Editing Fife (section)

==Geography==
[[File:FIFE & KINROSS SHIRES Civil Parish map.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Fifeshire & Kinross-shire Civil Parish map,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/imperialgazettee01wils#page/n778/mode/1up |title=The Imperial gazetteer of Scotland; or, Dictionary of Scottish topography |date=21 July 2010 |access-date=14 April 2020}}</ref> with parishes outlined in red]]

[[File:Fife UK ward map 2017 (blank).svg|thumb|right|400px|Fife is divided into 22 wards, each electing council members of the [[Fife Council]].]]

Fife is a [[peninsula]] in eastern Scotland bordered on the north by the [[Firth of Tay]], on the east by the [[North Sea]] and by the [[Firth of Forth]] to the south. The route to the west is partially blocked by the mass of the [[Ochil Hills]]. Almost all road traffic into and out of Fife has to pass over one of four bridges, south on the [[Forth Road Bridge]] (public transport and cyclists only) and [[Queensferry Crossing]], west on the [[Kincardine Bridge]] or north-east via the [[Tay Road Bridge]], the exception being traffic headed north on the [[M90 motorway|M90]]. Tolls were abolished on the Tay Road Bridge and Forth Road Bridge on 11 February 2008.

There are extinct [[volcanic]] features, such as the [[Lomond Hills]] which rise above rolling farmland, and [[Largo Law]], a [[volcanic plug]] in the east. At {{convert|522|m}}, the [[West Lomond]] is the highest point in Fife. The coast has fine but small harbours, from the industrial docks in [[Burntisland]] and [[Rosyth]] to the fishing villages of the [[East Neuk]] such as [[Anstruther]] and [[Pittenweem]]. The large area of flat land to the north of the Lomond Hills, through which the [[River Eden, Fife|River Eden]] flows, is known as the [[Howe of Fife]].

[[File:Northeast Fife.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Looking across the farmland of North East Fife to the distant [[Lomond Hills]]]]
North of the Lomond Hills can be found villages and small towns in a primarily agricultural landscape. The areas in the south and west of Fife, including the towns of [[Dunfermline]], [[Glenrothes]], [[Kirkcaldy]] and the [[Levenmouth]] region are lightly industrial and more densely populated. The only areas which could claim to be heavily industrial are [[Rosyth]], around the naval dockyard and perhaps the Mossmorran Natural Gas Liquids fractionation plant on the outskirts of Cowdenbeath.

The east corner of Fife, along the string of villages between [[Earlsferry]] and [[Kingsbarns]], and along with their hinterland, is known as the East Neuk (corner, or projecting point of land) of Fife;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fife-placenames.glasgow.ac.uk/placename/?id=1652 |title=Fife Place-name Data :: The East Neuk |publisher=Fife-placenames.glasgow.ac.uk |access-date=16 April 2020}}</ref> small settlements around sheltered harbours, with distinctive vernacular "Dutch" or [[crow-stepped gable|corbie (crow) stepped gabled]] and stone-built architecture. The area has amongst the highest concentration of second homes and holiday lets in Scotland.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Evans|first1=Anna|last2=Graham|first2=Eddy|last3=Rae|first3=Alasdair|last4=Robertson|first4=Douglas|last5=Serpa|first5=Regina|date=October 2019|title=Research into the impact of short-term lets on communities across Scotland|url=https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/research-and-analysis/2019/10/research-impact-short-term-lets-communities-scotland/documents/people-communities-places-research-impact-short-term-lets-communities-scotland/people-communities-places-research-impact-short-term-lets-communities-scotland/govscot%3Adocument/people-communities-places-research-impact-short-term-lets-communities-scotland.pdf|website=Scottish Government|publisher=The Indigo House Group in association with IBP Strategy and Research}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/property-home/article/why-the-east-neuk-has-lasting-appeal-7266ztjxh |title=Why the East Neuk has lasting appeal &#124; Bricks & Mortar |work=The Times |date=5 May 2017 |access-date=14 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/fife/1261234/visitors-stay-away-but-second-home-owners-remain-in-east-neuk-villages/ |title = Visitors stay away but second home owners remain in East Neuk villages| date=13 April 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/empty-and-second-homes-causing-housing-crisis-1428771 |title=Empty and second homes causing housing crisis |publisher=The Scotsman |date=6 June 2018 |access-date=14 April 2020}}</ref> The [[Fishing industry in Scotland|fishing industry]], on which the coastal East Neuk settlements were built, has declined in recent years with the main fishing fleet now operating from Pittenweem and the harbour in Anstruther being used as a marina for pleasure craft.

There are several islands located off the coast of Fife, such as the [[Isle of May]], [[Inchkeith]] and [[Inchcolm]]. The former [[Preston Island]] south of [[Valleyfield, Fife|Valleyfield]] is no longer an island following land reclamation work.