Good morning, Fifers! Last week, we highlighted the new walking route coming to Fife, the Fife Miners' Memorial Way, which will commemorate the Kingdom’s rich mining history, and asked whether you had a personal connection. Over 79% said they did, with 63% having a family member involved and 16% having worked directly in the mining industry.

Here’s what's coming your way today:

• Fife’s On Demand Bus Service Expands

• Fife Pubs World Cup Opening Hours

• 37 Events to See This Weekend

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

— Duncan

LOCAL HEADLINES YOU NEED TO KNOW

• 🌱 NHS Fife has launched the Spring into the Right Care campaign, offering advice on recognising symptoms, managing minor illnesses, and accessing the most appropriate NHS services. The initiative is encouraging self-care, pharmacy support, and timely use of GPs or emergency services to keep people healthy this spring. More details here.

• 🏗️ Fife construction businesses have strengthened their capabilities through the Build Fife 2026 programme, helping improve tender readiness, industry connections, and practical insights from major contractors.

• ⛳ St Andrews Links Trust is launching Linked Together, a six-week dementia-friendly golf pilot in collaboration with local clubs and “Fore” Get Me Not Golf, giving participants and carers the chance to enjoy golf in a supportive, social, and accessible environment at the Home of Golf. The program is set to start on April 8th.

• 🚧 Thornton Main Street is set to close from May 12th for more than 14 months while Network Rail replaces the railway bridge near Glenrothes with Thornton station. The works are part of a £350 million Fife electrification project and aim to provide the required clearance for overhead line equipment. Public information sessions will be held at Thornton Town Hall on April 9th and 22nd.

• 🥃 Dunfermline Whisky is celebrating its two-year anniversary by releasing a limited edition 17-year-old blended Scotch, with all profits going to support local resident Ali Martin, who is living with a rare neurological condition, Sensory Ganglionopathy. The whisky will be available at The Commercial Inn, The Old Inn and The Garvock House Hotel in Dunfermline.

• ♻️ Fife Council reports that its free bulky uplift service, introduced in April 2023, is in “huge demand” with collections increasing fourfold to over 58,000 in 2024‑25, but fly-tipping has not decreased. To improve fairness and availability, the council plans to move from fortnightly to four-weekly collections and reduce the number of black sacks per uplift, prioritising larger, recyclable items.

• 🌳 Colinsburgh and Kilconquhar Community Trust, in partnership with Balcarres Estate, has submitted plans to Fife Council for a new community garden and off‑road footpath linking the village to existing woodland walks. The garden will include a community orchard, wild garden, kids’ garden with a polytunnel, and growing spaces for volunteers.

• ⚽ Fife Licensing Board will decide pub opening hours for the 2026 men’s World Cup at its next meeting on April 20th. Proposals could allow licensed venues showing televised sport to stay open automatically for Scotland matches, until 30 minutes after the game ends, or until 1am for matches starting at 11pm, whichever is later.

• 🏠 Fife home, The Schoolhouse, a renovated detached house in the village of Fordell, has been nominated for the BBC competition Scotland’s Home of the Year.

TODAY’S TOP STORY

🚌 Fife’s On Demand Bus Service Expands

Fife Council's Go-Flexi on-demand bus service in West Fife has been extended with longer operating hours after a successful trial period. The service, which lets passengers book trips via app or phone rather than following fixed routes and timetables, now runs Monday to Thursday from 8:15am to 5:30pm, and Friday and Saturday from 8:15am to 11:15pm, giving West Fife residents much more flexibility for evening journeys.

The service connects West Fife communities, including Saline, Steelend, Bogside, Blairhall, Oakley, Comrie, High Valleyfield, Cairneyhill and Kincardine, as well as the Forthbridgehead area with Inverkeithing Rail Station. Crucially, it allows passengers to choose their own pick-up and drop-off points at local bus stops within their zone. Customers can book up to a week in advance or as late as one hour before travelling using the Go-Flexi app or phone line.

The expansion, funded by £300,000 approved in Fife Council's February budget, will initially run until mid-August 2027. Concession passes, cash and contactless payments are all accepted, and the service is accessible for wheelchair users, prams and assistance dogs. Find out more at www.go-flexi.org.

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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, 7th April

Hayley Matthews Art ‘Wild!’ Exhibition Launch Day - Hayley will guide you through her latest collection and share the unexpected story of her journey, from painting during lockdown to presenting her second solo exhibition.
📁 Art | 🕢 11am-2pm | 📍 Lochgelly Centre | 🎟️ Free

Wednesday, 8th April

Mother's Pride - Grieving landlord Mick and his sons Cal and Jake hatch a plan to revive their ailing village pub.
📁 Movie | 🕢 11am | 📍 Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £5

Nick Cope Family Show - Beloved CBeebies star brings his guitar, songs and animations to St Andrews for a fun-filled family performance.
📁 Family | 🕢 12pm & 3pm | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £15+

Seeds of Thought: Dr Laurence Talairach - Dr Laurence Talairach on Margaret Gatty’s Herbarium.
📁 Talk | 🕢 12:30pm | 📍 St Andrews Botanic Garden | 🎟️ £3

Easter Craft Drop-In - Drop in, add sequins and little touches to create a colourful egg of your own.
📁 Family | 🕢 1:30pm | 📍 Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther | 🎟️ Free

Bottle Feed a Lamb - Our little lambs are hungry and we need your help!
📁 Family | 🕢 4pm | 📍 Wellsgreen Farm | 🎟️ £13.70

Conversations About Literature and Suicide with Dr Katie Jones - We consider the specific role of literature via conversations with writers and charity representatives.
📁 Talk | 🕢 6pm | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £4+

