A Complete Guide To Culross – Walking Through History

Tucked away on the Fife coastline, there’s a very special village that seems stuck in time. Visiting Culross (pronounced Coo-Riss) is like walking through Scottish history, along cobbled streets, surrounded by crow-stepped buildings. This is the best preserved 17th century village in Scotland and somewhere well worth spending a day.

Naturally, as a local Fifer, I think very highly of everywhere in our county! However, as you’ll see from my guide to Culross, this is an especially fascinating place. Along with the beautiful Culross Palace, you can find an 800 year old abbey, stories of witch trials, hidden messages carved into buildings and loads more!

For any fans of TV, you’ll no doubt instantly recognise some iconic sites from Outlander!

How To Get To Culross

Culross sits on the south coast of Fife, overlooking the Firth of Forth. If you’re driving from either Edinburgh or Glasgow then expect it to take just under an hour. Don’t be tempted to drive through the narrow streets though, there’s very little space and it’s easy to get stuck. Park in the large car parks at the west end (my recommendation) or the east end of the village.

Here’s the best place to find car hire in Scotland and if you’re nervous about driving here, this article might help you!

If you want to visit Culross by public transport, there’s a bus stop right in the centre of town. The easiest way is via the 8A Bus from Dunfermline!

Where To Stay In Culross

It can get very busy in Culross through the day, so it’s well worth spending a night or two there to see how different the place is in the evening and early morning. If you ignore the cars, you might think you’ve travelled back in time! Here are my recommendations for where to stay in Culross:

Dundonald Guest House – The Dundonald is a very plush guest house in a historic part of the village, with a delicious breakfast to seal the deal!

Forget Me Not Cottage – If there’s a group of you, then try this cottage sleeping 6, right in the heart of Culross!

Sandhaven – Overlooking the old harbourfront, Sandhaven is a very comfy spot sleeping 4.

Start By Visiting Culross Palace

The ochre-coloured Culross Palace is the town’s most eye-catching landmark and the perfect starting point. Built in 1597 by Sir George Bruce it shows the ambition of a man whose ingenuity brought him wealth and influence. With the invention of the “Egyptian Wheel”, Bruce was able to mine coal below the water and use it to create expensive salt!

Inside, painted ceilings have survived more than four hundred years, and the recreated rooms give a sense of the sights, sounds, and scents of the day. Keep an eye out for Bruce’s strongroom, where he kept his riches locked away and his ghost apparently still guards…

While this was the beating heart of Culross in the 1600s, it was eventually partitioned into homes for 16 different families. By the 1900s, it was little more than a derelict playground for local children! Thankfully, it was bought and restored by the National Trust for Scotland into what we see today.

Behind the palace lies a series of terraced gardens, filled with heritage vegetables, medicinal herbs, and bright flowers. Famously standing in as Claire’s Herb Garden in Outlander, it’s a beautiful place to wander amongst the plants.

Tragic Tolbooth Tales

When Culross was at the height of its wealth, its taxes were kept in the impressive Town House. Built in 1626 as the centre of local authority, the Tron below is evidence of where goods were weighed and measured. Every burgh had a similar building, where council leaders met, courts were held and official measures stored. However, Culross has a more gruesome past than most.

Scottish Witch hunts were particularly ruthless in Fife and any residents of Culross who were accused, found themselves imprisoned in cells inside the Town House. A plaque by the bus stop across the street marks the start of the Fife Witches Trail, adorned with 32 crosses to represent each innocent person tried here.

Today, upstairs in the Tolbooth holds a great wee shop full of interesting keepsakes to remember your trip to Culross!

Hunt for Carved Lintels

Not all of the things to do in Culross are as obvious as the palace. As you walk along the cobbled lanes, look above the doorways for something easily missed on a guide to Culross. Many homes are marked with carved lintel stones, each a sign of the people who lived here centuries ago.

A Greek inscription reveals a sea captain’s love of the classics, while a meat cleaver betrays the home of a local butcher. A window of Snuff Cottage displays one-half of an old rhyme common to merchants selling powdered tobacco. Others like Coachman’s Cottage and The Tanhouse are still named for their previous resident’s professions.

Marvel At The Mercat Cross

One of the most important parts of George Bruce’s legacy was convincing the King to make Culross a Royal Burgh. That meant it could trade internationally and allowed it to raise a Mercat Cross. A short walk uphill takes you to this symbol of Culross, where markets and public events took place. Spot the unicorn sitting on top, a royal symbol and Scotland’s National Animal!

