In and Around Cupar, Fife

Farming Travel In and Around Cupar, Fife

by Janice Hopper

Fife is renowned for golf, tourism and miles of scenic beaches, and travellers flock to popular seaside destinations such as St Andrews and along the scenic East Neuk. But when you’re in search of good produce and farmland it pays to head inland.

We based ourselves in Cupar’s elegant Burgh Chambers, now refurbished to create smart and spacious two-bedroom accommodation. The building was the former beating heart of administrative life and local decision making. This traditional market town gained Royal Burgh status in the fourteenth century, and was situated on a historic royal route linking Stirling, Falkland, Cupar and onto the sea. Renowned guests, such as King Charles II, are said to have been entertained in the Burgh Chambers’ assembly room on his journey to Falkland in 1650. Produce and goods flowed along the busy roads, placing it at the heart of agricultural Fife, with links as far afield as Flanders.

Wool was a key trade between Cupar and Flanders. In the 14th and 15th centuries it’s said that Cupar exported more wool than any other town in Fife. Exports departed from the ‘port of Eden’ on the Eden Estuary, taking the raw material to Flanders, which was then a hub for cloth manufacturing.

Today, a monthly farmers market brings goods to town every third Saturday of the month, and quality is still the name of the game. Downstairs from the Burgh Chambers is the renowned Minick Butchers. The ‘boss’, Stuart Minick, learned his trade alongside his father in their first shop in Tayport in 1984, and he’s now been a butcher for over three decades with successful shops peppered across Fife.

Next, cross the road from the Burgh Chambers and you’ll find yourself in dangerously tempting territory - Fisher and Donaldson’s bakery! This Royal Warrant-holding fifth generation family bakery has been creating delightful savouries and treats since 1919, including their famous Fudge Doughnut. The bakers use as many local ingredients as possible, sourcing their meat from Simon Howie in Perthshire. All of the flour (except some French imported flour for baguettes) is milled in Kirkcaldy. The bakery uses a Fife fruit merchant, the cream comes from a big Scottish dairy, and the team gets through ninety tons of oats a year, all sourced from Fife farms. The Cupar branches both have cafés so it’s an excellent, low key, family friendly and affordable lunch option. Grab some stovies and a doughnut, or a pie and some tiffin, and you’re set for the day.

Adding colour to Cupar is the environmentally friendly Country Garden Company, which offers a different take on growing and transporting flora. Rather than ship in flowers from far afield using refrigerated containers, they grow the vast majority of flowers, herbs and foliage themselves, nurturing seedlings and harvesting their blooms before transforming them into seasonal bouquets, buttonholes or statement floral installations. This new sustainable approach to floristry is turning heads.

After exploring the town of Cupar itself, we then ventured slightly further afield to Muddy Boots farm shop, café and kids adventure play. It’s an excellent rural destination for those with active little ones, offering both

indoor and outdoor activity areas. Our children ran, climbed, slid and chased each other around the wooden indoor play frame, before tackling ride-on tractors, go-karts, a huge bouncy pillow and a spot of grass-sledging outdoors. Muddy Boots’ website also talks of Pig Races, which we didn’t witness, but apparently the wee pink runners tear around the course, cheered on by visitors, and partake of a meal of pig nuts once they cross the finish line. After all the excitement the grown ups can browse local produce in the farm shop, and the whole family can gather around the central log burning stove in the Muddy Boots café to enjoy refreshments in a relaxed setting.

Slightly north of Cupar is another farming gem - Cairnie Fruit Farm and Maize Maze. Pick your own produce ranges from pumpkins and strawberries to brambles and sunflowers, depending on the season. An epic kids fun yard features a giant bale fortress, flying foxes, mini diggers and tractor yard, rural ‘cresta run’ and, in the the summer, a challenging maze covering around six acres. Sown in maize, it grows to around 4-5 feet by July, soon reaching over eight feet in total before being harvested in October and fed to the cattle. Cairnie also provides special play areas for dogs so four-legged friends can come along too. A farm shop and café complete the picture.

Alternatively, nip to Barbarfield Farm to horse around. This popular riding school, only three miles south of Cupar, offers everything from a 20 minute intro to riding, to three hour experienced hacks. With routes around the farm, riders take in the animals and a slice of farming life as they trek.

From Barbarafield, swap farm animals to take a walk on the wild side. The tiny Fife Zoo, just west of Cupar, is home to around twelve types of exotic creature, from lemurs and meerkats to Azara’s Agouti. Alternatively head to the Scottish Deer Centre to experience iconic animals that once roamed Scotland. This vast 55 acre site, only a five minute drive from Cupar, is home to wolves, lynx, Highland cattle, a host of birds of prey, Scottish wildcats and even European brown bears. Naturally, visitors come face to face with hundreds of deer, including red deer stags, as well as festive reindeer, hog deer, Barasingha deer, Pere David’s deer and Muntjac deer. Children hand-feed the animals from little bags of pellets, there are several play areas in which to run riot, and a range of vintage tractors on show keeping those agricultural links alive. Drop into the deer centre’s farm shop to pick up local produce from the likes of the Buffalo Farm at Boglily Farm near Kirkcaldy.

Lastly, if you’d like to simply admire the land and undertake a more peaceful expedition there are several hikes and walks in the area. We enjoyed the short walk from the National Trust for Scotland’s Hill of Tarvit Edwardian country mansion to the hilltop viewpoint behind the house. A quietly serene spot to take in the rural vistas.

Ultimately, from deer and doughnuts to Muddy Boots and Minick butchers, heading slightly off the beaten track in Fife can bring rewards to any tourist seeking something tasty and new. PLAN YOUR TRIP Relevant Websites: minickbutcher.co.uk fisheranddonaldson.com thecountrygardencompany.co.uk barbarafield.co.uk cairniefruitfarm.co.uk fifezoo.co.uk scottishdeercentre.co.uk nts.org.uk/visit/places/hill-oftarvit-mansion

Accommodation: The former Cupar Burgh Chambers was refurbished by the Fife Historic Buildings Trust to create smart twobedroom self-catering apartment accommodation in the heart of Cupar. Decorated in the Georgian style, with a modern kitchen and ensuite bathrooms, this mix of history and heritage, old and new, makes an excellent base for Fife adventures. Discover more at fifehistoricbuildings.org.uk.

Planned Cupar Farmers Market Dates for 2022 - 19 March, 16 April, 21 May, 18 June, 16 July, 20 August, 17 September, 15 October, 19 November, 17 December. Discover more at fifefarmersmarket.co.uk.

Scottish Deer Centre