With an enviable record for sunshine and beautiful scenery, Pittenweem has been here since man first began to fish the Fife coast. The natural harbour is a safe haven for the many local boats crewed by fishermen with over 800 years of family tradition. The many craft and antique shops are a rich source of local produce, from models of the large fishing fleet to basket weaving. 

King James II of Scotland once described the East Neuk of Fife as a "Fringe of Gold on a beggars mantle" and so many visitors to this vibrant little fishing town go away with the same sense of having visited a special place. As you make your way along the Fife Coastal Trail, you will see some breathtaking scenery, and experience a quality of life which has been the sustaining force to keep families living and fishing here for centuries. Come to Pittenweem soon and see for yourself.

The Outer Pier was constructed at about the time the town became a Royal Burgh in 1541, and in 1771 Sir John Anstruther had the substantial Inner Pier built. During the fishing industry boom in the 19th Century, the West Pier was added to complete the safe harbour we see today. Gyles House, on the edge of the harbour, is the former home of Captain Cook, who assisted in the flight of Charles the second to France in 1651.