaurant Scene

While people typically talk about Edinburgh or Glasgow in terms of Scotland's best places to eat, there are many great establishments on our doorstep, and the local scene is certainly going through a bit of a purple patch right now, with several well-known places receiving top awards.

Recent accolades include The Kinneuchar Inn being named best pub in Scotland by The Good Food Guide, and HAAR in St Andrews being awarded 4 AA Rosettes. Now, it's the turn of one of Dunfermline's most popular spots, with Jack 'O' Bryan's taking the coveted Restaurant of the Year (Casual Dining) award at the 2025 Scottish License Trade News (SLTN) Awards on Thursday night.

Jack 'O' Bryan's is no stranger to success, with head chef Jack Coghill being named Scottish Excellence Young Chef of the Year earlier in 2025. And, if you haven’t been yet, now is the perfect time, with the restaurant running a Christmas Gift Card promotion where for every £50 of gift cards you buy, you’ll get an extra £10 gift card in return!

And that wasn't it for Fife, The Boar's Head in Auchtermuchty also picked up the award for Gastropub of the Year and is also well worth a visit!

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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.

📅 Tuesday, 11th November

Dairsie Handmade Pottery Decorations - Morning of creative bliss and create our own handmade pottery decorations.
📁 Art | 🕢 10am | 📍 Dairsie Memorial Hall | 🎟️ £45

Blokpost: Stories from Ukraine - Lecture performance exploring contemporary Ukrainian culture through personal stories of resilience, identity and hope.
📁 Stage | 🕢 12pm | 📍 Laidlaw Music Centre, St Andrews | 🎟️ Free

The Marketing Meetup Fife - Networking community for business owners and marketers who aren't into corporate, cliquey or salesy networking.
📁 Talk | 🕢 2pm | 📍 Louie Browns, Dalgety Bay | 🎟️ Pay what you can

Art and Design Fun - Join us for engaging sessions in comics, animation, drawing, weaving crafts, photography, papier-mache, and puppetry.
📁 Art | 🕢 6pm | 📍 Lochgelly Centre | 🎟️ Free

Cook and Dine: New York Street Food - Exciting hands-on cooking workshop brings the iconic flavours of New York City’s street food scene to life.
📁 Food | 🕢 6pm | 📍 Greener Kirkcaldy's Lang Spoon Community Kitchen | 🎟️ £47

Dreel Crafters - All skill levels welcome for knitting, crochet, scrapbooking, embroidery and more.
📁 Art | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Dreel Halls, Anstruther | 🎟️ £3

How I Started Astrophotography and How You Can Too - YouTube sensation and one of the country’s top young Astrophotographers, Helena Cochran.
📁 Talk | 🕢 7pm | 📍 The Kabin, Dalgety Bay | 🎟️ £2

Gut Health & Immunity Workshop - Strengthen your natural defences with this session guided by nutrition and lifestyle coach Debra Hogan at Kohler Waters Spa.
📁 Food | 🕢 7pm | 📍 The Old Course Hotel, St Andrews | 🎟️ £25

Sunshine on Leith - Davy and Ally return from active service overseas to be confronted with civilian life, relationships and new responsibilities.
📁 Stage | 🕢 7:15pm | 📍 Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £20

Big Fish - Travelling salesman, Edward Bloom, whose larger-than-life experiences and fantastical tales excite everyone.
📁 Stage | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £11+

📅 Wednesday, 12th November

Bookbug - Sing, rhyme, and share stories with your little ones.
📁 Family | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 Rosyth Library | 🎟️ Free

Christmas Craft Decorations - Come and join us for a fun-filled session creating and designing Christmas decorations for your tree!
📁 Art | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 The Paxton Centre, Lundin Links | 🎟️ Free

Seeds of Thought: Tim Ingold - Join us for a series of lunchtime talks with researchers, thinkers, artists, creatives, and like-minded individuals.
📁 Talk | 🕢 12:30pm | 📍 St Andrews Botanic Garden | 🎟️ £3

