🧭 Fife Council Calls for Major New Powers

Good morning, Fifers! In Friday’s newsletter, we asked for your thoughts on the proposed changes to Edinburgh Airport flight paths over Fife and the Firth of Forth. Opinion was split almost down the middle: 33% were in favour, 36% against, and the rest weren’t sure.

Here’s what’s coming your way today:

• Wake Up to Elie Beach Every Morning

• Fife Council Joins Calls for Stronger Local Government

• 68 Events to See This Week

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

— Duncan

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TOP STORIES AROUND THE KINGDOM

🏛️ Fife Council Joins Calls for Stronger Local Government

Fife Council has joined Scotland’s other 31 local authorities in warning that the next Scottish Government faces a defining moment for local democracy. Ahead of the 2026 Holyrood election, councils are urging all political parties to commit to a bold new settlement for local government, backed by realistic, long-term funding.

The joint manifesto, developed by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), calls for a more balanced relationship between national and local government. It highlights the challenges councils face, including a £647 million national funding gap and an 11% reduction in the workforce since 2013, while demand continues to rise for essential services like education, housing, and social care.

A key demand is an immediate £750 million boost to social care, alongside fair, flexible, multi-year funding settlements to prevent further decline in vital local services. The manifesto also calls for:

• Greater devolution of powers to councils, letting them make local decisions for local priorities.

• Reform of council tax and new revenue-raising powers.

• National recruitment campaigns and fair multi-year pay deals for essential workers, particularly in social care and children’s services.

• Urgent action on housing, secure care for vulnerable children, and community cohesion initiatives.

See all the details here.

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LOCAL HEADLINES YOU NEED TO KNOW

• 🏠 Fife-based Central Fife Sheds has ceased trading and gone into liquidation, leaving many customers out of pocket. Fife Council’s Trading Standards is urging affected consumers to seek refunds through their bank or card provider and to contact Advice Direct Scotland for further support.

• 🏗️ Fife-based Campion Homes has reported another strong year, with turnover up 11% to £50m and operating profit at £6.8m. Growth was driven by private and affordable housing projects across Scotland.

• 🎓 Fife College is finalising its new Dunfermline City Campus, ahead of its opening on October 30th. The new facility features sustainable furniture, reused materials, and low-carbon construction, making it Scotland’s first net-zero-ready tertiary education building.

• 🏡 Fife Properties Group has won four honours at the 2025 ESTAS Awards, including Best Estate Agency in Scotland and Fife’s top sales and lettings firm for the 15th year running.

• 🚴 Cycling is on the rise in Dunfermline, with Fife Council data showing a 13% increase in cyclists during European Mobility Week 2025 compared to 2024, while pedestrian numbers saw a slight 1% decrease.

• 🐑 Fife farmer, John Cameron, has won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 Scottish Agriculture Awards, recognising his decades-long contribution to the sector, including leadership roles with NFU Scotland and the National Sheep Association, and his historic status as Europe’s largest sheep farmer.

FEATURE OF THE WEEK

Each week, this section shines a spotlight on something standout in Fife, anything from a unique home for sale or a new local business, to an exciting upcoming event or a hidden gem staycation spot. Got something you think other locals should know about? Just hit reply to this email and tell us about it!

🏖️ Wake Up to Elie Beach Every Morning

💷 Offers Over £895,000 | 4 Bed | 3 Receptions | 2 Bath

Imagine waking up to panoramic views of Elie Beach and the Firth of Forth every single day. 9b Toft is a rare coastal gem, set within Dalmore, a traditional house with a striking central tower, offering 2,023 sq ft of beautifully presented living space across three floors. This is the East Neuk lifestyle at its finest, right by Elie Harbour.

Key details include:

• 4 bedrooms, including two nestled in the iconic tower with breathtaking beach and coastal views stretching to Earlsferry and across to East Lothian.

• 3 versatile reception rooms from a bright, airy sitting room opening onto a glass-floored balcony (perfect for morning coffee or evening drinks) to a magnificent drawing room with bay windows, fitted window seats, and a characterful period fireplace.

