A bit about Cupar

History

Cupar is a town, a parish and also a former burgh in Fife, Scotland. Located between Glenrothes and Dundee, it has a population of around 9,000. Cupar originally grew around historic Cupar Castle, which was the property of the earls of Fife and the seat of the local sheriff. Cupar became a judiciary centre for Fife county and a busy market town for sheep and cattle. 

Towards the end of the thirteenth century, the burgh saw an assembly form between three estates; nobility, clergy and burgesses, formalised in 1276 before the Parliament of Scotland was created. By the middle of the fourteenth century, Cupar was paying customs taxes on income, which suggests that royal burgh status had been granted. The oldest document, in 1381, records permission from Robert II to build a new port on the River Eden at Guardbridge to help encourage trade with Flanders.

Location and Travel

Situated within easy access of Dundee and Glenrothes, as well as other key cities, Cupar offers easy travel around Scotland and on towards England. The town is connected on an hourly basis by bus to St Andrews, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. There are other bus services to Stirling and other villages up towards St Andrews. 

An express service links Dundee and Kirkcaldy to Cupar. To the southeast of Cupar town centre, there is a busy railway station, which hosts the East Coast Main Line with regular services scheduled between Aberdeen and Edinburgh Waverley. Nearby stations include Ladybank and Springfield. Edinburgh Airport is 42 miles away and Rosyth ferry port is 35 miles away and both are easily and rapidly accessed by road.

Local Amenities

The town was chosen to become a Digital Improvement District (DID) in 2018 by the Scottish government, and in 2020 it won recognition at the Award Good Retail Awards for its digital impact – creating a sustainable digital model that would allow local stakeholders to deliver community and business services independently. Today, the CuparNow shows that Cupar is home to the biggest and fastest-growing digital audience in any city or town in Scotland, making it a very attractive place for business entrepreneurship and employment alike.

The biggest employers are Fife council and local food and drink production, including Kettle Produce, Fishers Services, Scotsfruit and Quaker Oats. Unemployment is 2.1% and below the national average. Local leisure facilities include a historic golf course, a sports centre, various art and interest clubs and a biennial arts festival.

Providing HR Support to Cupar Businesses

We help local businesses in Cupar with all of their HR needs. Whether you need support with contracts and handbooks or help with employee tribunals, we have the expertise to help. From everyday HR support to project and strategic HR advice and support, we work on a flexible basis in response to our customers’ needs and offer a bespoke service in line with their business and requirements. 

Contact us today for a no-obligation basis to find out more about what we do, and how we can assist your Cupar business.