The charming fishing village of St. Monans with its pastel-painted houses and historic harbour is one of the jewels of the East Neuk. Read on to find out about the top things to do in St. Monans.
St. Monans | Scotland
@johnmurrayjnr‘s gorgeous photos of St. Monans had given us a serious itch to visit this magical place but it wasn’t until this summer that a random Instagram ad about Bowhouse Market finally made us plan a trip. And we are so delighted that we did for St. Monans is absolutely gorgeous! With its row of pastel-painted and white-harled houses with grey-tiled roofs along the marina, a historic windmill and an ancient church, and fantastic restaurants, St. Monans makes for the perfect trip. We spent hours wandering through the twisting alleyways, marvelling at pretty cottages, and just looking at the sea. At sunrise, the sky lit up with a brilliant red and orange glow and the harbour seemed awash with the softest light. Because the village is on the Fife Coastal Path, walking the coast is one of the top things to do in St. Monans. We walked to Elie and to Pittenweem and it being early summer, the path was redolent with wildflowers and they were some of the the prettiest, most colourful walks we had ever done.
A Brief History of St. Monans
St. Monans is ancient. The history of the village stretches back to the 800s. In 875, St. Monans or St. Monance was buried at a shrine here and the existing hamlet was renamed to St. Monans in his honour. There is not much information on who St. Monans was. Some say he was a Scottish saint who was killed by the Norse. Others say he was an Irish bishop who lived in the 500s and whose relics were interred by the sea here. Still others say that he was an Irish missionary killed by the Danes.
During the 1200s, the small fishing village grew into a significant fishing port in the East Neuk and a church was built near St. Monans’ shrine on the orders of David II. St. Monans continued being a busy port well into the 1900s as can be seen from the three piers at the harbour, the first one dating back to 1596. Besides the fishing industry, St. Monans also had a thriving though short-lived salt production industry. Fishing continues here; at dawn, you can see the fishing boats returning to the harbour with their catch but as in the rest of the East Neuk, St. Monans has a thriving tourism industry too. You can read a detailed history of St. Monans on the Electric Scotland website.
How to Reach St. Monans by Public Transport
St. Monans is easily accessible by bus and therefore makes for a great car-free day trip from Edinburgh, Glasgow, St. Andrews and other cities.
BY TRAIN / The nearest railway station is at Kirkcaldy. Stagecoach bus X60 connects Kirkcaldy with St. Monans. Bus services are also available from Glenrothes and Leuchars.
BY BUS / Two buses serve St. Monans: X60 connects Edinburgh and St. Andrews, and 95 connects Leven and St. Andrews. If you are travelling from Edinburgh, take the X60. If you are travelling from Glasgow, get the X24/X27 to Kirkcaldy, then the X60 to St. Monans.
TIP: Always ask the bus driver for the cheapest ticket for Stagecoach’s pricing in this area is bonkers. A single ticket on the X60 from Edinburgh to St. Monans is £12 but the return is just £8.50 (adult, 2023). Dayrider tickets are also available.
BY FOOT / St. Monans lies on the Fife Coastal Path that runs from Kincardine to Tayport.
Things to do in St. Monans
Here are our favourite things to do in St. Monans.
Explore St. Monans Harbour
The St. Monans harbour is one of the prettiest harbours! Pastel-painted and white-harled houses with grey-tiled roofs line the marina. We could spend hours standing on the pier just watching the houses– they look straight out of a children’s storybook. Most of the houses were restored by the National Trust in the 1970s. Because St. Monans is an active fishing port, there are boats jangling in the harbour all the time. Gulls, slicing through the air, add to the scene.
Also read: Use our Things to Do in Cullen guide to plan a trip to another charming fishing village with an iconic viaduct on the Moray Coast.
Visit St. Monans Parish Church
Standing tall at the western end of St. Monans, just a few yards from the sea is the parish church. The church and the graveyard are one of the oldest in Scotland and date back to the 14th century. It is located on the Fife Coastal Path and offers lovely views of the sea and the ruins of the Newark Castle that lie further west. Note that the path here is only accessible during low tide; if you are visiting during high tide, follow the alternative inland route.
In 875, one or more of St. Monans’ bones were buried here and a shrine was established to venerate his memory. The church was built in the 1300s on the orders of David II who was wounded by two barbed arrows in the battle of Neville’s Cross. One of the arrows could not be removed but it miraculously removed itself from his wound after David had made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St Monans. In another version of the story, David ordered the church to be built in gratitude after surviving a stormy shipwreck in the Fife of Forth.
