Fife and Scotland - the offbeat perspective

It's a fact there are thousands of deer in Scotland but few are ever seen roaming wild since it is a graceful animal typically preferring seclusion in dense forests or in quiet open pastures. For the most part, wild deer are thought to exist in the nothern parts of Scotland but it's not unknown for Wild Deer to be seen crossing roads in Fife and where rare encounters of this kind can present a hazard for motorists. For most people in Fife, however, deer are rarely seen and even more rarely at close quarters. A visit to the Scottish Deer Centre, located west of Cupar on the A91, is guaranteed to amaze, amuse, educate and illuminate. It's a wonderful family venue where children cannot fail to enjoyable experience while running about in fresh air and safety. Adults are guaranteed to enjoy the Deer Farm experience too!

The 'Scottish Deer Centre' name is perhaps a bit of misnomer because it is much more than that. While the fifty-five acre site lets visitors see fourteen species of deer, some of which are from abroad, there are falconry displays and other birds of prey on show. The venue is also home to Fife's only wolf pack and rarely seen Scottish Wild Cats are also on view. The park rangers conduct walking tours around the facility on a regular basis but if you prefer, there are trailer rides available at certain times of the day. Details and times are to be found on the Scottish Deer Centre web site (Details and link at the bottom of this page).

Other facilities include a tree-top walkway with high sides and outdoor and indoor playgrounds where children can play in safety.

At the heart of the facility is a cobbled stone court yard nearly forming a perfect square and is thus sheilded from much of the wind.

Good use has been made of the old farm buildings surrounding the courtyard with the former farmhouse now serving as a really nice cafe selling fresh ground coffee and tempting 'home baked' eateries. There's a 'kid's menu' and seating available inside the farmhouse and outside in the courtyard.

Although shopping might not have been high on your list of desires for such a venue, we'd recommend taking a look at the wares on show and where the emphasis is definitely about quality and especially in the clothing department. Putting it simply, there's some pretty good stuff here and often available in larger sizes which suits people like me of larger stature. I've even been known to pop in while passing just to see what they have and where I can casually browse at my leisure.

I've also picked up a number of really good books about Scotland in the souvenir department and where there are also tapes and lots of stuff for the kids. One shop concentrates on Scottish produce including many brands of whisky, venison and other meats, and including haggis.

Summing up, this is a brilliant family friendly venue with more than ample free car parking, disabled access, baby change facilities and much more. A lot of thought about adverse weather has clearly gone into this facility and where even a quiet stroll is often on decking rather than muddy paths. The indoor play area illustrates this too. Even a quiet stroll in this place, feeding the deer, and enjoying the fresh air and peaceful atmosphere is undoubtedly good for the soul and healthier than many other pastimes. It may lack 'Michael Mouse' but I think many young children would find this venue equally thrilling and educational. The latter might apply to parents too.

Overall, this just has to be one of the best family friendly facilities in Scotland and ideal for young families. It's hard to imagine anywhere else where common interest fails to compete and avoids potentially conflicting personal interests like football and golf.

Highly recommended! Make today a family day at the Scottish Deer Centre!

Credits:
All photographs barring the second slide show were kindly provided by the Scottish Deer Centre with photography by Trevor D Russell of Kingdom Photographics. The second slideshow photographs were taken by Alandon. All text was written by Alandon.
The Scottish Deer Centre has their own web site. Click Here to go there.
Kingdom Photographics has their own web site. Click Here to go there.