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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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Click On Map for area Attractions
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 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, looking over the Golf Courses and
Sea.
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