Networking and Guest Speaker: You Cannot Not Communicate - Join us for an evening of networking and insights from our guest speaker with welcome drink and nibbles included.
📁 Talk | 🕢 6pm | 📍 Forgan's St Andrews | 🎟️ £15

Wednesday Night Slides - 1/10th scale Electric RWD Drift cars only, and must be running Buzz Break or DS Racing LF4 tyres.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 6:30pm | 📍 Parkgate Community Centre, Rosyth | 🎟️ £5+

Aga Idczak: Sounds from Home Tour - Join us for a musical journey celebrating local talent and the sounds that make Kirkcaldy feel like home!
📁 Music | 🕢 6:40pm | 📍 Hayfield Community Centre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £6.13+

Ukrainian Winter Celebrations - A presentation about traditions which asks, Who Brings Presents To Ukrainian Children?
📁 Talk | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Fire Station Creative, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £6.13

Sunshine on Leith - Davy and Ally return from active service overseas to be confronted with civilian life, relationships and new responsibilities.
📁 Stage | 🕢 7:15pm | 📍 Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £20

Further, Faster, For Bread & Milk: Breaking Boundaries by Bike - Riding to the Arctic Circle, pedalling 50 miles in under two hours, and for everyday errands.
📁 Talk | 🕢 7:15pm | 📍 Cosmos Community Centre, St Andrews | 🎟️ Free

National Theatre Live: Mrs Warren's Profession - Vivie Warren is a woman ahead of her time. Her mother, however, is a product of that old patriarchal order.
📁 Movie | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Crail Community Hall | 🎟️ £14

Big Fish - Travelling salesman, Edward Bloom, whose larger-than-life experiences and fantastical tales excite everyone.
📁 Stage | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £11+

Cupar Youth Musical Theatre presents The Little Mermaid - Dive Under the Sea with Cupar Youth Musical Theatre!
📁 Stage | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Cupar Corn Exchange | 🎟️ £8+

Born In The USA - Follows Vietnam veteran Jimmy Vandenburg, a retired Ford worker clinging to the past in the heart of the Rust Belt.
📁 Stage | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Rothes Halls, Glenrothes | 🎟️ £12+

The Shoregate Session - Everything from traditional tunes through to songs ancient and modern.
📁 Music | 🕢 8pm | 📍 The Shoregate, Crail | 🎟️ Free

📅 Thursday, 13th November

Dreel Crafters - All skill levels welcome for knitting, crochet, scrapbooking, embroidery and more.
📁 Art | 🕢 2pm | 📍 Dreel Halls, Anstruther | 🎟️ £3

The Tay Rail Bridge Disaster - A talk by Murray Nicoll of the Tay Valley Family History Society.
📁 Talk | 🕢 2pm | 📍 Cupar Library | 🎟️ Free

The Sale of King Charles 1st - Professor Laura Stewart of York University will deliver a talk on King Charles 1st, and the Scots and the English Civil War.
📁 Talk | 🕢 6:30pm | 📍 Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries | 🎟️ £5

Cider Series - The first in a 6-part series of talks and tastings featuring local Scottish Ciderists and Perry-makers.
📁 Drink | 🕢 6:30pm | 📍 Howe Beer Project, Balmalcolm Den | 🎟️ Free

Fife Pride: Quiz Night - Come join us for a night of fun and friendly competition at Kirkcaldy Rugby Football Club.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Kirkcaldy Rugby Football Club | 🎟️ £5

Golf and Conflict at St Andrews 1552-1946 - Join us for a lecture from one of our curators on the topic of Golf and Conflict at St Andrews 1552-1946.
📁 Talk | 🕢 7pm | 📍 The R&A World Golf Museum, St Andrews | 🎟️ £10

Sunshine on Leith - Davy and Ally return from active service overseas to be confronted with civilian life, relationships and new responsibilities.
📁 Stage | 🕢 7:15pm | 📍 Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £20

Nashville Live - The multi-award-winning hit show Nashville Live returns for another night of toe-tapping country nostalgia and unforgettable music.
📁 Music | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £26.50

