Back on track
Newburgh & Tourism
Newburgh has history, wildlife, spectacular scenery - all just an hour away from Edinburgh
Ecotourism
Buses in many parts of rural Scotland are not providing a sufficient or reliable service to encourage people to leave their cars at home and travel by bus. By contrast, more people will use the train. We believe visitor numbers to Newburgh would greatly increase if we were connected to the rail network.
People support the idea of sustainable travel. But in Newburgh (and many other places) the bus service is not trusted. Visitors come mostly come by car, or, in the case of the local distillery by coach. Few come for a day out using the public bus. Too many cars and not enough visitors!
Water sport opportunities abound, with the thriving sailing club offering dingy sailing courses to its members as well as visitors. The Tay is also home to the annual coble race. This is talk of more ambitious sports activities on the river.
Newburgh for visitors
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The Oddfellows Parade is held every New Year and collects money for local charities. The society was founded as a society for working men before trade unions.
There is the 'Riding of the Marches' every 4 years and a regular scarecrow festival in summer. There is the annual Coble race - boat racing on the Tay
The town is officially the spiritual home of whisky, the modern distillery holding a copy of the first ever written order in the world for aqua vitae and from a king no less. The monks used to produce the whisky using apples from the plentiful orchards stretching to either side of the historic main street. ​​
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It is about bringing people in as well as transporting . It is about the tourist industry we could create if Newburgh were far better served by public transport and a train station.
Newburgh - a great place to start or end your walk
The 116 mile (187 kilometres) Fife Coastal Path starts south of Kincardine Bridge. It then runs east under the Forth bridges, around East Neuk, through St Andrews, up to the Tay before heading west and finishing in Newburgh.
It is becoming a very popular walk .
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500,000 people use the path every year, of whom about 35,000 walk the entire route. Walkers come from across the globe to walk the coast of Fife.
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But currently, Newburgh isn't the best of places to start or finish the walk, especially on a Sunday. No public conveniences and few hostelries are open at weekends. It can be a struggle to get out of the town with a poor bus service and few taxis around.
Having a station will properly connect Newburgh. It will better serve coastal walkers and, by extension, tourism in Fife. This could be the catalyst for developing tourist related businesses - eateries, pubs and accommodation.
All the things that will make Newburgh feel like a fitting end to a great walk.​​
Poor transport limits tourism
Lindores Abbey Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery in Newburgh directly opposite the ruins of the 12th century Abbey. It started distilling whisky in December 2017
The tours attracted 30,000 visitors in 2024 with 50,000 anticipated in 2025. But Helen McKenzie-Smith, co-owner of the distillery, says there is a limit to how many visitors they can attract.. "We get a few visitors coming by car, less coming off public buses. Most of our visitors come on tour coaches", she says.
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An added problem is transport for some of the 50 odd staff getting to and from the Distillery. "We like to attract people from Newburgh but elsewhere too and employ students from nearby Dundee and St Andrews. But unless they have a car, then getting back to where they live is difficult, especially if they are working late in the evening", adds Helen.
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Helen talks of how a train station would be transformative for the business. 'We can imagine setting up a mini bus service to bring casual visitors from the station to the distillery and back. We could encourage more spontaneous 'Sunday day trip' visitors who could take advantage of the train, coming up from the likes of Edinburgh or Glasgow".
Oddfellows' Parade, Newburgh - the last of its kind in Scotland
Newburgh marks New Year’s Eve with the Oddfellows' procession. At its head is the ‘Apprentice’, a rider riding backwards on a horse wearing a mask at the front and back, so facing both the old year and new. He is accompanied by rather oddly masked characters and a brass band. It is organised by the local Oddfellows group, who collect money for local charities. They were founded as a society for working men providing pensions, insurance and other benefits in exchange for a subscription. It largely disappeared with the founding of the Welfare state. This is the last Oddfellows' procession in Scotland
Newburgh's 'wonky' Xmas lights gain international attention
24 years ago a competition for local primary school children was set up asking them to design a street light. The winner had his or her design made up and hung from one of the town's lamp posts at Christmas time. The competition is still going strong and every year a new 'wonky' street light is switched on. During Covid, the streetlights gained attention from online visitors across the globe. The BBC have covered the story as has the local press.
Only six more lamp posts and then all of them will have a unique, locally designed Christmas light!
Newburgh gems
Newburgh attracts many bird watchers
40% of the UK's bearded tits live in the reed beds along the river Tay. There are buzzards, falcons, kites and owls...and more birdlife besides.
There is sailing on the Tay...
The Newburgh Sailing Club offers dingy sailing courses over the summer
Andy Hawkins
...and fishing in the Lochs
There is freshwater fishing on Golden Loch, Lindores Loch and the community-owned Loch Mill
And what might be...
There is no shortage of ambition to resurrect something of the old and to generate new tourism opportunities
A return of the boats
​Newburgh once had a harbour, trading, both upstream to Perth and across the Tay to Dundee. It was a fishing port too. The disappearance of industry in the town saw the harbour fall into disuse.
​Today, the harbour is being slowly restored based on limited financial support.
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There has been talk of reviving boat tours to Perth and Dundee. And water sports has been suggested as a business idea worth exploring.​​​​
Observing Wildlife
40% of the UK's Bearded Tits live in the Reed beds along the river Tay. There are Buzzards, Falcons, Kites and Owls...and there is much more birdlife besides
The area around Newburgh is rich in wildlife . There are ospreys fishing in the nearby river Earn and sea eagles visit the nearby Golden Loch.
There are many paths across the hills behind Newburgh - an undiscovered area of beauty rarely visited.
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There are strong ideas to develop some form of ecotourism business which will showcase the flora and fauna in this area of North-East Fife.​​​​
Cycling and walking
Kamoot, the route planner for exploring and adventure, gives five routes for cyclists that start and end in Newburgh.​ Many cyclists visit or pass through the town.
There are business opportunities for providing support for cyclists and walkers; new hostelries can cater for growing demand. ​​
Arts and crafts
Newburgh is home to an interconnected arts community which provides a warm welcome for visiting artists and musicians. Many have loved the scene so much that they have moved to the town permanently.
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8 purpose-built studios are housed in the Steeple, an award-winning arts facility and modern conversion from Newburgh's former court house and corn exchange.
Developing the arts scene even further would be relatively easy with so many artists already active in the town.​​​
