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The Kingdom of Fife has an identity all its own, which it has stoutly maintained, and defended when necessary. Not unnaturally this has led to a strong sense of individuality that has not stopped short of eating. So it really should not come as a great surprise to find that the former Cambo Arms at Kingsbarns, described by one reliable witness as "downtrodden", has been given a new lease of life under the guidance of Ian and Marilyn Murtagh who have transformed a fine traditional set of buildings into a modern restaurant with rooms, without losing the patina of charm bestowed by the centuries.

Only five miles from St Andrews, The Barns is a runaway success that has been waiting to happen. A devotion to well above average food is one of their strongest assets, and with produce drawn from the surrounding farms and waters Head Chef Jimmy Thomson and his team leave nothing to chance. For starters think of dressed brie, breadcrumbed and lightly fried, with salad and redcurrant jelly, or the best Scottish salmon served freshly hot-smoked.

After that it's into the main courses which are dominated by burgers and steaks. For those reaching for the smelling salts let me assure you these are burgers as you have never before known them, 100% properly hung local beef. The same goes for the quite superb steaks, from the 18oz T-bone to the 10oz sirloin - alas! poor Hector, I knew him well.

Deep fried local scampi and fillet of haddock grace the same menu, together with three generous lamb cutlets chargrilled to your taste. Hand cut chips, salad and homemade coleslaw accompany all the main courses.

For years I sought to persuade the National Trust for Scotland, with limited success, that there is absolutely nothing wrong with things like hand cut chips and burgers in their cafes and restaurants, always provided that, like their properties they have integrity and are the best of their kind.

The excellent wine and drinks list offers succour to locals and diners alike, all of whom mingle merrily in this splendid new (2005) addition to the already gilded restaurant scene in Fife.

Fish and Chip Bars are, in some ways, rather like certain ethnic restaurants - there really is not an awful lot you can say about them, the food is either good or bad, and mostly Fish and Chip Bars are good. But not perhaps as good as the Fish Bar at Anstruther whose fame has travelled well beyond the borders of the Kingdom of Fife.

Those who judge restaurants and fish bars by the calibre of the people who patronise them (not always a reliable method in my experience) will be heartened to know that had a University course at nearby St Andrews been longer, a Royal Warrant could conceivably have appeared above the door of 44 Shore Street. As it is it has to content itself with being twice Fish and Chip of the Year, and being described as "probably the best fish and chip shop in the world", though by whom is not entirely clear

Haddock leads the way, followed by squid, lemon sole, skate and other seafood. The house wine is a stunning £7.50, and yes, that is per bottle. The customary family secret recipe for the batter is passed down from father to son, and because of all this you will pay above average for your award-winning fish and chips, and waits of an hour in the queue are not unknown. Now that does impress me!

Nautically located in a former pub overlooking the harbour entrance and a seascape that includes the Bass Rock, the place naturally induces thoughts of its primary cuisine. Carnivores, however, are not entirely overlooked and the beef is as locally sourced as the seafood.

A favourite starter could be the salad of lobster, langoustine and mango with radish shoots, mizuna, basil puree and gazpacho. This is fairly typical of the elaborate and imaginative dishes which are a feature of Craig Millar's cooking, which invariably stops short of ever being complicated.

A dessert which many will find hard to pass by is the prune and Armagnac pudding with banana ice cream and butterscotch sauce, an amalgam of so many indulgent flavours.

Service cannot be faulted. The wine list might be regarded as slightly breathtaking, but the quality of the house wines from £16 provides a very reasonable safety net.

The kingdom of Fife, one of the understated treasures of Britain's natural heritage, has some pretty fine man-made additions as well, of which Balbirnie House is one. The experience of dining in The Orangerie allows for a formality which is uplifting rather than daunting.

The cuisine, though covered by 'modern' is in fact an eclectic collection of essentially classic dishes with dashes of culinary derring-do, witness seared scallops on a Thai mussel curry with coriander rice or a cured beef bresaola with rocket leaves, shaved parmesan, lime and virgin oil dressing. Main courses could include peppered pork fillet with that wonderful Scottish blue cheese, Dunsyre, for the souflee, port gravy and spinach, or one of their magnificent steaks with a choice of vegetables and Bearnaise sauce.

The extensive wine list displays care and discernment, with house wine at £13.95.

An unusual experience awaits those who dine at the Woodside and should you feel the onset of mild mal de mer it could be due to the fact that the mahogany panelled walls and antique stained glass in the dining room had their origins in the smoking lounge of an ocean liner, which was built in 1901 to ply between Britain and Australia. A family who had connections with the Imperial Russian Navy built the hotel in 1873 and their portraits welcome you on arrival.

More recently the hotel has undergone a major refit, making the Woodside, only 30 minutes from the heart of Edinburgh, an attractive location for those seeking something different.

A starter of guinea fowl leg stuffed with haggis and black pudding with chicken liver quenelles with crisp pancetta or lightly scrambled eggs with oyster in a cream fraiche and chervil sauce makes an excellent prelude to the grilled turbot with pesto, tomato fondue and pomme bataille, or the slowly braised daube of beef served with brioche dumplings, root vegetables and a truffle jus. The Granny Smith crème brûlée is not to be missed either.

The wine list makes a more than adequate contribution to the dining experience and there's house wine at £10.75.