Thursday, 9th April

The Ballad of Wallis Island - Eccentric lottery winner living alone on a remote island who invites his favourite musicians to perform in his home.
📁 Movie | 🕢 10:30am | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £6.50+

Table Top History - A chance to pop in, learn about elements of the past and have a friendly chat.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 11:30am | 📍 Methil Heritage Centre | 🎟️ Free

Fruit & Veg Block Printing - Create your own block printing design! Tea towels & mini canvases supplied or bring your own t-shirt!
📁 Family | 🕢 1pm | 📍 St Andrews Heritage Museum | 🎟️ Museum Admission

Spring Crafty & Story Event - With lots of sticking, colouring and making to be done, there’s something for everyone at this crafty session.
📁 Children | 🕢 2pm | 📍 Kirkcaldy Galleries | 🎟️ £2.50

Bake and Decorate Cupcakes - Join Lee to bake a set of 6 cupcakes and decorate them with a variety of spring themed ideas.
📁 Food | 🕢 4pm | 📍 Greener Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ Free

The Magicians - Fast-paced, laugh-filled magic show starring master magicians Elliot Bibby, Cameron Gibson, and Luke Osey!
📁 Stage | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £16+

Born in the USA - Deeply moving yet amusing play tells the enthralling story of a man who must confront his trauma in order to overcome it.
📁 Stage | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £12+

Auld Pals - Join Still Game stars for an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind evening of laughter, stories, and memories!
📁 Talk | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £32.50

9 to 5: The Musical - Three women turn the tables on their sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot of a boss and take control of the workplace!
📁 Stage | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £16+

Heidi Talbot & Toby Shaer - Folk musicians.
📁 Music | 🕢 8pm | 📍 Crail Community Hall | 🎟️ £17.20

Soft Machine - One of the greatest UK avant/jazz-rock bands of all time.
📁 Music | 🕢 8pm | 📍 Backstage at the Green, Kinross | 🎟️ £30.80

Friday, 10th April

Spring Visits 2026 - Meet our friendly animals at Hillview Animal Park.
📁 Family | 🕢 10am & 1pm | 📍 Hillview Animal Park | 🎟️ £11.55

Otter Ecology Walk - Short guided walk along Cambo Burn, learning about otters, their ecology and other local wildlife.
📁 Entertainment | 🕢 11am | 📍 Cambo Country House and Estate | 🎟️ £27.80

Paint Scrape Art - Explore colours, paints and patterns to create your own artwork.
📁 Family | 🕢 1:30pm | 📍 Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther | 🎟️ Free

Friday 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+

The Light House - Real-life story of falling in love and staying in love, even when the lights go out and you’re lost in the dark.
📁 Stage | 🕢 7pm | 📍 Byre Theatre, St Andrews | 🎟️ £13+

Spring Paint Party - Relax and let your creativity flow with your paintbrush.
📁 Art | 🕢 7pm | 📍 The Laurel Bank Hotel, Markinch | 🎟️ £33.22

The Tumbling Paddies - A mix of original songs and classic Irish hits, in what promises to be an incredibly uplifting night of live music.
📁 Music | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £24

The Provy Wummin - A smash-hit 70s musical comedy.
📁 Stage | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ £25

9 to 5: The Musical - Three women turn the tables on their sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot of a boss and take control of the workplace!
📁 Stage | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline | 🎟️ £16+

It'll Never Work - Documentary film screening with an intro, talk through and Q&A about building and working the first all electric fishing boat.
📁 Talk | 🕢 7:30pm | 📍 Pittenweem New Town Hall | 🎟️ Free

The Barrelhouse Three - Traditional piano-based styles like stride, ragtime, honkytonk, and boogie.
📁 Music | 🕢 8pm | 📍 Fire Station Creative, Dunfermline | 🎟️ Free

Felix Rabin - Félix Rabin is deeply rooted in pop-rock tinted-blues, getting funky at times.
📁 Music | 🕢 8pm | 📍 Backstage at the Green, Kinross | 🎟️ £27.50

Multi-Day Events & Exhibitions

Sands 26: International Film Festival - Exciting showcase of international cinema as well as film-related events and workshops.
📅 Fri, 17th - Sun, 19th April | 🕢 Varies | 📍 St Andrews | 🎟️ Varies

Kirkcaldy Links Market - Europe's Longest Street Fair and Scotland's oldest, will return to the Esplanade for 2026
📅 Wed, 15th - Mon, 20th April | 🕢 Varies | 📍 Esplanade, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ Free

Hayley Matthews Art Exhibition ’Wild!’ - A vibrant new collection of original paintings and prints by self-taught artist Hayley Matthews. 
📅 Tue, 7th April - Thu, 25th June | 🕢 Varies | 📍 Lochgelly Centre | 🎟️ Free

Living Colour: Celebrating 200 Years of the Royal Scottish Academy - Experience the incredible range of RSA artists represented in this specially curated show from OnFife’s collections.
📅 Sat, 28th March - Sat, 5th September | 🕢 10:30am-4pm (Mon-Sat) | 📍 St Andrews Museum | 🎟️ Free

Unearthed - Step back in time to where it all began in our latest family-friendly exhibition.
📅 Sat, 21st March - Sun, 6th September | 🕢 Varies | 📍 Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries | 🎟️ Free

Dear Earth - An exhibition exploring how artists are responding to the increased fragility of the world around us.
📅 Sat, 21st March - Sun, 13th September | 🕢 Varies | 📍 Kirkcaldy Galleries | 🎟️ Free

Kirkcaldy Boot & Mart - Indoor and outdoor market held every Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday.
📅 Sat, 10th January - Wed, 16th December | 🕢 9am (Wed, Sat, & Sun) | 📍 6 Michelson Drive, Kirkcaldy | 🎟️ Free

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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