Cupar

Overview

Straddling the small River Eden and surrounded by gentle hills, Cupar has retained much of its medieval character and its self-confident air from the days when it was a bustling market centre and the county town of Fife.

The burgh town boasts a number of fine historic buildings including the 17th-century Preston Lodge and Chancellor's House, the Corn Exchange, the Old Parish Church (St Michael of Tarvit) and the Mercat Cross which dates from 1683.

One of the best reasons for stopping off at Cupar is to visit the Hill of Tarvit, an Edwardian mansion two miles south of town that was remodelled by Sir Robert Lorimer from a late 17th-century building. The estate, formerly the home of the geographer and cartographer Sir John Scott, includes the five-storey, late 16th-century Scotstarvit Tower, three-quarters of a mile west of the present house. Set on a little mound, Scotstarvit is a fine example of a Scots tower house, providing both fortification and comfort. The entire estate was bequeathed to the National Trust for Scotland in 1949, and the house contains an impressive collection of 18th-century Chippendale and French furniture, Dutch paintings, Chinese porcelain and a restored Edwardian laundry.

West of Cupar are a couple of attractions particularly suitable for children. The Scottish Deer Centre, three miles from Cupar on the A91, specialises in the rearing of red deer, and is also home to species of rare bred Soay sheep, wolves and Black Highland cow. The tamer animals can be approached and there are falconry displays three times a day, as well as play and picnic areas and guided nature trails. A couple of miles further west along the A91, more creatures are on show at the Fife Animal Park, next to Birnie Loch Nature Reserve.