Board a train to Dunfermline, Scotland’s newest city, to spend time exploring beautiful parks and discovering its history.
Dunfermline was awarded city status in May 2022 as part of HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations to become Scotland’s eighth city. It was once the capital of Scotland and is steeped in history, which is clearly visible through the striking architecture found throughout the city. Another jewel in Dunfermline’s crown is Pittencrieff Park. Lovingly referred to as ‘The Glen’ by locals, this glorious park was gifted to the people of Dunfermline by Andrew Carnegie.
Getting to Dunfermline
Travelling to Dunfermline City train station from Edinburgh takes around 35 minutes and includes crossing the iconic Forth Bridge. On a clear day you can see the other two bridges and also get fantastic views over the Firth of Forth.
The station is located on the Fife Circle so can be reached easily from other places in Fife. If you’re travelling to Dunfermline from the north you will usually need to change trains at Inverkeithing.
Why choose Dunfermline?
As Scotland’s newest city it’s worth making the trip to discover why it deserves the accolade. From its rich history and striking architecture to its stunning parks, there’s a lot to enjoy here. The Alhambra Theatre has lots of fantastic productions on all year round, and live music and good food also make up the appeal of this new city.
Dunfermline Town train station officially changed its name to Dunfermline City in November 2022 to reflect its change in status. It takes around ten minutes to walk from the station to the heart of the city. Dunfermline is compact which makes it great for exploring on foot.
Shopping in Dunfermline
Image credit: VisitScotland, Luigi Di Pasquale and Welcome to Fife
Dunfermline has a good selection of high street shops but it really excels when it comes to its fantastic offering of independent businesses. Local traders are keen to promote the brilliant selection of independents available in the city and have set up #totallylocallydunfermline on Instagram to showcase what's on offer. You'll find all the independent shops, cafes and restaurants on there.
The Kingsgate Shopping Centre is home to all the usual High Street shops including Marks and Spencer, Waterstones and New Look. You'll also find a few independent stores like the Wee Tea Company in there too.
For independent shops we've picked out a few that were also featured in Visit Scotland's brilliant article highlighting the best Indie stores across Scotland. You can read their article here .
This family-run comic book store invites you to leave reality at the door and step inside to escape into the world of graphic novels, comics and manga. There’s loads on offer here so check out their Facebook page to see what else you can find in this fabulous shop.
Image credit: VisitScotland, Luigi Di Pasquale and Welcome to Fife
This gorgeous shop has loads of fantastic things to buy as the perfect gift or as a treat to yourself. You’ll find a range of unique homewares and gift ideas, mostly made locally and nationally. Step inside and discover a real treasure trove at Art Room 59.
While not in the city centre, it’s well worth making the 15 minute walk from the train station to visit this award-winning craft shop. Alongside the shop, they also offer a wide range of classes for both children and adults. From learning to sew to making lampshades, there’s a fantastic variety of classes to choose from at Buttons and Blethers .
The gift shop in the newly restored Abbot House is full of wonderful products made by talented local artisans. Every purchase from the gift shop contributes towards maintaining the building for future generations. Pop up shops from local designers take place throughout the year (particularly around Christmas) so it’s always worth checking their website or Facebook page before you plan your visit.
Eating out in Dunfermline
Image credit: VisitScotland, Luigi Di Pasquale and Welcome to Fife
There are so many fantastic independent places to get something to eat or drink in Dunfermline that you should definitely allow for some time to indulge. From vegan cakes and craft beers to some of the best Indian food in Scotland, there’s a brilliant variety on offer. We’ve picked out a few places below, but this is by no means an extensive list.
Step inside this creative hub and enjoy relaxing in front of the fire surrounded by inspiring pieces of art. The café can be found on the ground floor, while the rest of the building is home to 30 artist studios. The café is open all day and serves locally sourced, freshly made produce. You can stop by for coffee, cake and lunch from Wednesday to Sunday. And on weekends there’s a brunch menu on offer too. On Friday and Saturday nights, tuck into drinks and sharing platters, before enjoying live music from 9pm. As Fire Station Creative
is a social enterprise, you’re helping support the future of this creative hub with every purchase in the café.
