Fife Council leader Alex Rowley paid a visit this week to the historic Abbot House in Dunfermline to be shown round the tourist facility and hear first-hand how the attraction will spend the award of £9,850 awarded through the Culture and Heritage Investment.
Mr Rowley said; “This 18th century house which is owned by the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust, operates as a heritage centre showcasing Dunfermline’s extraordinary history. It is a story of war, wealth, stealth, devastation and celebration. From the extraordinary deeds of Robert the Bruce and St Margaret to the fascinating details of ordinary life, there is something here for everyone and it is certainly worth a visit.
“The purpose of this new fund is to support Fife visitor attractions to encourage local people to see what is on their doorstep and the
Abbot House is now able to offer free access for all visitors who can simply look around or take advantage of the guided tours that takes you through nearly 1000 years of Scottish history from the foundation of Dunfermline Abbey in 1128”.
The Abbot House also has a café open seven days a week from 10am-4pm. (5pm on a Saturday). Whether it is a coffee and a scone in the morning or a stop off for lunch or afternoon tea a friendly welcome awaits all visitors.
The Council leader also saw the new Brew House being developed on the site that will be opened in October and offer a chance to see how beer was brewed in in days gone by. Mr Rowley said; “Dunfermline had a vast tradition of brewing from the days of the Abbey right up to the early 20th century and this is something that the Abbot House are keen to bring back to the town. Craft brewing has been growing across the country over the last ten years, and there are a few initiatives now getting up and running in Fife which is a great chance for visitors to see how the beer is brewed and to taste more traditional flavours as well as the modern beers coming from some of the breweries being developed”.
He concluded; “I hope people will take advantage of this initiative and visit the Abbot House and see what this facility and the wider historic capital of Scotland has to offer. Fife is a beautiful county with some great visitor attractions, parks and outdoor activities and whilst we want to up our game in attracting tourist to the Kingdom we are also keen to promote what we have to Fifers who can give a major boost to all the facilities by paying a visit and seeing what we have on our door step much of which is free and offers a great day out”.
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Photo shows Alex Rowley ordering cake and tea at Abbot House. Photo is Margaret Shiels, Alex Rowley, Ruyana Ruzgar and Heritage Director Dr Devon McHugh
