St Monans

St Monans
St Monans (west end of harbour)
St Monans is located in Fife
St Monans
St Monans
Location within Fife
Population1,130 (2022)[1]
OS grid referenceNO524017
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townAnstruther
Postcode districtKY10
Dialling code01333
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
56°12′22″N 2°46′00″W / 56.206036°N 2.766582°W / 56.206036; -2.766582
St Monans Church

St Monans (/ˈmnənz/ , locally /ˈsɪmənənz/ ),[2] sometimes spelt St Monance, is a village and parish in the East Neuk of Fife and is named after the legendary Saint Monan.

Situated approximately three miles (five kilometres) west of Anstruther, the small community, whose inhabitants used to make their living mainly from fishing, is now a tourist destination situated on the Fife Coastal Path. The former burgh rests on a hill overlooking the Firth of Forth, with views to North Berwick, the Bass Rock and the Isle of May. Like other East Neuk villages, it is rich in vernacular fisher and merchant houses of the 17th to early 19th centuries, with characteristic old Scots features such as forestairs, crow-stepped gables, datestones and pantiled roofs. Its historic buildings include a now defunct windmill that once powered a salt panning industry, and a 14th-century church that sits on the rocks above the water on the western side.

Approximately 12 mile (800 metres) west of St Monans are the remains of Newark Castle, a 16th-century manor that has since fallen to ruin through cliff erosion and disrepair. In 2002, with the permission of Historic Scotland, an unsuccessful attempt to restore the castle was made.

The civil parish had a population of 1,357 in 2011;[3] the population at the 2021 Census was 1,120.

  1. ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  2. ^ "About St. Monans". Aye Can. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  3. ^ Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS101SC – Usually Resident Population, publ. by National Records of Scotland. Web site http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/ retrieved March 2016. See “Standard Outputs”, Table KS101SC, Area type: Civil Parish 1930