The Kingdom of Fife is just half an hour north of Edinburgh, over the Forth Road and Rail Bridges. Because of its central position, it's easy to get around Scotland from Fife and you can also catch a ferry directly to Europe – the Rosyth to Zeebrugge service opened in 2002.

There are about 350,000 people living in Fife and it's ideal if you like the seaside. The region is surrounded on three sides by the Firth of Forth, the Firth of Tay and the North Sea, so there are miles of sandy beaches to enjoy.

Nearly 30% of employment in Fife is in manufacturing, which is higher than the rest of Scotland. Traditional local industries such as mining and defence have been replaced by electronics and financial services, and most commercial activity takes place around the towns of Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline. Other important industries include optoelectronics, oil and gas, biotechnology, chemicals, textiles and marine engineering.

Fife is famous for being home to Scotland's oldest university, St Andrews, where HRH Prince William studied, as well as the world's oldest golf course, also in St Andrews. Over 700,000 people visit St Andrews every year, and a quarter of those people come from overseas.

Outside of St Andrews, there are four other further education colleges in the region and over 40 golf courses.

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