Fife has always been one of Scotland's most distinctive counties. Though never a "kingdom" in its own right, its geographical position as a peninsular county between the firths of Tay and Forth has helped maintain its self-contained identity through the ages. Not surprising for a county of such historical resonance, Fife contains a huge number of houses, churches and castles that witnessed events that quite literally shaped the nation. This work introduces the reader to these places and those associated with them - from the great abbeys of Lindores and Balmerino and the major towns of St Andrews, Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy to the beautiful villages of the East Neuk and the islands of the Firth of Forth. It also introduces some of the less familiar details from Fife's to produce a complete introduction to this county. Fife in History and Legend.