Floating Sound Meditation - Discover a whole new way to relax where soothing water meets the healing power of sound.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 The Old Course Hotel, St Andrews | 🎟️ £50

Cupar Youth Musical Theatre presents The Little Mermaid - Dive Under the Sea with Cupar Youth Musical Theatre!
📁 Stage | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Cupar Corn Exchange | 🎟️ £8+

Barbara Dickson Acoustic - Barbara Dickson and her pianist Nick Holland explore her catalogue of songs at an intimate level.
📁 Music | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £35

In Conversation: Willie Miller and The Positive Golfer - An Evening with Willie Miller and The Positive Golfer For Book Launch.
📁 Talk | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 The New Golf Club, St Andrews | 🎟️ Free

Wheen o' Wimmin - Five celebrated Scots singers who shared a stage at Celtic Connections concerts.
📁 Music | 🕢 8pm | 📍 Crail Community Hall | 🎟️ £12.90

📅 Friday, 14th November

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

REHIS Elementary Food Hygiene - Course designed to give food handlers a basic knowledge and understanding of the causes of food poisoning.
📁 Food | 🕢 9:30am | 📍 Greener Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £50

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

November Crafternoon: Cosy Crafts - Join us for a fun-filled crafting event, which is designed to be relaxed and open to kids of all ages.
📁 Children | 🕢 2pm | 📍 The R&A World Golf Museum, St Andrews | 🎟️ Free

Aberdour Winter Art Festival & Village Shopping Event - Shops and cafes will be open late, and local artists will be selling their work at the Institute on Shore Road, Aberdour.
📁 Shopping | 🕢 6pm | 📍 Aberdour | 🎟️ Free

W3L Wrestling: Great Winter Bash - The World Wide Wrestling League returns with live action featuring top wrestling stars from around the world.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 6:15pm | 📍 Carnegie Leisure Centre, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £20.05

An Evening of Scottish Entertainment - Immerse yourself in the rich culture of Scotland as we showcase performers from the local community, with King Creosote at the top of the bill!
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 7pm | 📍 St Andrews Town Hall | 🎟️ £5.50+

A Foreigners Journey - All the hits and classic tracks of Foreigner and Journey.
📁 Music | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Backstage at the Green, Kinross | 🎟️ £28.60

Maiden Scotland - 5 musicians at the top of their game who know how an Iron Maiden tribute should sound.
📁 Music | 🕢 7pm | 📍 PJ Molloys, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £16.50

De Burgh Wine Dinner - Join us at Hatch for an unforgettable evening of fine wine & exceptional cuisine with De Burgh Wines.
📁 Food | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Hatch, St Andrews | 🎟️ £62

Sunshine on Leith - Davy and Ally return from active service overseas to be confronted with civilian life, relationships and new responsibilities.
📁 Stage | 🕢 7:15pm | 📍 Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £20

Barbara Dickson Acoustic - Barbara Dickson and her pianist Nick Holland explore her catalogue of songs at an intimate level.
📁 Music | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £35

Cupar Youth Musical Theatre presents The Little Mermaid - Dive Under the Sea with Cupar Youth Musical Theatre!
📁 Stage | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Cupar Corn Exchange | 🎟️ £8+

The Coaltown Daisies: 10 Year Anniversary Concert - Performing a stripped-back version of This Old House, harking back to the early days of this particular collection of songs.
📁 Music | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Leslie Town Hall | 🎟️ £16.26

Stuart Mitchell: Tips Not Included - You’ve seen him online, and now you can see him on his first-ever national UK tour.
📁 Comedy | 🕢 8pm | 📍 Rothes Halls, Glenrothes | 🎟️ £19.50

Stevie Agnew - Scottish rock vocalist and guitarist from Dunfermline.
📁 Music | 🕢 8pm | 📍 Fire Station Creative, Dunfermline | 🎟️ Free

Karen Dunbar - Chewin' The Fat star Karen Dunbar is back with her brand new 2025 Scottish Tour.
📁 Comedy | 🕢 9:30pm | 📍 Markinch Town Hall | 🎟️ £27.75

🎉 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

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