Crail

Crail is a Village in the Fife area of Scotland, 53 miles north of Edinburgh, 10 miles south of St Andrews.

Crail is popular for its Scenic Harbour with a small Beach, Tolbooth, Museum, Historic Golf Club, and Crail Raceway at the old Airfield 2 miles north for Motorsports.

The Fife Coastal Path here is 3 miles north to Kingsbarns, 4 miles south to Anstruther.

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Camping & Touring Parks in area

The image top is looking across Crail Harbour on the south side of the Village.

The second image is of the small Beach at the Harbour. This sheltered Beach is popular for Watersports and Diving off the Pier.

The picturesque High Street runs south to north, where you can find most of the Village Shops and Hotels.

The Golf Hotel is on the High Street where the road leads straight on to the Golf Courses, or left to Kingsbarns and St Andrews. The Hotel was built in the early 1700s.

Next to the Hotel is the Tolbooth, with the Crail Museum & Heritage Centre next to the Tolbooth. The Museum covers Local History, including the Crail Airfield used in the Two World Wars.

The Airfield closed in 1960, now used as the Crail Raceway, for Karting, Drag Racing, Drifting, and Track Days.

Marketgate runs north from the Tolbooth. Claims are, Marketgate used to be the largest Marketplace in Europe.

The Balcomie Links Hotel is at the north end of Marketgate, on the road towards the Golf Courses and Airfield. The Hotel was built in the 1900s for a German owner.

Crail Golfing Society is situated 2 miles north of Crail. This Golf Club was founded in February 1786 in the Golf Hotel, in Crail.

There are two Golf Courses next to each other now, the Balcomie played on from the 1850s, and Craighead opened in 1998.

Crail History

700s - a settlement was in this area.

1100s - a Royal Castle was built on Cliffs on the south side of Crail, overlooking the Harbour.

1100s - Crail had become a busy Village.

1100s - the earliest parts of Crail Parish Church were built.

1178 - Crail became a Royal Burgh during the reign of King William the Lion

1300s - Crail was given the right to hold a Market on a Sunday by King Robert the Bruce.

1500s - the Tolbooth was built at Marketgate, where the Markets were held, claimed to be the largest Market in Europe at that time. There are houses on Marketgate said to have been built in the 1600s.

1538 - Mary of Guise arrived at Crail, then traveled to St Andrews to meet King James V. Mary and James had an arranged marriage. James had noticed Mary when on a trip to France some time earlier, when he was married to his first wife Madeleine, a French Princess. Madeleine died in 1537 of Tuberculosis.

1542 - James V and Mary of Guise had a daughter, who became Mary Queen of Scots.

1700s - the Royal Castle remains were dismantled, nothing was left above ground.

1700s - Crail Parish Church had additions leading to roughly what is seen today.

1700s - the Golf Hotel was built where Marketgate meets the High Street, next to the Tolbooth. Crail Golfing Society was founded in the Hotel in 1786, the 7th oldest Golf Club in the World.

1814 - the Town Hall was built next to the Tolbooth.

1850s - Crail Golfing Society begin playing at Balcomie 2 miles north of Crail.

1894 - the Balcomie Golf Course seen today, was designed by Old Tom Morris.

1979 - the Crail Museum was opened next to the Tolbooth.

2009 - the Crail Golfing Society Clubhouse was rebuilt with two bars, three separate dining areas, and magnificent views over the Golf Courses and Sea.