Walk the Fife Coastal Path
Walking the Fife Coastal Path is one of the top things to do in St. Monans. The Fife Coastal Path runs from Kincardine to Tayport and it is one of the prettiest, particularly in late spring when the wildflowers bloom. It passes through the charming villages of the East Neuk such as Elie, St. Monans, Anstruther, and Crail. On the way, there are historic harbours, ruined castles, ancient windmills, and sea pools.
Also read: We walked the Burntisland to Aberdour section of the Fife Coastal Path and it was a lovely little walk easily accessible by train from Edinburgh.
See the Historic Windmill and Saltpans
The late eighteenth-century windmill is the last remaining historic windmill in Fife and bears testament to one of Scotland’s major exports: Salt. It was used to pump seawater into the salt pans, which were then heated by local coal that was mined to the north of the salt pans at a place currently known as Coal Farm. You can see the ruins of the salt pans near the windmill.
Swim in a Sea Pool!
Sea pools or tidal pools were hugely popular for Victorian- and Edwardian-era swimmers. The East Neuk has a few such bathing pools in St. Monans, Pittenweem, and Cellardyke but they have all fallen into disrepair and neglect. Thanks to community efforts, some of them are being cleaned up in a bid to make them good swimming spots again. The sea pool at St. Monans is just next to the ruins of the salt pans. Hewn out of the rocky coast, the pool is ringed by man-made walls and access points which naturally replenish with a fresh cascade of seawater. If you fancy a dip in chilly water minus the waves and riptides, this is the spot to be!
CAUTION: The pool is no longer actively maintained by the council and swimmers are advised to use it at their own risk.
Stop by the Ruins of Newark Castle
Located on a lonely cliff on the coastal path between Elie and St. Monans are the crumbling ruins of the Newark Castle. The castle possibly dates back to the 15th century but it is not definitive and the area could have a much earlier history. You can read more about the history of Newark Castle on Undiscovered Scotland. Note that the building is in a precarious state, and entering the structure might be dangerous.
Marvel at the Sunrise from the Harbour
The sunrise from the harbour is one of the most beautiful sunrise that we have seen! In June, the sun rises behind the village and you cannot see the red disc ascending the horizon from the harbour. However, the skies behind the painted houses light up in vibrant shades of red, orange, and gold, and the scenery becomes phantasmagorical. It was absolutely quiet except for the occasional gull and the lulling sound of the waves. We stood alone at the harbour and marvelled at the sky. It was worth waking up at 4 am! Don’t miss it!
Shop at Ardross Farm
The produce at Ardross Farm is so fresh that it would turn the most ardent meat eater into a lover of vegetables! Spring onions, peppers, chard, greens, mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes– I wanted to buy one of each and bring them back to Edinburgh. Fresh produce brings me such joy! The fridges are stocked with locally produced meat and fish caught in Fife. Everything at Ardross Farm is hyperlocal and sourced from organic farms throughout Fife.
Visit Bowhouse Market
Absolute one of the best things to do in St. Monans! Held on the second Saturday of each month, the Bowhouse Market is a celebration of all things local and Scottish. There’s a makers market and a food fair apart from Bowhouse regulars such as Futtle for organic beer and wild ciders, Angrykulture for vegan kimchi, and Baern Cafe for all things sweet and delicious. There is a butchery too, if you are interested in locally sourced meat, and an organic farm. Some of our favourite stalls were nocomply.design (items made from recycled skateboards), handmade stationery, luxury candles, and our beloved East Coast Cured. We bought some magnets from local artists, a bottle of cold-pressed apple juice that tasted heavenly, chickpea rolls from Rola Mor, then enjoyed some momos (the best we have had in Scotland!) and aloo nimki from a Nepalese food truck called Choola. For all things good, come to Bowhouse!
Where to Eat in St. Monans
No list of things to do in St. Monans can be complete without a food guide. There are some fantastic places to eat in St. Monans. If you are visiting on a market weekend, hit the food trucks at Bowhouse Market for they are the absolute best! For excellent coffee and sandwiches, head to The Giddy Gannet or Baern. If you love seafood and the thought of fresh scallops and squids make your mouth water, reserve a table at East Pier Smokehouse for lunch or dinner.
Where to Sleep in St. Monans
There are lots of BnBs and guesthouses in St. Monans. If you are planning to camp or travel in a van, there is the St. Monans Holiday Park.
What are your favourite things to do in St. Monans?
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