THE Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area is an important part of The Heartlands of Fife tourist structure which is geared to encouraging people to come to Central Fife and the surrounding village communities.

The Heartlands also includes, Dysart, Kirkcaldy, Burntisland, Kinghorn, Aberdour, Markinch, Wemyss villages and Glenrothes and Cowdenbeath Area Committee heard that these communities had so much to offer.

Ann Camus, Fife Tourism Partnership Manager, told the committee that there were some amazing features that deserved to be given the fullest coverage in promoting the 'Heart' of Fife.

She said: "There is so much history of different sorts in each community ranging from the heavy industrial side of the development of mining in the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area, through to the 13th century castle at Aberdour, and the volcanic plug in Burntisland.

"Then there is the amazing Lochore Meadows Country Park with its castle and fantastic recreational facilities.

"The Heartlands has so much to offer and we aim to ensure it is promoted as widely as possible."

Ann also explained that ‘In the Footsteps of Kings and their Queens’ will see a new augmented reality app created which will bring the area’s rich royal history to life allowing visitors of all ages to interact with characters and take part in activities at each location.

The app will guide visitors along the royal footsteps and connect them with places of interest, such as Ravenscraig Castle, Lochore Castle, Aberdour Castle and Markinch Church. Visitors will be able to learn more about royal connections in a series of ‘footsteps’ which will provide augmented reality content on a phone or tablet. Travel between the footsteps can be by walking, cycling, car or as part of a guided tour.

The project has received £90,000 funding as part of a grant from Scottish Enterprise to enhance visitor experiences across the region.

Shooting has started for it and it is geared to highlighting how important the Heartlands is in the shaping of Scotland.

Councillor Alistair Bain said: "This is an excellent project. The royals all came to Kinghorn to be crowned and it is a story worth telling".

Councillor Rosemary Liewald added: "There is so much work going into this project and we have a marvellous story to tell about this part of Fife."

Councillor Alex Campbell commented: "This all shows how much the Central Fife area has to offer and I am sure this will all help to bring people to our towns and villages."

Committee convener, Councillor Linda Erskine said: "This is a tremendous project and has been well worth waiting for."