The East Neuk is worth a look: Underrated Fife enclave leaves visitors truly refreshed

LOOKING for rest, relaxation and a lovely place to unwind?

There’s a lovely wee corner of Fife that often gets overlooked.

The Highlands are stunning, the Borders beautiful but the East Neuk is just as perfect and often less busy during peak holiday periods.

It seems the locals are keen to encourage visitors to the area, too.

If you’re travelling about by car, exploring the villages and countryside, you never have to go far before you come across a lovely wee cafe selling coffee and cake, a cosy pub, or an inviting gift shop or gallery that’s perfect for a browse.

If you like those breaks where you can while away whole days without doing … well, much really, you’ll be well catered for in the East Neuk.

We stayed at The Bank in Anstruther. It is indeed a converted bank and the public areas retain a lot of character.

Make sure you book breakfast – with a great choice, with everything from full Scottish fry up to fresh smoked haddock with poached egg, it would be a crime to miss it.

The pancakes with bacon and maple syrup were particularly good – and it was no surprise to see locals popping in for filled rolls and ‘the works’ either.

After our breakfast feast, we’d mill around with a walk along the beach, around the harbour or through Anstruther to St Monans.

That was my other half’s suggestion. “Is there a main street in St Monans?” I asked when we got there.

“You’re on it,” he replied.

Don’t expect bustling. It’s a sleepy wee village – but it has some hidden gems.

Like seafood? Make sure you find the East Pier Smokehouse.

Order your food downstairs, go up to the dining room/outdoor terrace area and enjoy the fabulous views.

As you’d expect from a corner of the world where fishing is big business, the fresh fish and seafood are absolutely delicious – as are the cakes.

It’s not a bone china, white tablecloth kind of place. Food is served in cardboard cartons. When we’re in, even cutlery seems optional. And it’s all the better for it!

There’s no booking available, but it’s well worth a visit. Restaurant critic and hard-to-please Masterchef regular Jay Rayner called it “the most perfect place in all the world right now” and who are we to argue?

Of course, we wouldn’t want you to think we spent two whole days just bumbling from one eating place to the next.

OK, maybe we did. But a good break involves plenty of food and drink, doesn’t it? It’s not a time for diets and calorie-counting.

The East Neuk is a perfect base for venturing a little further afield, too.

St Andrews is surely one of Scotland’s loveliest towns, with all the benefits of big-city living, but few of the drawbacks.

Good restaurants, nice wee shops, bars and a theatre, all wrapped up in one compact, pretty town centre.

And, of course, a walk along the beach is a great way to blow off any cobwebs.

West Sands can be really breezy as it’s so exposed, so wrap up – and then enjoy the views. It’s one of the nicest beaches in Scotland.

That was as far afield as we got on our trip to Anstruther. We just didn’t feel the need to leave the East Neuk.

Instead, we took a trip to the Isle of May and spent a few hours watching puffins. It’s an amazing trip and everyone there agreed it’s a five-star experience.

You get to see puffins up close – but even if you aren’t a bird watcher, the whole trip is a great day out.

All that sea air worked up an appetite, though. Soon we were feeling peckish again.

So there was only one way to round off our trip. A fish supper.

We headed to Pittenweem, tipped off by locals that it had the best chippy in the area.

They weren’t wrong. We grabbed our fish suppers, found a bench and sat in the sun.

The East Neuk has so much to offer. At that moment, there was nowhere else I’d rather have been.