Aberdour
Aberdour is a small town on the coast of Fife in central Scotland, and nowadays a commuter town for Edinburgh. Out in the Firth of Forth, Inchcolm is part of Aberdour but is always reached by boat from South Queensferry.
Get in
And see Fife for long-distance options.
By train
For trains from London, Newcastle and elsewhere in England, see Fife#Get_in. Inter-city trains don't stop in Aberdour so you need to change at Edinburgh or Haymarket or Inverkeithing for the Fife loop train. This runs from Edinburgh (M-Sat twice an hour, Sun hourly) via Haymarket over the Forth Bridge to Inverkeithing and Aberdour (30 mins), continuing along the coast to Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes / Thornton then looping back anti-clockwise via Cowdenbeath and Dunfermline to Inverkeithing and Edinburgh. You don't want to be on the clockwise loop going the long way round inland via Dunfermline, Cowdenbeath, Glenrothes / Thornton then along the coast west via Kirkcaldy to Aberdour. Trains in Edinburgh badged "Glenrothes and Thornton" could be going either way, so if in doubt hop on, then you've got 10 mins to Inverkeithing to check whether to stay aboard, or to step off and await the next train.
1 Aberdour Railway Station (AUR). is well-kept, but just a platform halt. 
By bus
Inter-city buses don't call here, look for connections at Halbeath or Edinburgh. Stagecoach Fife Bus 7 runs along the coast from Dunfermline to Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay to Aberdour, continuing east via Burntisland, Kinghorn and Kirkcaldy to Leven; M-Sat every 30 min and hourly on Sun.
By car
From M90 just north of the new Forth bridge take exit 1C onto A921 east towards Aberdour.
Get around
Aberdour can be walked around in a couple of hours. Take the Fife Coastal Path from the train station to Silver Sands beach, then west towards Black Sands beach and harbour. Cut up the steep Hawkcraig Road and you'll arrive in the village, with various amenities.
See
- 1 Aberdour Castle. A fascinating, 12th-century castle which was granted by Robert the Bruce to his friend and nephew, Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray. It includes the beautiful and well-maintained castle gardens, as well as a spectacular beehive-shaped dovecot built at the end of the sixteenth century.
- 2 Silver Sands Beach. One of Scotland's seven Blue Flag awarded beaches, and is popular in summer time. For those after a bit of peace and quiet, the Black Sands Beach may be more to your tastes.
- 3 Old School Sensory Garden. Garden on the site of the former primary school, created in 2010 and designed to stimulate all the senses.
Do
- Fife Coastal Path: going east, keep just shore-side of the railway track. The path passes the castle then comes onto Silversands Bay, with a broad firm track (offroad bikes okay, street bikes at a pinch). Eventually it ducks under the railway and comes into Burntisland. Going west from Aberdour, leave A921 at Dovecot Park to come onto the trail to St Briget's Kirk then along the coast to Dalgety Bay and Inverkeithing.
- Highland games are usually held in nearby Inverkeithing in early August.
Buy
Eat
Aberdour is well equipped for the hungry tourist/local. All of the village pubs and hotels have popular restaurants.
- 1 Room With A View, Forth View Hotel, Hawkcraig Point, KY3 0TZ. W-Su. Very popular seafood restaurant - book to avoid disappointment! Mains around £15 for lunch, £20 for dinner.
Drink
For a village of its size, Aberdour has a huge amount of pubs per person (it's the Scottish way!). The pubs are all within 5 minutes walking distance of each other, and most are traditional Scottish establishments, with friendly locals and bar staff.
Sleep
there are many local B&Bs and self-catering accommodation options.
- 1 Woodside Hotel, 78-82 High St, ☏ +44 1383 860328.
- 2 Aberdour Hotel, 38 High St, ☏ +44 1383 860325.
Connect
Go next