Crail Museum & Heritage Centre
A volunteer-run museum in the East Neuk of Fife on the history of Crail, its harbour, golf club and wartime airfield, with free admission.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Crail Museum & Heritage Centre tells the story of the ancient Royal Burgh of Crail on the east coast of Fife. The town has been a trading and fishing port since the 12th century, and its harbour is still used for crab and lobster fishing. The museum is run entirely by volunteers and is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. It also acts as a Love Fife Visitor Information Centre for the area.
The displays are arranged in several rooms. The Burgh Room covers the town’s long history, from early settlement to its kirk and charters. Other rooms are devoted to golf in Crail, where the golfing society was founded in 1786, to farming around the burgh, and to the airfield. The airfield room tells the story of the base used from the First World War until 1960, which became HMS Jackdaw, a Fleet Air Arm station, and later HMS Bruce Boys Training School and the Joint Services School for Linguists. A Crail Notables display introduces local people.
A new display or exhibition is added every year. Not everything can be on show at once, and visitors can ask to see items from the store by appointment. The museum has a shop, offers a schools programme for primary classes and arranges group visits.
Highlights
- History of the Royal Burgh of Crail and its harbour
- Airfield Room on HMS Jackdaw and the Fleet Air Arm station
- Golfing in Crail, home of a society founded in 1786
- Farming and Crail Notables displays
- Free entry and free guest Wi-Fi
Permanent exhibitions
- The Burgh Room – Objects, art and photographs illustrating the long history of the Royal Burgh of Crail.
- The Airfield Room – The story of the Crail airfield from the First World War to 1960, including HMS Jackdaw.
- Golfing in Crail – The history of golf in Crail and of Crail Golfing Society, founded in 1786.
- Founded
- 1979
- Operated by
- Crail Museum & Heritage Centre (Scottish charity SC023505)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission to the museum, its collections and its exhibitions is free. The museum depends on donations and shop sales.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
A school programme for years P1–P7 offers hands-on and object-handling sessions in the museum (groups of up to 10) or in the classroom.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
The Stagecoach 95 bus runs between Leven and St Andrews via Crail and the other East Neuk villages. The museum recommends the Traveline Scotland Journey Planner for planning a trip.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
- Wi-Fi
Free guest Wi-Fi is available throughout the museum and outside it (network BT_Guest_Wi-Fi, with a login page; speed and some websites are limited).
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Groups of all ages are welcome by prior appointment; rooms are small, so groups are split into about six people per room and volunteers assist. Items from the store can be viewed by arrangement, and researchers are welcome by appointment. Guided walks of the town are advertised separately. |