Sitting in its prominent position, halfway between Culross Abbey and Sandhaven, this was once the heart of the village. It’s one of the most photographed spots, with The Study next door a beautiful example of local architecture. This towering townhouse was used by Bishop Leighton of Dunblane while visiting Culross on official church business.

Climb to Culross Abbey

Climbing to the highest part of the town, step into the ruins of Culross Abbey. This had been a religious site since St Serf founded the town in the 6th century, but this monastery didn’t appear until the 1200s. It was one a busy Cistercian monastery, famous for its coal mining monks. Today, it’s a complete ruin of broken pillars and floating doorways, but it’s not without stories.

Legend says there’s a secret tunnel somewhere beneath Culross Abbey leading to a man sitting in a golden chair, waiting to reward whoever finds him. Only one person is ever said to have braved the entrance, disappearing inside with his faithful hound, while playing the bagpipes to mark his location. The dog managed to escape from whatever confronted them, but sadly the piper was never seen again!

Head Inside The Parish Church

After the Scottish reformation in 1560, the country became mostly Protestant and abbeys were abandoned. In many places, like Culross, they were repurposed as a Parish Church and this one is still in use! A short walk will take you to the front door which is usually left open for visitors.

Inside, there are panels explaining snippets of local history along with incredible stained glass windows. Don’t miss one of my favourite things in Culross while you’re here though, in the left hand side of the church. It’s the tomb and effigy of George Bruce and his wife. Terrifyingly lifelike, it looks like they might blink at any second…

Look At The Lockit Well

Start to wander back down towards the village, but take a right turn halfway down to find one of the oldest landmarks in Culross. This is the deep Lockit Well which provided safe drinking water to the area’s earliest inhabitants. When Culross was founded by St Serf, this natural spring was the only available water source for his community.

For ease of use, the well was eventually modernised with the addition of a spout, pump handle and drinking cup. Once your bucket was filled with water, the handle would be locked in place, giving the well its name. With the threat of waterborne diseases, wells like this around Scotland were blocked up a long time ago.

Head To My Favourite Photo Spot

Carry on along the road and turn left at a bench to walk a level path below a series of houses. You’ll eventually reach a spot above the backwall of the palace and this is my favourite photo spot in this guide to Culross. The view across the rooftops to the Firth of Forth is just stunning!

Scottish Seawolf Of Culross

Back down at the main square, there’s one thing in Culross that always seems to get ignored, but it’s one of the most incredible stories. It should also be quite noticeable, since it’s a bit unusual to have a Chilean Flag flying in a Scottish village. That stands right above a bust of the amazing Admiral Thomas Cochrane – known as the Scottish Seawolf of Culross!

Joining the Royal Navy around the Napoleonic Wars, Cochrane quickly got a reputation as a daring sea captain. His small but nimble vessel captured 50 ships in a single year and he became the inspiration for fictional sailors such as Horatio Hornblower. He was such a nuisance to the French that Napoleon Bonaparte nicknamed him the Sea Wolf!

However, Cochrane made enemies in government and he was forced to leave Britain and take up a role with the newly founded Chilean Navy. He played an important role fighting for Chilean Independence, later helping Peru and then Brazil follow suit. Eventually, he was pardoned and returned to Britain with the rank of Admiral, but he’s sadly still one of Scotland’s less known war heroes!

Where To Eat In Culross

If you’re going to spend a day in Culross, then you’ll need to keep your energy up!

Bessie’s Cafe is run by the National Trust and a great spot for coffee and a cake!

The Red Lion is the local pub, saved by a community buyout and a great place for lunch or a pint. It gets very busy though, so make sure to get there early and expect a bit of a wait at peak times.

The Mercat is right across from the Mercat Cross, this is a new spot for coffee, cakes and sandwiches!

Are You Planning To Visit Culross?

Let me know if you’re planning to visit Culross or if it’s bringing back memories of a past trip there. It might be a small place, but it’s absolutely packed full of stories. This isn’t somewhere to rush through, but a place to take your time and immerse yourself in history.

Not far away, you’ll find the City of Dunfermline, once the capital of Scotland and well worth a daytrip! Across the other side of Fife, you’ll find even more stories in the town of St Andrews.

If you’d like to visit Culross, then how about going on a Scotland’s Stories Tour?

Just click this link to make an enquiry and book your private driving tour today!