ENFPS AGM & Fiddler Tam talk, Kellie Castle, 13 May 
After a gap of several years our AGM returned to Kellie Castle, widely considered the Society’s spiritual home. Current office holders were confirmed in their posts at the AGM, and retiring trustees re-elected. 
Musicologist Dr George Kennaway then enlightened us on the music of ‘Fiddler Tam’ aka Thomas Erskine, 6th Earl of Kellie and a significant Scottish composer of the 18th century, with harpsichord accompaniment by Jim Tribble, plus a short explanation by yours truly on the 6th Earl’s colourful Beggar’s Benison backstory.

ENFPS visit to Gilston House, 9 June
About 40 of our members enjoyed glorious weather visiting Gilston, a grade B listed 19th century mansion in a beautiful setting with far-reaching vistas across the Forth and to Largo Law.
Our hosts Edward and Cath Baxter showed us the interior of the house, with Edward explaining its history, Cath showing us the garden’s stunning perennial borders and both then leading us on a tour of Gilston’s extensive grounds with its walled garden, Hebridean sheep and beautifully restored victorian boathouse on the loch.     
Our tour culminated with the traditional ENFPS drinks and nibbles in the garden, and a donation of the proceeds of ticket sales was made to our hosts’ chosen charity (the Highland Education Trust).

Lady Dorothy Stewart – Elie Reception 21 June
A sizeable number of ENFPS members attended Dorothy’s reception at the clubhouse of Elie Sailing Club that followed the scattering of her husband Sir Moray Stewart’s ashes at the harbour. 
Moray and Dorothy lived in Elie for many years before their move to Pittenweem and latterly to Surrey.
Dorothy had a long association with the Society, including her time as Chair from 2007 to 2010

ENFPS visit to 46 South Street, St Andrews, 8 September
No 46 is one of the most impressive townhouses on South Street’s parade of fine medieval houses. Built in 1600 for the Balfours of Mountquhanie the frontage has a distinctive doric column pedimented doorpiece with a Balfour armorial panel; in 1723 the house was remodelled in Georgian style by Principal Hadow of St Mary’s College with a corbelled parapet.
Over 40 ENFPS attended and our host June Baxter explained the history of the house and her family’s ownership of it, followed by historic buildings expert Dr Robin Evetts conducting us on a guided tour of the house and its cellars.     

No 46 South Street has a renowned town garden in medieval long rig, with its orchard underplanted with wildflowers and many unusual flowering shrubs; roses and other climbers clothe the surrounding high walls. with a restored 18th century doocot. Drinks and nibbles were much enjoyed in June’s dining room. 
A donation was made to June’s chosen charity, Friends of Craigtoun, and we are all most grateful for her generous hospitality and close interest in the Society.

St Monans Kirk : Harmonies for Heritage concert 14 September
A good number of ENFPS members attended this free concert organized by Dr Bess Rhodes of St Andrews University’s Sacred Landscapes of Fife project, the main event being an organ recital of the highest standard in which the Kirk’s beautiful 1850 Flight organ was heard in a performance by organist Chris Bragg of St Andrews University and in a duet by organist Andrew Forbes of Glasgow Cathedral and cellist Andrew Huggan. 
The recital was followed by a talk on the history of the Flight organ and on the problem of redundant organs in Scotland and on the Sacred Landscapes plan to support surveys of the organs of significance in Fife churches, whose future is under threat.
Lorimer Society - Autumn Lecture ‘A Scottish Architect Abroad’ 5 October 
Members are invited to this event at Kellie Castle on 5 October, where Simon Green will speak on Robert Lorimer’s work in England and further afield. To book a place contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Pittenweem Priory – ENFPS project for interpretive panels
With recent grant awards by Fife Environment Trust and Pittenweem Common Good Fund, our project has achieved its funding target of £21,000. This has enabled us to give the go-ahead for the design, text writing, illustration and fabrication/ installation of the 3 panels explaining the history of the site. 
The content for the panels will use the extensive researches by ENFPS member Prof Anthony Lodge into the history of the Priory.  We are aiming for completion by the end of April 2025 with content development in November/December, design work throughout January/February, followed by fabrication and installation.

Pittenweem sea wall collapse
Since the emergency stabilization works were completed at the end of 2023 no work has yet started on site to reinstate the  historic stone outer face of the sea wall. This leaves at risk the remaining section of wall next to the listed buildings at The Gyles 
After months of researches into property records, Fife Council have declared that the wall is ownerless, implying that it does not have a duty to reinstate it. 
Nonetheless the Council have started design work on the reinstatement and have advised that they are ‘pursuing funding internally’ for the work, but without any commitment or indication of timescale. ENFPS has raised concerns about this situation with Fife Council.     

East Neuk church closures :
St Monans Kirk - Peter Peddie gave a short talk at the latest ENFPS committee meeting showing us SMAKE’s design proposals for the Kirk which are imaginative yet involve minimal changes to the historic fabric.  Peter explained that the future use of the kirk would be as a community event space/ café, and that SMAKE is in the course of  setting itself up as an incorporated registered charity.  
Pittenweem Parish Church - a Friends of Pittenweem Kirk (FoPK) group has been set up to seek community ownership of the building, with Graham Forbes as Chair and ENFPS Chair as FoPK secretary. To allow grants to be secured from funding bodies ENFPS has partnered with FoPK and has secured an award of £7000 from the Architectural Heritage Fund for a Viability Appraisal by a business planning consultant on options for future use of the building. ENFPS has agreed to contribute £250 from its reserves towards the project, and further funding is being sought to cover the balance still needed to appoint the business consultant and for feasibility advice from a conservation architect. 
Elie Parish Church – the working group looking to take over the church is progressing towards establishing itself as a community organisation and initiating a feasibility study. ENFPS Elie representative Alastair Graham is Chair of the working group.

St Monans – ‘We Live by the Sea’
This new book about renowned photographer William Easton is full of images that capture a long-gone way of life in Fife; it has been produced with the help of long-standing ENFPS member and supporter of the St Monans Heritage Collection, Margaret Sutherland. The book is a 196-page publication - copies at £25 excluding p&p can be reserved by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ENFPS Treasurer role – vacancy
After 10 years of unstinting service as ENFPS treasurer, David Jenkins has intimated that he intends to step down from the role at our 2025 AGM. Without a treasurer the Society would cease to be viable, therefore it is essential that one of our members comes forward to take on the role. Assistance would be provided to ease the handover.

ENFPS Christmas Social Event  Pittenweem Saturday 7 December
Our Christmas social will be held on Saturday 7 December from 7 - 9pm in Coastline Community Church, Session Street, Pittenweem, KY10 2QL. We greatly welcome Rosalind Garton who has taught popular ‘Enjoying Geology’ classes for over 30 years for St Andrews University and who will speak about the Geology and Building Stones in the East Neuk of Fife.
Thereafter we’ll enjoy mulled wine, mince pies and other festive nibbles. The meeting will be open to non-members, so please spread the word and bring your friends.
Tickets are £10 per head and can be paid for by bank transfer to ENFPS Treasurers Account, sort code 83-24-24, Acc No 16067868 (use your surname as reference). Or by cheque to “East Neuk of Fife Preservation Society” addressed to ENFPS Treasurer, David Jenkins, Carrick, Drumeldrie, Upper Largo, KY8 6JD.