| Seaside living in Leven, Fife -- in Scotland -- can be an | | | | accessible to townsfolk. Consequently, it became a |
| attractive thing for the tourist or explorer. It is a seaside | | | | popular vacation destination for visitors from western |
| town in the council area of Fife, which sits between | | | | Scotland and Glasgow. The rails eventually closed |
| the Firth of Tay and the famous Firth of Forth. It also | | | | down, though, and since the late 1960s, there has been |
| lies at the mouth of the River Leven, which gives this | | | | no activity of note. |
| town of 8,100 people its name. Leven is part of a | | | | Like other areas of Scotland, the region is attempting |
| conglomeration of five towns, called the Levenmouth | | | | to tie its fortunes to the rich golfing heritage of the |
| conurbation. This gives the area a total population of | | | | country. One of its two courses is sometimes used as |
| 35,000 people. | | | | a qualifying course for the British Open, when its |
| The word Leven comes from the ancient Pictish | | | | played at the Old Course at Saint Andrews. It is also a |
| language meaning "flood." There is a nearby loch, called | | | | notable region for golf courses, in general. There are at |
| Loch Leven, which is the town's and the river's flood -- | | | | least 7 of them in and around the Levenmouth |
| or overspill -- lake. The town's earliest history can be | | | | conurbation. |
| traced back to the mid-11th century, when a parish | | | | Fife is the council area in which Leven resides. It has a |
| church was founded. First mention of an actual town | | | | current population of around 362,000 people. It is also |
| called Leven is found in two different mid-15th century | | | | home to Saint Andrews, the town known as the home |
| historical records relating to work needing to be done | | | | of golf and one of the oldest universities in Europe. |
| to certain buildings. | | | | Both Leven and Fife highlight classic Scottish culture |
| The town's fortunes grew with the coming of the | | | | and a way of life that's notable for its attachment to |
| railway, in 1854. It linked Leven with nearby Thornton | | | | the ancient Scottish past. |
| Junction and made both Aberdeen and Edinburgh | | | | |