20 Attractions to Explore Near Balgonie Castle

Wemyss Castle is an old castle and mansion, long held by the Wemyss family, on cliffs above the sea on the north shore of the Firth of Forth. After the second world war the walled garden at Wemyss Castle became largely redundant. Since 1993 it has been lovingly overhauled and redesigned by Charlotte Wemyss. The six-acre walled garden has become a symphony of spring and summer flowers. Clematis, roses and ornamental trees are the stars of the show supported by herbaceous planting.

A ruined castle standing on cliffs immediately to the east of East Wemyss in Fife, MacDuff's Castle is said to have been originally constructed by the MacDuff Earls of Fife in the 11th Century. The surrounding estates passed to the Wemyss family and the present structure was built in the 15th Century as their seat. The castle was abandoned by the mid-17th C. when the family moved to Wemyss Castle, lying 2 miles to the southwest. There was once a passage which descended into the Well Cave below,

Riverside Park is idyllic territory for a saunter with the small ones and offers plenty of space to let the big ones detach and play games a short distance away or hit the skatepark! Just be sure to bring your helmet and serious padding for the concrete equipment. The park has several play areas and town art sculptures, adventure play areas, seasonal toilets and fitness equipment. It also features a few statues and objects from Boblingen, Germany, the twin town of Glenrothes.

The Wemyss Caves house mysterious carvings from as early as 300AD. In the face of natural and human threats, archaeologists are racing to decode them before they vanish. The Caves are historically precious due to the high number of carvings which are inscribed on their walls. The earliest of these are thought to date to the Bronze Age, whilst the vast majority are connected with the Pictish period.

Leven Beach is a family-owned holiday complex situated between Leven and Lundin Links on the South coast of Fife in Scotland. The beach is close to the town centre and has lovely views across the Firth of Forth. With parking, toilets, picnic tables overlooking the beach, a skate board park and children's play area and a nearby outdoor gym, this makes for a great family day out.

Ravenscraig Park is a well-loved destination for many Fifers and people from across central Scotland. The Park exists for the benefit of the local community and Fife Council is keen to encourage all members of the community to use the park, and feel they have an opportunity to link into the future developments within park.

Ravenscraig Castle is one of the earliest artillery forts in Scotland and has two round towers linked by a cross range. This was later granted to William Sinclair in exchange for the Earldom of Orkney. Its defences were upgraded to support artillery in the mid-sixteenth century but it saw no action until 1651 when it was attacked and badly damaged by Oliver Cromwell.

The Fife Pilgrim Way is a new long distance route opened in July 2019, connecting West Fife with East Fife via routes used by medieval pilgrims. The overall route brings together a network of existing paths, tracks, core paths and rights of way into a single journey across the heart of Fife. Much of the route is on hard surfaces , hence trainers may be a better choice than boots for footwear.

Also known as Falkland Hill, the 424m East Lomond is a popular outing and is easily “summited” from the high car park on its eastern side. Other well used routes are from Craigmead to the west and Falkland to the north. The southern approaches from Glenrothes and Holl tend to be a bit quieter. The remains of Iron Age hill forts can be found around the summits of both East and West Lomond as well as at Maiden Castle, a grassy knoll that lies between the two.

Falkland Palace, in Falkland, Fife, Scotland, is a royal palace of the Scottish Kings. It was one of the favourite places of Mary, Queen of Scots, providing an escape from political and religious turmoil. There are a profusion of flowering shrubs and trees in the Spring and the adjoining orchard is full of apple blossom - just ideal for a picnic. There is a peaceful pool garden where you can sit and take in the magnificent scenery.

Kirkcaldy Galleries is the main museum, library and exhibition space in Kirkcaldy in Fife, Scotland. The museum contains many significant works by the Glasgow Boys. Situated on the ground floor, is the museum's award-winning permanent exhibition covering the town's industrial heritage. The museum also has a cafe which displays examples of Wemyss Ware pottery, made in the town from around the 1890s to 1930s

Beveridge Park Bog Gardens which is a modest area of wetlands with a wooden walkway over it which attracts a variety of wildlife including tadpoles, frogs insects and birds. There are plenty of things to do here, including football, rugby, tennis, putting, and woodland walks. The park dates back to 1892, when Provost Michael Beveridge bequeathed 104 acres of Raith Estate to the people of Kirkcaldy.

Crawford Priory is an impressive, Gothic mansion, started in 1809 and extended a few years later, but now a derelict and deteriorating shell. The present building replaced an earlier house that dated from the middle of the 18th century, and had a sumptuous interior. There are no significant remains of the internal gothic design save a cast iron balustrade in the D-shaped main stairhall in the east side of the building.

Scotstarvit Tower is a tower house in Fife, Scotland. It is situated 2 miles south of Cupar, between Tarvit Hill and Walton Hill, south of the River Eden, near the A916 road. The six-storey L-plan tower, still largely intact, was built in the third quarter of the 16th century by the Inglis family. It was bought, in 1611, by Sir John Scot, author of the satirical The Staggering State of the Scots' Statesmen.

The Scottish Deer Centre in Fife is a popular tourist attraction set in 55 acres of lovely Fife countryside that aims to educate and entertain visitors with a diverse range of animal species, with an emphasis on deer. The park is currently home to 14 different species of deer as well as birds of prey, wildcats and wolves.

Fife boasts Scotland's longest continuous coastal path, stunning scenery and award-winning beaches. It stretches for 117 miles and is Scotland's longest continuous coastal path. The Fife Coastal Path is managed and maintained by Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, a registered environmental charity, and is designated as one of Scotland's Great Trails by NatureScot. About 500,000 people use the path every year, of whom about 35,000 walk the entire route.

West Lomond is the highest point in Fife. It is thus a very popular hill no doubt contributed to by the ease of the ascent along the “motorway” from Craigmead. Its cone-shaped summit, which is the remains of a volcanic plug, rises above an escarpment of Carboniferous sandstone and limestone layers, capped with a quartz-microgabbro sill. One of the nice trekking destination and also you can spend some good time in the middle of nature.

The Hill of Tarvit is a 20th-century mansion house and gardens in Fife, Scotland. They were designed by Sir Robert Lorimer and are today owned by the National Trust for Scotland. The house is situated on a hillside a mile and a half south of Cupar, Fife. It is set in 40 acres of garden and 279 acres of open estate. This includes woodland, parkland, farmland and open heath, with extensive views. The house today and wider estates are owned and operated by the National Trust for Scotland.

The Fife Folk Museum is housed in a group of listed buildings in the centre of Ceres. The core buildings include the original tolbooth of the burgh, and a row of weavers' cottages. Its collections include agricultural and craft tools, costume, toys and games, domestic equipment, pottery, paintings, and much more. Of the paintings, there are several fine examples of local landscapes, as well as a notable nineteenth-century interior, 'Old Scotch Kitchen'.

Loch Ore is a loch situated in Fife, Scotland. It forms the core of Lochore Meadows Country Park. It is used mainly for leisure purposes, especially yachting, although the uneven depth can make the likes of speed boating problematic. The loch is the training site of many sports teams, including the University of St Andrews Boat Club. The loch holds many events, such as the annual Scottish Open Water Championships where the swimmers compete in a 5 km, 2 km and 4×1 km relay swim, and Saints Regatt