One of 32 local authorities, Fife lies north of Edinburgh on the opposite bank of the Firth of Forth. Covering a total area of 1,325 square kilometres, it has a population of 356,740 (2005).

Believed to take its name from a 7th-century Pictish king named Fibh, the ancient 'Kingdom of Fife' occupies fertile land between the Forth and Tay rivers. Mary Queen of Scots regarded it as her homeland, and the University of St Andrews has been a major religious and academic centre since the middle ages. By far the greatest son of Fife in the modern age is American millionaire, philanthropist and arts patron Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919), born in Dunfermline into a poor family of hand-loom weavers. When the industrial revolution in weaving took hold and Carnegie's father found himself out of work, the family emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1848.