Leven – A Seaside Vacation Destination
If you’re looking for a charming seaside town to spend some time in the next time you visit Fife, Scotland, Leven is the place to go. Situated on the coast of the Firth of Forth, the town of Leven is an unassuming but cozy little village – the perfect place to go for a lazy holiday by the sea. It gets its name from the nearby River Leven as the town is situated right at the mouth of this tributary. It is a mid-sized town with just over 8,000 people enjoying a slower pace of life than is found in the cities of Scotland.
Leven started life as an administrative Burgh of Fife, but it gained popularity after the opening of the Leven Railway in 1854. Suddenly people from as far off as Glasgow had an easy and cost effective means of getting to the coast for a seaside holiday and Leven started to be come more and more popular as a tourist resort town. Today you will find that all that is left of this glorious period of Leven’s history is a somewhat abandoned railway station since all prominent passenger lines closed by the 1969. The closing of the railway station has its link to the cessation of coal mining activity in the area since it is no longer necessary to transport coal by sea in the area. However, this has not stopped people from enjoy the seaside beauty that Leven has to offer since you can now reach the town by road. Since many of the town’s facilities have fallen into a state of disrepair, most people visit for the seaside location and for the beautiful walks that can be found on nearby estates.
Visitors to Leven can always enjoy a great round of golf since Leven is home to two golf courses. Scoonie and Leven Links provide the best place in Leven to work on your game though there are several other courses in the surrounding areas. If you prefer walking, the are a wonderful variety of woodland walks and nature trails worth investigating while the ‘pets corner’ provides the perfect distraction for kids. All of these natural treasures can be found at the Silverburn Estate just outside of Leven.