Local Honey in Fife
Fife has two beekeeping associations with overlapping ground: Fife Beekeepers' Association, whose activities centre on the east of the county, and its sister association, Dunfermline and West Fife Beekeepers Association, which also serves Kinross-shire and Clackmannanshire.
Much Fife honey is sold through farm shops. Main's Apiaries, a family business with an apiary at Kingseat, sells local blossom, soft set, heather blend and ling heather honey, stocked at The Buffalo Farm near Kirkcaldy, Woodlea Farm Shop near Dunfermline, Wellsgreen Farm Shop near Windygates and The Oak Tree Pantry in Anstruther. In Dunfermline, Kin Bees keeps hives in Pittencrieff Park among other sites and sells online with click and collect, as well as at Abbot House and the city's monthly artisan market. L&A Apiaries in Rosyth sells its Rosyth honey online, and The Kingdom of Fife Honey From The Hive offers blossom, soft set and heather honey with free delivery in Fife on two jars or more.
Explore Fife by town
- Local honey in Burntisland
- Local honey in Cowdenbeath
- Local honey in Cupar
- Local honey in Dunfermline
- Local honey in Glenrothes
- Local honey in Kirkcaldy
- Local honey in Rosyth
Beekeeping landscape and local forage
Oilseed rape across the East Neuk and the Howe of Fife opens the season properly in May — later than the English crop and often heavier for it. Raspberry and other soft fruit, grown on the Tayside side of the region, add an unusual June flow, and rosebay willowherb follows on rough ground. The Lomond Hills and the higher ground towards the Ochils carry ling heather from August, giving Fife beekeepers within reach of them a shot at the Scottish heather crop that is the country's beekeeping tradition. Estate woodlands supply sycamore and lime, and St Andrews and Dunfermline both have parkland and garden forage that extends the season at either end.
What Fife honey can taste like
Pale and firm-setting from the rape; heather honey from the hills is dark and gelled. Raspberry honey, where it can be isolated, is very pale and delicate.
Seasonal forage calendar
| Month | Typical forage and colony activity |
|---|---|
| January | Nothing. Short days, cold easterly weather. |
| February | Snowdrop and hazel on mild days. Very limited. |
| March | Willow and sallow — the first real pollen of the Scottish year. |
| April | Dandelion, gorse, early fruit blossom. Colonies build later than in England. |
| May | Oilseed rape opens — the main spring flow. Hawthorn and sycamore. |
| June | Raspberry and soft fruit. Clover on the pasture. Rape finishes. |
| July | Clover, bramble, lime in the towns, rosebay willowherb on rough ground. |
| August | Ling heather on the Lomonds and higher ground. Hives moved up for the crop. |
| September | Heather finishes early in the month. Ivy where it grows. Feeding begins. |
| October | Very little. Colonies packing down. |
| November | Nothing. |
| December | No forage. |
Flowering times are typical and can shift by two to three weeks with the weather, season and altitude.
Places to find local honey in Fife
Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy, St Andrews, Glenrothes, Cupar, Leven, Anstruther, Burntisland
Frequently asked questions
Is the Scottish honey season different from England's?
Yes — later and shorter. Scottish colonies typically build a month behind southern England, the main crops run from May to August rather than April to September, and heather is the closing act rather than a bonus. It means fewer, more concentrated flows and a smaller crop per hive.
Can I buy Scottish heather honey from Fife?
From beekeepers with access to the Lomond Hills or the higher ground north-west of the county, yes. It comes off in early September. Scottish ling heather honey is a protected regional style with a strong following, so it sells quickly and at a premium.
Buying local honey in Fife
Use the listing details to choose how to buy, then contact the seller before travelling.
- 7 active directory listings currently appear for Fife.
- 6 listings are marked as raw honey.
- 1 listing reports an outlet.
- Opening information is supplied on 1 listing.
- 4 listings have a verified webshop link.
- 3 listings also note other beekeeping products.
The directory does not track live stock or harvest dates. Availability, collection, delivery, prices and seasonal varieties can change, so ask the seller to confirm what is currently available.
Honey producers and beekeepers
Flynn Apiaries
Burntisland, Fife
Kin Bees
Dunfermline, Fife
Raw Dunfermline honey, including a small-batch Pittencrieff Park honey, plus beeswax goods, hive sponsorship and summer beekeeping experiences.
Kingdom of Fife Honey From the Hive
Glenrothes, Fife
Unprocessed, unheated and unfiltered honey from hobbyist beekeepers near Glenrothes, with beeswax candles and melts.
L&A Apiaries and Garden
Rosyth, Fife
Small family beekeeping enterprise in Rosyth, Fife, producing local unpasteurised honey.
Main's Apiaries
Cowdenbeath, Fife
Family-run beekeepers in south Fife producing seasonal local blossom honey and running beekeeping experiences.
Main's Apiaries - Multi Award Winning Honey - Private Beekeeping Experiences
Kirkcaldy , Fife
Sustainable beekeeper producing seasonal local blossom honey from apiaries across south Fife.
The Kingdom Of Fife Honey From The Hive
Cupar, Fife
Our honey is unprocessed, unheated, unfiltered and our bees are 100% treatment free. We do not know many other beekeepers who do not use treatments. Our bees are not fed sugar syrup, either just honey.