• 2 stylish bathrooms plus a separate utility room for practical family living.

• A spacious kitchen and dining area with timber wall panelling, hardwood floors, a Belfast sink, and integrated appliances, all flooded with natural light.

• An enclosed front garden leading down to rare communal parking, and from here you're steps from the sandy beach.

With St Andrews just 13 miles away and Edinburgh around 45 miles by road, this prime location offers the best of coastal living with excellent connectivity.

Check out the full listing here!

@THEFIFEINSIDER

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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.

⭐ Featured Events

Late Night Leven - Support local shops at a special evening event in Leven! Businesses across Leven town centre are staying open late to encourage locals to shop locally and enjoy the festive atmosphere. Take part in the first late-night shopping event in years, with pop-ups, drinks, and special offers across the town.
📅 Sat, 1st November | 🕕 6pm-8:30pm | 📍 Leven Town Centre | 🎟️ Free

Adoption Coffee Morning - Come to a special coffee morning hosted by Fife Council’s Permanence Resource Team to learn more about the adoption process with Fife Council and what support is available for both adopters and birth parents.
📅 Wed, 5th November | 🕢 10am-1pm | 📍 Lochgelly Centre | 🎟️ Free
👉 More details here

Interested in featuring your event here? ⬆️ Reply to this email and let us know!

📅 Tuesday, 28th October

Handmade Pottery Decorations Creative Workshop - Create your own handmade pottery decorations, with artist and workshop tutor Deborah Cameron.
📁 Art | 🕢 10am | 📍 Gateside Memorial Hall | 🎟️ £45

Fascinator Workshop - Learn to make your own stylish headpiece!
📁 Art | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 The Hat Studio, Cupar | 🎟️ £92.80

Meet the animals Halloween Hunt - Each child will get the opportunity to hunt and win a FREE pumpkin grown right here on our farm.
📁 Family & Children | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 Wellsgreen Farm | 🎟️ £7+

Together We Grow - The film follows a community organisation based in New Zealand called Common Unity.
📁 Movie | 🕢 6:30pm | 📍 Greener Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ Free

Patience - A witty operetta following a servant and the two rival poets who adore her.
📁 Stage | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £10+

CERN The World’s Largest Particle Laboratory - Renowned physicist Professor Victoria Martin, a leading expert on the ATLAS experiment at CERN's Large Hadron Collider.
📁 Talk | 🕢 7pm | 📍 The Kabin, Dalgety Bay | 🎟️ £2

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

📅 Wednesday, 29th October

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

Meet the animals Halloween Hunt - Each child will get the opportunity to hunt and win a FREE pumpkin grown right here on our farm.
📁 Family & Children | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 Wellsgreen Farm | 🎟️ £7+

The Ancient Oak of Baldor - A multi-sensory experience for audiences with profound and multiple learning disabilities and their companions.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 11am & 1:30pm | 📍 Rothes Halls, Glenrothes | 🎟️ £12

Dead of Winter - Hit by a blizzard, a grief-stricken loner gets lost among backroads near a Minnesotan lake.
📁 Movie | 🕢 11am & 7pm | 📍 Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £5+

Seeds of Thought: Mary Arnold-Foster Alder Magazine - 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

Halloween Special at EATS - Halloween-themed crafts, apple bobbing and fun outdoor games, and more.
📁 Family & Children | 🕢 3:30pm | 📍 EATS Centenary Orchard, Rosyth | 🎟️ Free

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+

Patience - A witty operetta following a servant and the two rival poets who adore her.
📁 Stage | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £10+

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

📅 Thursday, 30th October

The Grand Highway - Parisian boy Louis spends a summer with spirited Martine, discovering the wonders and trials of country life.
📁 Movie | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £6.50+

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

Brew and Blether: Fife's Railways - Meet new people, look at photos from our collection and chat about all things steam related.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther | 🎟️ Free

The Ancient Oak of Baldor - A multi-sensory experience for audiences with profound and multiple learning disabilities and their companions.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 11am & 1:30pm | 📍 Rothes Halls, Glenrothes | 🎟️ £12

