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 Elie: Town and Harbour |
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.
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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.
 Elie Parish Church |
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 Toll Green Cottages |
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 Elie High Street |
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Earlsferry ceased to operate as a port after a serious storm in 1766. This drowned seven Earlsferry fishermen and completely filled the village harbour with blown sand. By this time Elie, which was much better protected from weather coming in from the east, had already become the more important of the two.
In 1850 Elie's harbour was expanded, and a road was laid along the headland leading out to it from the village. Elie's fortunes improved further in 1863 with the arrival of the railway.
Together with the railway, regular steamers from North Berwick and Leith opened Elie and Earlsferry to the Victorian tourist trade from the 1870s onwards. The villages remain significant centres for yachting and together serve as a local resort whose beaches are matched as attractions by the golf available on Earlsferry links.
The twin settlements of Elie and Earlsferry remain extremely attractive and charming places to visit. The oldest buildings are found on South Street, along the shore line. Parallel to it and a little inland is the main street, operating under a number of different names. Here you will find Earlsferry's Town Hall, and, in Elie, most of the village shops.
Elie High Street is also where you will find Elie Parish Church. This dates back to 1639, though the unusual tower was added in 1729. The clock was in turn added to the tower in 1900, though because there were no buildings north of the church at the time, it only has three faces.
Most people visiting Elie do so for the simple joys of being by the seaside. The harbour is now used primarily by pleasure craft and activity revolves around the converted granary out by the harbour wall. And both Elie and Earlsferry offer all the sand you could possibly want or need. Despite this you don't have to stray very far east of the harbour to find a very different coastline. The rockpools and little inlets of Elie Ness provide a haven for those who enjoy the challenge of exploration and discovery as well as sandcastle building.
On the east side of Elie Ness, at Ruby Bay, are the remains of the Lady's Tower. This was built in the 1770s as a changing room for the use of Lady Jane Anstruther when she went swimming. When she wanted a dip she first sent a bell ringer around Elie to let the residents know they should keep away from Ruby Bay. This was the same lady who had a whole settlement moved to improve the view from her house, leading to a curse being placed on the family. Ruby Bay is named after Elie Rubies, actually a type of garnet, which are sometimes found here.
