Falkland
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The Howe of Fife, north of Glenrothes, is a low-lying stretch of ground (or "howe") at the foot of the twin peaks of the heather-swathed Lomond Hills - West Lomond (1696ft) and East Lomond (1378ft). Nestling in the lower slopes of East Lomond, the narrow streets of FALKLAND are lined with fine and well-preserved seventeenth- and eighteenth-century buildings. The village grew up around Falkland Palace (June-Aug Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm, Sun 1.30-5.30pm; April, May, Sept & Oct Mon-Sat 11am-5.30pm, Sun 1.30-5.30pm; NTS; £5, gardens only £2.50), which stands on the site of an earlier castle, home to the Macduffs, the Earls of Fife. James IV began the construction of the present palace in 1500; it was completed and embellished by James V, and became a favoured royal residence. Charles II stayed here in 1650, when he was in Scotland for his coronation, but after the Jacobite rising of 1715 and temporary occupation by Rob Roy the palace was abandoned, remaining so until the late nineteenth century when the keepership was acquired by the third Marquess of Bute. He completely restored the palace, and today it is a stunning example of Early Renaissance architecture, complete with corbelled parapet, mullioned windows, round towers and massive walls. A guided tour (40min) takes in a cross-section of public and private rooms in the south and east wings. Outside, the gardens are also worth a look, their well-stocked herbaceous borders lining a pristine lawn, and they feature the oldest tennis court in Britain - built in 1539 for James V and still used.
Accommodation includes the Burgh Lodge, a newly renovated independent hostel on Back Wynd (tel 01337/857710) which has facilities for families and people with disabilities. Both the Hunting Lodge Hotel, on High Street, directly opposite the palace (tel 01337/857226, www.huntinglodgehotel.com; £50-60), and the Covenanter Hotel (tel 01337/857224, www.covenanterhotel.com; £50-60), just up the road, are comfortable traditional inns, with great pubs as well as a couple of rooms upstairs. The Greenhouse (tel 01337/858400; closed Mon & Tues), also on the High Street, is a small modern restaurant serving organic food.
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