Fife was originally one of the Pictish kingdoms, known as Fib, and is still commonly known as the Kingdom of Fife within Scotland. Despite its small size Fife encompasses several different regions, with a marked difference between the semi-industrial south and the rural north. Southern Fife is dominated by Dunfermline, a former capital of Scotland, and the 'Lang Toun' of Kirkcaldy, Fife's largest settlement. The Forth Road and Rail Bridges are the most memorable sights on this stretch of coastline. North of Kirkcaldy, in Central Fife, the highlights are the historic village of Falkland with its impressive ruined palace and the country town of Cupar, a charming market town set in rolling countryside.

In the northeast corner of Fife, the landscape varies from the gentle hills in the rural hinterland to the windswept cliffs, rocky bays and sandy beaches on which scenes from the film 'Chariots of Fire' were shot. Fishing still has a role here but ultimately it is to St Andrews, Scotland's oldest university town and the home of the world-famous Royal and Ancient golf club, that most visitors are drawn. This is in part because the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, founded in 1754, exercises legislative authority over the game worldwide, and also because the famous links (acquired by the town in 1894) is the most frequent venue for The Open Championship, the oldest of golf's four major championships. The town itself and the hills and hamlets of the surrounding area retain an appealing and old-fashioned feel.