Glenrothes
Glenrothes is a town situated in the heart of Fife, in east-central Scotland.
It is the administrative capital of Fife, containing the headquarters of both Fife Council and Police Scotland Fife Division and is a major service and employment centre within the area. In the 2022 census, the town had a resident population of 37,468, making it the third-largest settlement in Fife and the 18th most populous locality in Scotland.
Getting to Glenrothes
Edinburgh (EDI IATA) is the nearest airport, with excellent flight connections. Take the direct bus 747 to Inverkeithing for trains or to Halbeath for buses towards Glenrothes. Fife Airport at the west edge of town is just for private aviation. As with Livingston, the planners of Glenrothes sited it clear of the railways, those dirty inefficient outdated things.
Worth seeing
New Town architecture: Glenrothes is one of the better examples of a Scottish New Town, with low rise buildings and lots of green space; it doesn't have the slabby blocks of flats or alienating highways of others. Still, an acquired taste.
- 01Balgonie Castle
The keep is from the 14th century and has been restored, so later additions are the worse ruined.
- 02Falkland Palace
This is a fun palace with a dark history, built in the 12th century but taking its present Renaissance style from 1500.
- 03Backhouse Rossie Estate
Extensive gardens in a former royal hunting ground.
Things to do
Rothes Halls in Kingdom Shopping Centre is the main performing arts venue, with concerts, comedy, drama and panto. Cinema: Kino Cinema are also in the shopping centre. They've another cinema in Leven. Golf courses are at Glenrothes GC, Leslie GC, Balbirnie Park and Thornton GC. There's another at Falkland, and lots more on the coast around Kirkcaldy and Leven.
Where to eat
Just the usual fast food takeaways in town centre. You'll do better in the pubs or hotels, see below.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.