Janice Hopper, a family travel influencer - Scots2Travel - recommends the best family friendly accommodation in the region at a mix of price points, from hotels to glamping. Where will you stay?
Rufflets, St Andrews
This four star hotel is family friendly on several levels. Firstly, the lay out of the family rooms works wonderfully well, whereby the master bedroom and children’s bedroom are separated by a smart bathroom/shower room. Secondly, the extensive grounds and Walled Garden provide ample space for little legs to explore, a swing to play on, and chickens to discover. Thirdly, the two AA rosette restaurant offers excellent cuisine, with fresh produce picked straight from the kitchen garden and the children’s menu is strong too. We started with scallops, followed by the venison loin, savouring the cheeseboard for dessert. A refined but relaxing escape just outside St Andrews.
Family Rooms from £290 per night (two adults, two children), including breakfast.
Fairmont St Andrews
Another St Andrews suggestion. The Fairmont makes the cut because it boasts a 16-metre swimming pool plus a games room that houses games consoles and a giant Connect4. There are three dining options to choose between. The most obviously family friendly option is the Italian, La Cucina. Bar food is dished up in Kittocks Den. We opted for the two AA Rosette St Andrews Bar & Grill, renowned for its steak, seafood and stunning sea views. The Fairmont is also home to two golf courses (the Torrance and the Kittocks), a spa, plus a shuttle bus runs guests into St Andrews free of charge.
Family Rooms from £279 per night, including breakfast.
The Bay Hotel, Burntisland
A very affordable hotel with excellent rooms and a swimming pool too. I’d recommend the mezzanine Executive Family Suites, whereby the children sleep downstairs and the parents have their own space upstairs. These rooms come with a balcony and jaw-dropping views over the beach. Dining in the Horizons restaurant is casual and relaxed, with dishes such as sirloin steak, homemade steak pie and vegetable chilli. Easy access to the beach is clearly a bonus here.
Executive Family Suites from £119 per night, including breakfast.
The Ship Inn, Elie
Occupying a beautiful coastal spot in picturesque Elie, the Ship Inn nails it in terms of location. The bar and outdoor beer garden are usually buzzing, and its restaurant welcomes all ages. Start with west coast scallops, enjoy a main of harissa spiced lamb, and a dessert of East Neuk cranachan. A seasonal BBQ is open every day throughout the summer, and takeaway dishes are also available. The Ship Inn’s larger rooms welcome two adults and one child, and they’re decorated in a simple, rustic, coastal style. And in summer, look out for beach cricket that takes place on Elie’s golden sand.
Family Rooms from £145 per night, including breakfast.
Madeira, Pittenweem
This East Neuk of Fife gem is a rural escape, yet it’s only a five minute drive from Pittenweem’s beach and tidal pool. Its five one-bedroom Terraced Cottages are ideal for couples, but can sleep up to four people in each. And the three-bedroom Gardeners Cottage is spot on for families, and all ages are drawn to the hot tub. The cottage has a large, modern kitchen, living room with a wood burning stove, a sunroom, secluded patio area and a garden with rope swings.
On fine days cook and dine al fresco at The Dell fire pit. Alternatively, drop into The Bothy, a covered terraced area with pizza ovens. There are ample grounds and trails for children to explore, plus eggs to fetch from the Madeira chickens. The estate also regularly welcomes family group celebrations. As well as the Bothy and the Dell, exclusive-use parties can access a Games Room that houses a big screen TV, pool table, darts board, fridge, chess table and log burner.
Terraced Cottages - Minimum stay 3 nights, and prices start at £120 per night.
Gardeners Cottage - Minimum stay 3 nights, and prices start at £290 per night.
Cupar Burgh Chambers, Cupar
For those who enjoy a little historic glamour I can’t recommend the Cupar Burgh Chambers highly enough. This building used to the be the local seat of administrative power, and it’s been sensitively transformed into a two bedroom self-catering apartment with a modern kitchen and contemporary ensuite bath/shower rooms.
Despite elements of modernisation, the bedrooms and vast sitting room retain their Georgian charm, with vintage-style soft furnishings, grandfather clocks and archive photography on display.
A hamper with fresh milk and bread awaits guests, and board games, jigsaws and DVDs keep little ones entertained.
Other family friendly gems in the Fife Historic Trust portfolio include the three-bedroom Kinghorn Town Hall five minutes from the sea.
Minimum stay - 3 nights, and prices start at £93 per night.
Elie Select
True to its name, Elie Select offers a selection of houses in this popular East Neuk of Fife seaside town. From period houses with sea views and an eco house overlooking the beach, to spacious properties on the elegant Elie Estate, choose a destination and property to suit your family. The Blue House, No2 Elie House and St Regulus have three bedrooms, and one of Elie Select’s larger beach houses can accommodate up to twenty guests, so there’s something for families great and small.
Prices and minimum stays vary from property to property so browse at Elie Select.
Craigduckie Shepherd Huts, Near Dunfermline
Our Fife glamping favourite has to be Craigduckie near Dunfermline. Set on a working farm, two cosy and cute-as-a-button shepherd huts welcome guests to this rural idyll. This is glam glamping, with a shower room with piping hot water, and bunk beds for little ones. The farmer Katie, and her two children/mini farmers, offer visitors farm tours, but a key highlight is visiting in Spring during lambing season. Guests get to meet the lambs, clean out the pens, bottle feed the animals, ask a zillion questions and get a few cuddles too.
Minimum stay - 2 nights, and prices start at £110 per night.
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