ST MONANS

St Monans is a former fishing and boatbuilding village which now makes its living from tourism. As far back as 1915, it was reported in the Glasgow Herald that St Monans had designs on becoming a spa town to rival the likes of Harrogate and Tunbridge Wells, thanks to the iron content of the water in St Monans Well. The same article claimed that "visitors will find St Monans entirely indifferent to the war, and the attitude of the community towards the military requirements of the hour seems distressingly unpatriotic". Nowadays, however, the town is a magnet for yachting enthusiasts, while those interested in historical landmarks can visit the St Monans Windmill, built in the 18th century to pump seawater into coal-fired salt pans. Visitors can view displays which tell the story of the salt-panning industry, which died out in the 1820s. The Church of St Monan lies on one of the oldest religious sites in Fife, dating from at least the 9th century.

Map of the area.

St Monans, Old Kirk and Partan Craig. - geograph.org.uk - 158049. Photo by Colin Smith, via Wikimedia Commons.