A Century of Kirkcaldy Galleries: Curator’s Tours - Join our curators for a guided tour through this landmark exhibition, sharing insights, untold stories, and more.
📁 Tour | 🕢 2pm | 📍 Kirkcaldy Galleries | 🎟️ Free

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

A Brush with the Supernatural - Guided Tour of the Castle exploring the darker times of history the property has stood through.
📁 Tour | 🕢 4pm | 📍 Kellie Castle | 🎟️ £14.88

Halloween Story & Craft: Ghosts, Giggles, and Glue Sticks - Join Elizabeth for some spooky crafts! Get creative with creepy makes and Halloween fun.
📁 Children | 🕢 4pm | 📍 Kirkcaldy Galleries | 🎟️ £1+

Game ON - Casual gaming club with a huge range of board games.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 5pm | 📍 Kirkcaldy Galleries | 🎟️ Free

Paint and Sip: Ghosts of Golfers Past - Join us for a fun-filled evening painting items from the Collection.
📁 Art | 🕢 5:30pm | 📍 The R&A World Golf Museum, St Andrews | 🎟️ £20

Kidz Go Ravin: Trick or Truth - Halloween family rave.
📁 Family & Children | 🕢 6pm | 📍 Truth Nightclub, Leven | 🎟️ £9.05

The Bates Motel - Born out of the lockdown and a love of Americana Rock and Alt Country.
📁 Music | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Backstage at the Green, Kinross | 🎟️ £26.40

Halloween Heart & Art Sip and Paint Party - Spooky night of painting, sipping, and Halloween fun.
📁 Art | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Duchess of Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £33.22

Gremlins - Enjoy drinks and snacks on arrival, and a six course tasting menu - eat what the characters eat throughout the movie!
📁 Movie | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Earls Hall Castle | 🎟️ £55

Patience - A witty operetta following a servant and the two rival poets who adore her.
📁 Stage | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £10+

Blood Brothers - The original and non-musical play version of Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers.
📁 Theatre | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Leslie Town Hall | 🎟️ £15.18

Dark & Haunting Tales - Meetings with the devil, ghostly stage coaches, accused witches, and body snatchers.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Abbot House, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £20.21

Connor Burns: Gallus - Whirlwind of sharp wit, rapid-fire punchlines, and his signature single malt Scottish-level cynicism.
📁 Comedy | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £20

Ian Watt: Guitar Concert - Described by Classical Guitar Magazine as ‘a guitarist of outstanding skill and originality’.
📁 Music | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Crail Community Hall | 🎟️ £12

Ross Noble: Cranium of Curiosities - The Wizard of Waffle, The Rambler Royale, The Noodlers’ Noodler, and he’s back live on stage to tour a tornado of tangents.
📁 Comedy | 🕢 8pm | 📍 Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £30

📅 Friday, 31st October

Pup-kin Patch - Bring your furry friends to our special dog-friendly event where your pup can pick their very own autumn-themed toy.
📁 Family & Children | 🕢 9am | 📍 Dobbies Dunfermline | 🎟️ £12.50

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

Enchanted Halloween Nature Connection Experience - Get ready to immerse yourself in a magical nature connection experience.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 10am | 📍 Blairadam Forest | 🎟️ £11.55

Little Niblicks: Colours - Bring along your baby or toddler to enjoy the sights and sounds of the museum.
📁 Family & Children | 🕢 11am | 📍 The R&A World Golf Museum, St Andrews | 🎟️ Free

The Ancient Oak of Baldor - A multi-sensory experience for audiences with profound and multiple learning disabilities and their companions.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 11am & 1:30pm | 📍 Rothes Halls, Glenrothes | 🎟️ £12

A Brush with the Supernatural - Guided Tour of the Castle exploring the darker times of history the property has stood through.
📁 Tour | 🕢 4pm | 📍 Kellie Castle | 🎟️ £14.88

Enchanted Samhain Nature Connection Experience - Step into the magic of spooky season with a mindful nature immersion.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 4pm | 📍 22 Maygate, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £22.38

Boo-tanic Fright Night - Featuring a torchlit storytelling tour from Sheila Kinninmonth, and traditional Scottish spooky games and activities.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 6pm | 📍 St Andrews Botanic Garden | 🎟️ £15

