Windsurfing Sail at Elie Sands East Neuk Royal Kingdom of Fife Region Scotland
Elie and Earlsferry is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland, situated within the East Neuk beside Chapel Ness on the north coast of the Firth of Forth, eight miles east of Leven. The burgh comprised the twin villages of Elie and Earlsferry, which were formally merged in 1930 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 but retain a flavour of their historical identities. They are now a popular tourist destination. Elie and Earlsferry surround an unnamed sandy bay 1 mile long running east-west beside Chapel Ness in the East Neuk of Fife, between Lower Largo and St Monans. Modern Elie occupies roughly the eastern half of the bay, and Earlsferry the west. The exact date of Earlsferry being made a Royal Burgh is unclear as its original charter was destroyed in a fire. It became a trading port for merchants and remained so until the 18th century, and was also an important calling point on the pilgrims' route from the south to St Andrews. A new charter was granted in 1589. Little is known of the foundation of Elie, but it had become sufficiently important to merit the building of Elie Parish Church in 1639. Its harbour was more sheltered than that of Earlsferry and it began to poach trade away from Earlsferry. After the Reformation of 1560, pilgrim and other traffic waned in Earlsferry;[3] so much so that when Earlsferry harbour was filled with sand by a severe storm in 1766, the remaining trade moved to Elie. In the 1770s the Lady's Tower was built in Ruby Bay, on the east side of Elie Ness, as a changing room for the Lady Anstruther. It is said that Lady Anstruther would bathe in the waters next to Lady's Tower, a servant ringing a bell all the while to ensure locals stayed away. Golf is believed to have been played on Earlsferry Links as early as the 15th century, and the layout evolved over time into the current magnificent 18-hole course. Earlsferry Castle which stood until the late 1950s was demolised to make way for new a new Housing Developement
Size: 3574px × 5381px
Location: Elie Fife Region Scotland UK
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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