For delicious cakes, coffee and sandwiches, Café Wynd
is the perfect place to stop. With a warm welcome and a relaxing place to sit, it’s easy to see why they're so popular with locals and get so many fantastic reviews.
269 Vegan
opened in the summer of 2021 and has been serving delicious food ever since. There’s a variety of food on offer ranging from waffles to sandwiches, and really delicious cakes. They’re proud to keep everything as local as possible and all their soft drinks served in the café are all made in Scotland.
For an outstanding lunch or dinner stop, you can’t go wrong with a visit to Dhoom Indian Streatery
. In June 2022 they won ‘Restaurant of the Year’ at the Scottish Curry Awards! Serving Indian ‘tapas’ it’s a fun and sociable way to try lots of their delicious dishes.
For a small city, there are a fantastic number of independent businesses serving great food and drink. Here’s a few more if you fancy something to take home (or for the ice cream, to take to the Glen on a sunny day):
The Caledonian Craft Beer Merchant and Fancy-a-Scoop ice cream both operate out of 22 Maygate. Take a look at their Facebook pages for their opening hours and to see what incredible goods they have for sale that week.
The Wee Tea Company was born in Dunfermline in 2012 and they now sell their exceptional teas to customers and businesses across the world.You'll find their shop in the Kingsgate Centre where you can choose from a huge selection of their delicious teas.
Things to do in Dunfermline
Once you get to Dunfermline there’s no shortage of things to fill your time. From discovering Scottish history at Dunfermline Abbey and Palace, to strolling through Pittencrieff Park, it’ll be time for your train home before you know it.
Dunfermline Abbey has a lot of stories to tell, having played a big part in the country’s history. Some of Scotland’s greatest medieval monarchs were laid to rest here! And you’ll find the tomb of Robert the Bruce at the Abbey Church which you can find out more about here .
At the time of writing (November 2022), it’s just the Abbey Nave and shop that are open. Dunfermline Palace and Refectory are closed. It’s worth checking their website before you visit to check opening times.
The city’s ‘Pink Hoose’ recently underwent an extensive renovation to preserve it for future generations. The beautiful house is Grade A listed and dates back to (at least) the 16th century. There’s a coffee shop and gift shop selling local goods here. Once renovation works are complete more of Abbot House will open up.
Situated in Abbot House’s War Room, you’ll find Go Escape , a World War II escape room experience.
The recipient of the first ever ‘Family Friendly Museum’ award, the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum is the perfect place to learn about Andrew’s life and to find out why the philanthropist is regarded as one of the Greatest Scots of the 19th Century. Visit the cottage where he was born and discover how he became the richest man in the world before giving away 90% of his wealth.
Gifted to the people of Dunfermline by Andrew Carnegie, this stunning park remains much loved by locals and visitors alike. Lovingly referred to as ‘The Glen,’ Pittencrieff Park is situated at the bottom of the High Street and covers 76 acres. You’ll find lots of walking paths, children’s playgrounds and open space to enjoy.
Days out from Dunfermline
Dunfermline is in a great location to carry on exploring the beautiful Kingdom of Fife. The Fife coastline is home to lots of lovely towns and great beaches, mostly connected by the Fife Coastal Path. To reach this you will need to take the train from Dunfermline City to Inverkeithing. From there you have easy access to the Fife coastline or further afield if you fancy exploring further.
Find out more about visiting Dunfermline
Image at top of page - Credit Visit Scotland and Kenny Lam
Ways to save...
- Spirit of Scotland travel pass : 1-2 weeks of train, bus and coach travel covering the whole country
- Kids for a Quid : for every paying adult, up to four children aged 5-15 can travel for £1 each
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