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Tour
Ceres, One Of The Most Attractive
Villages In Scotland

Rent a Self Catering Cottage in Ceres, Fife, Scotland. Situated in the heart of the historic village of Ceres, only eight miles from St Andrews, this charming semi-detached house is set back from the road at the end of a quiet lane.

Rent a Self Catering Cottage in Ceres Fife Scotland. Set in the conservation village of Ceres, only seven miles from historic St Andrews, these delightful cottages provide an ideal base for those wishing to enjoy the best Fife has to offer.
Once
described as 'the most attractive village in both Fife and
Scotland.' Ceres was mentioned as early as the 12th century,
it was created a burgh of barony in 1620 under the Hopes of
Craighall, developing as a centre of farming, weaving, and brewing.
Unlike most Scottish villages its attractive pantiled cottages
stand round a green which is the scene of annual games which
are the oldest in Scotland. These games celebrate the return
of the men of Ceres from the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
There is a Bannockburn Memorial by the village green and an
old bridge over the Ceres Burn leads to the Fife Folk Museum
which was opened in 1968 by the Central and North Fife Preservation
Society. Built into a wall in the main street is the seated
figure of the Rev. Thomas Buchanan, the last Church Provost
in 1578.
The Parish of Ceres, of which Ceres is the principal village,
lies to the South and East of the Parish of Cupar, in North
Fife. Its total length from North--east to South--west is 6
miles. Its breadth varies from half a mile to three and three-quarter
miles. The ground rises to 622 ft. at Waltonhill, the highest
point in the Parish, but in other parts is at sea--level. Craigrothie
Burn, Glassiehow Burn and Craighall Burn, along with 2 other
small rivulets unite to form Ceres Burn which becomes a tributary
of the River Eden, a section of which marks the boundary between
Ceres and Cupar.
Ceres is first mentioned in the reign of William the Lion (1165-1214)
when the lands belonged to the family of "Syras". A daughter
of this house married Sir Michael Scott, the famous warlock
and thus the lands of Ceres became part of the barony of Strathmiglo
which belonged to the lineal descendant of Sir Michael till
159g. They then belonged to the family of Kinninmond till the
time of Charles I when they were acquired by Sir Thomas Hope,
King's Advocate, whose descendants still own some property in
the parish.
There is much argument as to the origin of the name "Ceres".
Was it a survival of the Roman invasion because of being identical
with the name of the "Goddess of Harvest"? However, the spelling
was not always the same. Before the 17th century it was "Seres",
whilst the oldest known form is "Syres". St. Cyrus, to whom
the Church was dedicated, is also given credit for the name.
Another suggestion is the Latin word syrus, which means
marshy ground near a running stream. There is also the
possibility that the "Syras" family are responsible. Who can
tell?
The population of Ceres Parish, which includes the villages
of Baldinnie, Ceres, Chance Inn, Craigrothie and Pitscottie,
has fallen very considerably over the last hundred years, chiefly
owing to the decrease of the linen and other industries. In
1755, there were 2,540 inhabitants in the Parish. By 1841 the
number had risen to 2,944. The census of 1931 showed a population
of only 1,425 and that of slight increases to the present day.
Westwood's Directory for the counties of Fife & Kinross
published 1862.
"Ceres parish, containing the villages of Ceres, Pitscottie,
Craigrothie, Chance Inn and Baldinnie, is bounded by St Andrews,
Cameron, Kemback, Largo, Scoonie, Kettle and Cults. It measures
about 7 miles by 4 miles. Fully one half of the land is highly
cultivated. There is plenty of limestone, which is extensively
worked, and coal is found at Ladeddie. The village of Ceres
is 2.5 miles south of Cupar on the road to Largo. The hand-loom
weaving of linen has long been carried on here and in Craigrothie,
but is now in decline. One bleachfield remains, and there are
spinning mills at Tarvit Mill and Pitscottie.In the rural areas,
the inhabitants are employed in agriculture, and in mining limestone
and coal. Ceres village has a parish church, a Free Church and
2 United Presbyterian Churches (East & West). The latter
was the earliest seceeding congregation in the centre of Fife,
a number of its members living 10 to 15 miles distant."
History
of Ceres
If
you would like to visit this area as part of a highly personalized
small group tour of my native Scotland please e-mail me:
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