A Summer of Stories: Largo’s Big Picnic and the Alexander Selkirk Celebrations
On Sunday 21 June, Lundin Links Common came alive for the 7th annual Big Picnic and Parade. Under the theme of Shipwrecked, the day brought together families, neighbours, volunteers and community groups from across the area, and by all accounts it just keeps growing. There were stalls of every kind, Ukrainian community food, live music from OpenSea, activities from bowling to biscuit making, and the Leven and District
Pipe Band led a colourful parade through the Common. Pepsi the horse was there too, and plenty of Father’s Day fun. The biggest thank you goes to everyone who set up a stall, ran an activity, donated tombola prizes, dressed up or simply turned up with a blanket and a smile. You’re the ones who make this day what it is. A particular thank you to Largo Area Community Council and every group and volunteer who pitched in, and to the weather gods for finally coming through.
The Shipwrecked theme wasn’t just for fun. It connects directly to another adventure unfolding this summer: the 350th anniversary celebrations of Alexander Selkirk, the Lower Largo man said to have inspired Robinson Crusoe and the first novel in the English language. Our new heritage group has taken on an ambitious project to mark the occasion, working with many dedicated volunteers to bring it to life. Exhibition Week runs from 22 to 29 August at the Aurrie Mor, with lots of interactive activities and an exhibition exploring Selkirk’s charismatic and enigmatic story. It’s a real achievement for a group that formed to take this on, and a testament to what’s possible when a community decides something matters.
What’s On During Exhibition Week
From 22 to 29 August, there’s something for everyone. Start with the Castaway Film Night at Largo Library and Community Hub (21 August), then join the Book Launch for “Alexander Selkirk: Fiction’s First Celebrity” on the opening day. A Treasure Hunt runs all week for all ages, while evening activities include Selkirk Island Discs, a Railway Inn Quiz, and Storytelling at the Library. On 29 August, the Ukrainian Amateur Theatre brings Robinson Crusoe to life, and there’s a Sandcastle Competition on the beach. The festivities wrap up with Cricket and a BBQ on 30 August. If you fancy a creative challenge, enter the Writing Competition (closing date end of July). Later in the autumn, evening lectures are planned (dates to be confirmed), and the Selkirk Anniversary Exhibition will go on tour at The Scottish Fisheries Museum from December. For more details, email [email protected].
Largo Blue Space Festival Celebrates Community Conservation
On 6 and 7 June, Friends of Largo Bay brought the community together for the Largo Blue Space Festival, marking World Environment Day and World Oceans Day. The two-day event at the Aurrie Mor showcased the breadth of conservation work happening in and around Largo Bay and the Firth of Forth, with 15 exhibitors including community groups, environmental organisations and research bodies.
The festival combined learning, creativity and fun. Visitors could join a sea shanty workshop, try their hand at felting a starfish, and discover new games exploring coastal conservation. Three films were screened across the weekend: Libby Penman’s “Shooting Animals,” Cal Major’s “A Line in the Sound” (with a Q&A from Sean Flynn of Blue Marine Foundation), and The Scottish Wildlife Trust’s “Oceans of Value.” Sunday morning saw a well-attended Otter Ecology Walk led by Lutra Grampia, meeting at Elie Holiday Park car park and heading out to Ruddon’s Point.
A highlight was the debut outing of the Community Triptych as a work-in-progress, which was warmly received by visitors. The festival also supported research by two PhD students from SRUC. Beyond the activities, there was significant networking and idea-sharing among exhibitors and visitors, all learning more about the amazing work local groups do to conserve and preserve Largo Bay in ways that are fun, educational and sociable. The Coastal Testimonies Exhibition continued to run at The Aurrie Mor throughout June.
This breadth reflects the strength of collaborative work across the Firth of Forth coastline, with everyone from citizen scientists to PhD researchers working toward the same goal of protecting and understanding our marine environment.
Happy Felting
We’re delighted to invite you to our final Warm Welcome Day of the year on Tuesday 23rd December at Upper Largo. Next week’s gathering will be extra special as we celebrate the season together with music, warmth, and good company.
