St Monans is a pretty fishing village in the East Neuk of Fife, situated between Elie and Pittenweem.St Monans name is taken from a shrine to St Moineinn built on the shore by early Christian missionaries. Great for a visit when village hopping or staying near St Monans in self catering holiday cottages.

 

 

 

 

The village of St Monans was a collection of cottages that grew up around a water well which was dedicated to the saint. In times past King David II visited here after surviving a violent shipwreck in the Firth of Forth and in thanks commissioned a church to be built. There are many very attractive pantiled 17th Century houses and also there are remains of saltpans. An interesting restored windmill used to pump water up from the sea can be seen nearby.

 

 

On the Fife Coastal Path to the west of the cottage village of St Monans are to be found a restored 16th century dovecote and the ruins of Newark Castle. Coal and fishing were the chief industries of St Monance.This all changed and in recent years it has largely been a centre of tourism and boat building, a trade that has been with the town for more than 250 years. Additional small cottage industries such as the production of smoked fish are still located in the village. The public are always welcome at the factory shop.