St Andrews: The Dark Side Walking Tour - Uncover St Andrews' deepest secrets and darkest skeletons on this 1.5 hour tour.
📁 Tour | 🕢 6:30pm & 8:30pm | 📍 Martyr’s Monument, St Andrews | 🎟️ £15

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

The Thing - A 12 man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien that has been buried in the snow for over 100,000 years.
📁 Movie | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £5+

The Songs of Stuart Adamson - A very special union of 4 of the finest musicians performing the ultimate acoustic homage to the Late Great Stuart Adamson.
📁 Music | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Backstage at the Green, Kinross | 🎟️ £44

Sinister - Supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson.
📁 Movie | 🕢 7pm | 📍 King's Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £3

Cowboy Hunters - Punk band from Glasgow known for their chaotic, humorous, and energetic live shows.
📁 Music | 🕢 7pm | 📍 PJ Molloys, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £11

Face Your Fears - Unforgettable after-dark experience at Fife Zoo this Halloween!
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Fife Zoo | 🎟️ £20

Fife Fury Halloween Roller Disco - Family-friendly skating, spooky tunes, and costume prizes-all to support Fife Fury Hockey!
📁 Family & Children | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Roller Hub UK, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £8

T.Rextasy - The Ultimate Tribute to Marc Bolan & T.Rex
📁 Music | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Rothes Halls, Glenrothes | 🎟️ £31.50

Blood Brothers - The original and non-musical play version of Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers.
📁 Theatre | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Leslie Town Hall | 🎟️ £15.18

The Rocky Horror Picture Show - The annual production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show returns to the Byre stage.
📁 Theatre | 🕢 8pm | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £11+

3's A Crowd Halloween Party - An evening of creepy fun, laughter & banging live music... Fancy dress is encouraged!!
📁 Music | 🕢 8pm | 📍 Duchess of Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £9.38

🎉 Multi-Day Events & Exhibitions

Jack Vettriano Exhibition 2025 - Collection of Jack Vettriano prints, including rare and sold-out pieces.
📅 Tue, 4th March - Tue, 28th October | 🕢 10:00am | 📍 Affordable Arts, Methil | 🎟️ Free

Falkland Palace’s Halloween Trail - Explore the spooky Halloween Trail at Falkland Palace, it’s the perfect family day out.
📅 Mon, 6th - Fri, 31st October | 🕢 Varies | 📍 Falkland Palace | 🎟️ £3

Pumpkin Picking - There will be 20,000 pumpkins of all sizes, shapes and colours.
📅 Sat, 4th - Fri, 31st October | 🕢 10am & 1pm | 📍 Cairnie Fruit Farm | 🎟️ £1.50

Pumpkin Patch - Come along with pay as you please entry, pick your favourite ones, and visit the carving bunker and create your fiendish masterpiece!
📅 Sat, 11th - Fri, 31st October | 🕢 10am | 📍 Scottish Deer Centre | 🎟️ Donations

Roads To Success - Artworks of patients and service users with the hope of raising awareness of the benefits creative arts can have on our wellbeing.
📅 Wed, 8th October - Sat, 1st November | 🕢 Varies | 📍 Lochgelly Centre | 🎟️ Free

Flotsam - Finnish artist Riikka Palonen’s work magnificently reflects her immersion in the natural world and the cycles within it.
📅 Wed, 1st October - Sun, 2nd November | 🕢 Varies | 📍 Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther | 🎟️ Museum Entry

Steaming Ahead: How the Railways Changed the Fish We Eat - Take the opportunity to look at the impacts of steam railways on the fishing industry.
📅 Fri, 19th September - Mon, 10th November | 🕢 Varies | 📍 Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther | 🎟️ Museum Entry

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

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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THANKS FOR READING

Thanks for reading Fife Insider today. If you found something useful, please share it with a friend in Fife.

Cheers,

Duncan

Got an event or news you want to feature? Or perhaps you’d like to promote your business to readers in Fife? Get in touch with us at [email protected] - let’s make it happen!