WHETHER it's the friendly smile of a stranger as you stroll through the Glen, the cheery greeting in Cafe Wynd as you blow the froth off a morning coffee or the friendly advice on which ice cream to try at Fancy a Scoop?, it seems generosity of spirit is alive and well in the city. 

We love Dunfermline and visitors do too as it's just been named as one of the most welcoming places in the UK!

The accolade came courtesy of Booking.com who have announced the results of their Traveller Review Awards for 2023.

Dunfermline Press: The city's attractions, such as Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries and Dunfermline Abbey, are many. The city's attractions, such as Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries and Dunfermline Abbey, are many. (Image: Newsquest)

Drawing on a pool of more than 240 million verified customer reviews on their site, they've come up with the 10 Most Welcoming Cities on Earth - spoiler alert, we didn't make that list - and the top 20 Most Welcoming Cities in the UK.   

Scotland's newest city - with its ancient royal history and Abbey, Carnegie connections, beautiful parks, theatres and lively nightlife proving to be among its most popular attractions - came in at number 15. 

READ MORE: Peacocks in Pittencrieff volunteer handed prestigious award

Although if you're being picky, and His Majesty might have something to say about it, our friends at Booking.com seem to bestowed city status on a fair old number of locations.

Only one of the places above Dunfermline on the list - Newry - is actually a city. The rest are towns. The only other city on the list is Stirling, there's even a couple of villages at 17 and 18.

Dunfermline Press: What's in a name? Booking.com have listed Dunfermline at number 15 in the 'Top 20 Most Welcoming Cities in the UK'. What's in a name? Booking.com have listed Dunfermline at number 15 in the 'Top 20 Most Welcoming Cities in the UK'. (Image: Booking.com)

If we just tweak it to top 20 Most Welcoming Places in the UK, which I'm sure they must have meant - we're no stranger to a typo either! - we'll take that. Thanks. 

Maybe next year we'll join the elite on the global list and displace, say, Porto De Galinhas in Brazil. I mean, who really needs "beautiful beaches with bright sands and crystalline water" in one of South America's best coastal destinations. 

If we can just get that city square and someone to take over the Debenhams site ...

Here's the rest of the top 10 on the worldwide list: Polignano a Mare, Italy; Hualien City, Taiwan; San Sebastián, Spain; Dresden, Germany; Klaipėda, Lithuania; York, United Kingdom; Ushuaia, Argentina; Mexico City, Mexico; and Gold Coast, Australia.