We’re thrilled that Sheila, one of our wonderful regulars, will be sharing some seasonal music with us, along with other talented friends. It promises to be a joyful morning and afternoon of song, soup, and celebration. Come along between 11-1pm
The Warm Welcome Days have become such a cherished part of our community rhythm, and we’re deeply grateful to everyone who has made them possible throughout the year. Whether you’ve been a regular face, helped with preparations, brought along a friend, or simply shared in the warmth of being together, thank you.
These sessions continue to be multi-generational, low-pressure spaces where connection happens naturally over good soup and genuine conversation.
As we’ve shared before, there’s no charge for attending, and donations are welcome but never required. The heart of these gatherings is simply being together.
After the 23rd, the Warm Welcome days take a short break and resume on Tuesday 6th January. We hope you can join us for this seasonal celebration, and we wish you all a peaceful and joyful festive season.
A Few More Dates for Your Calendar:
The church community is also hosting some beautiful services this season,
Sunday 21st December – 4th Sunday of Advent in the Church at 10.30am
Lessons and Carols with Largo Church Choir, followed by seasonal refreshments in the Stables
Wednesday 24th December – Christmas Eve in the Church11.15pm Carol Singing 11.30pm Watchnight Service
Thursday 25th December – Christmas Day Family Worship Service in the Church at 10.30am (Children are invited to bring along and show one of their toy gifts from ‘Santa’)
Sunday 28th December – Morning Worship in the Durham Hall at 10.30amWith music by the Largo Sound Music Group, followed by refreshments
All are welcome to these Advent and Christmas Season services.
And as a reminder, Lily’s Larder will be open on Christmas Day from 11:00 to 14:00 for anyone who wants or needs company. There’s no charge, but if you plan to attend, please get in touch with them at [email protected] so they can organise numbers.
Fife Council are still gathering your views regarding the future of Kirkton of Largo, here is the link to share your views.
Engagement Session to Discuss the Future of Kirkton of Largo Primary School
We will be going a bit quieter for a few weeks and hope you have a good restful break. We will have some very exciting things coming up in 2026 and don’t hesitate to get in touch and remember to keep abreast of local things to do here:
Events – Largo Communities Together Largo Communities Together
Wishing you warmth, joy, and good company this festive season.
Largo Communities Together has just been made aware of an important engagement session regarding the future of Kirkton of Largo Primary School building, and we want to ensure everyone in our community has the opportunity to participate.
What’s Happening: Fife Council’s Education Directorate is holding an engagement session to discuss the future of Kirkton of Largo Primary School, which has been mothballed since January 2025. This is an opportunity for the community to hear updates on the school’s status and share views on what should happen with the building.
Session Details:
Date: Tuesday 16th December 2025
Time: 5-6pm
Location: Durham Hall, Lower Largo
Who Can Attend: We have confirmed with the Council that this session is open to anyone in the community who is interested – not just parents and carers. Given the significant community interest in this building and its future we want to encourage feedback, everyone is welcome to attend and contribute to the discussion.
Can’t Attend? An online feedback form is available for those who cannot make the session: https://forms.office.com/e/s4cDPDS6uW
Apologies for Short Notice: We apologise for the short notice – we have only just been made aware of this session ourselves and wanted to get the information out to the community as quickly as possible.
Background: Kirkton of Largo Primary School has had no pupils since June 2023. Pupils from the catchment area have been offered places at Lundin Mill Primary School or other primary schools through placing requests. The Council needs to consider the building’s future for the 2025/26 academic session.
This is your chance to have your say on what happens to this community building we know its been important to so many. We encourage as many people as possible to attend or submit feedback online.
Warm Welcome Days in Upper Largo
These sessions will continue every week up to the 23rd of December, and will resume on Tuesday the 6th of January (we will take a break on the 30th of December).
With only a couple more sessions before the Christmas break, we’d love to see you there. Everyone is welcome, including new faces. Donations are welcome but never required; the aim is connection and getting together.
We also encourage you to keep an eye on our What’s On Page to check out any upcoming things that are going on Events – Largo Communities Together Largo Communities Together.
As always get in touch with any questions comments or anything else [email protected]
Copyright © . Largo Communities Together. All Rights Reserved.
