Moving to Fife - anti English?

[strahan]

I am thinking of moving to Fife, somewhere near the coast if possible. My family is from there. The trouble is, I sound English! we moved from Scotland when I was very young and I lost my Scottish accent. I have read about hostility to the English in Scotland. Should I be worried?
I have to say, I've only ever experienced friendliness when on holiday in Scotland. But I don't want to move somewhere where I'm not welcome.
Honest answers appreciated!

My absolute favourite Fife-ism is that 'do' and 'don't' can both be pronounced as 'dae/day'.

So if someone annoys you, and you want them to stop, you can declare in a harassed tone:

'dae dae tha!'

It's actual poetry

Im from Kirkcaldy but now live in England. My hubby is english and sometimes struggles to understand the 'english sounding' accent 🤣. We are a friendly bunch as my DH has never had any anti-english remarks.

It’s just as well you probably don’t want to live in a city, as Fife doesn’t actually have any! St Andrews may have a cathedral, but it is not officially a city.

Markinch? Can't speak to anti-social behaviour, but it has a choir, is on the main line, and has rather wonderful station waiting room...

Can I recommend Kirkcaldy, there’s a fantastic musical theatre scene. If you’ve got kids there’s KYMT and an amazing jazz group FYJO.

My godfather was from Kirkcaldy but moved to Musselburgh in later years. I adored his accent.

I plan to move to Scotland (West Coast or Highlands though) in the next couple of years and have been visiting regularly to scratch the itch before we relocate permanently. Only ever had tongue in cheek comments about being English apart from a very drunk Irish man in Oban who told me to f off home. Later on, I saw him talking to his shoe, so I assume his problems went beyond my nationality.

Lotch-jelly . He surely meant Lo'gelly.

I've been told I sound "posh", as has DH. There's a world of difference between speaking in English with a Fife accent, and speaking Fife Scots, or any of the local variations.

"Oan the bunker ben the scullery" - one of my gran's favourite directions.

Back to the OP - absence of flight path somewhat rules out the East of Dunfermline, Dalgety Bay. Although it's not too bad at the moment with the airport getting fewer flights.

I'd look at Broughty Ferry, Newport on Tay, Wormit, maybe Inchture/Longforgan way. St Andrews too.

Whilst people might be anti Tory and Westminster rule, no one is any English. That's a myth. You'd be very welcome, most areas of Scotland are very diverse these days and it's a welcome thing.

Scotland people are lovely. No one will judge you for an accent. As long as you are a nice person you will fit in fine

'dae dae tha!'

But the first dae is marginally longer than the second. Perfectly clear. 😀

Ah see, in the Borders it wound be Deh dae tha. Far more sensible!

Is the first dae a two syllable word and the second dae one syllable ?

Is the first dae a two syllable word and the second dae one syllable ?

Can be. Dae-ae almost. Short for ‘dinnae’.

Thanks, that’s how I hear it in my head 😁

@ALLIS0N

Thanks, that’s how I hear it in my head 😁

Me too! I’m saying these out loud trying to work out the exact pronunciation - a tactic I often have to use with local Facebook sites to work out what posters are actually trying to say. . I guess a lot of Scottish dialects are mainly spoken, without standardised spellings.

Dae hink so

Common in Perthshire for " I don't think so"

@Sexnotgender

Can I recommend Kirkcaldy, there’s a fantastic musical theatre scene. If you’ve got kids there’s KYMT and an amazing jazz group FYJO.

Kirkcaldy seems really run down to me and not somewhere I would live. I was shocked at how bad the shopping centre and high street was when I visited recently.

I think Dunfermline is far better and also has the benefits of closer transport links to Edinburgh. Good luck trying to pronounce Touch and Duloch though!

Bits of Kirkcaldy are run down certainly, I happen to live in a nice bit.

The high street is undergoing a regeneration but it’s taking ages unfortunately.

@dementedma

Blimey, someone just mentioned Kelty and Cowdenbeath on Mumsnet! My life is complete. It'll be Cardenden and Lochore next. Fife accent is very strong and nothing like English!

I'm originally from Lochore & definitely do not sound English not even when I'm using my posh telephone voice at work

Never encountered anti-Englishness. I don't know if it's Fife (or Scotland?!) wide but don't be offended if someone asks "where d'you stay?" The first time I was asked that I felt very ruffled as to me it sounded like it was implying I was just visiting, but actually it just means "where you do live"...