Elie, Fife.

Elie occupies the eastern half of a mile long south-facing sandy bay framed at either end by rocky points. Since 1929 it has been formally joined with Earlsferry, which runs along the western half of the same bay. You can read the full text of the chapters about Elie and Earlsferry in D Hay Fleming's 1886 book: Guide to the East Neuk of Fife.Of the two settlements, Earlsferry has the longer history, being made a Royal Burgh by Robert II in 1373 (see our Historical Timeline). By then it had been an established ferry port for crossings to North Berwick for hundreds of years. It is said that MacDuff, the Earl of Fife, crossed from here in 1054 while fleeing from King Macbeth.