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Kirkcaldy (; ) is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth and is the largest settlement between the cities of Dundee and Edinburgh.
The town began as a burgh under the control of Dunfermline Abbey. A harbour built around the east burn gradually led to the growth of the town surrounding the harbour itself, main street and Tiel burn following the demand of trade with the Baltic.
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Encyclopedia
Kirkcaldy (; ) is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth and is the largest settlement between the cities of Dundee and Edinburgh.
The town began as a burgh under the control of Dunfermline Abbey. A harbour built around the east burn gradually led to the growth of the town surrounding the harbour itself, main street and Tiel burn following the demand of trade with the Baltic. Early industries which soon prospered included the production of textiles, nailmaking and salt panning. The Industrial Revolution of the 19th and 20th centuries proved to be the most famous period for the town which saw the introduction of linoleum. Originally developed in the town as floorcloth, this was quickly dominated by the Michael Nairn & Co but did not become popular across a worldwide scale until the beginning of the 20th century.
Kirkcaldy has long been nicknamed the Lang Toun (Scots for 'long town') in reference to the (later a ) main street of the early town, depicted so on maps as early as the 16th and 17th centuries. According to the 2006 population estimate, Kirkcaldy has a population of 48,108, making it the largest town in Fife. The town falls under the wider Kirkcaldy and Mid-Fife Local Plan Area which has a population of 180,220. This total population includes the large cluster of ex-mining communities around Cowdenbeath, the New Town of Glenrothes and also the industrial towns of Leven & Methil.
Today Kirkcaldy is a centre for the surrounding areas, with a public art gallery, two public parks, shopping facilities and the annual Links Market, Europe's longest street fair. The town is twinned with Ingolstadt in Germany.
History
One of the earliest historical events in the vicinity of the town was the Battle of Raith in 596 AD, where the Angles fought an alliance of Scots, Picts and Britons led by King Áedán mac Gabráin of Dál Riata. The name Kirkcaldy means "place of the hard fort", or "place of Caled's fort". It is derived from the Pictish caer meaning "fort", caled, which is Pictish "hard" or a personal name Caled, and –in, a suffix meaning "place of". Caled may describe the fort itself or be an epithet for a local "hard" ruler. The first historical records of the town were made around 1095, when Malcolm III purchased the shire of Kirkaladunt from the crown lords of Fife to be given to the monks of Dunfermline Abbey as a means of aiding the funding of their newly built church. The town's name was adopted in 1304 from the outcome of a discussion between the abbot of Dunfermline requesting permission from King Edward I of England (Scotland being under occupation in this period) to hold a weekly market and annual fair (the latter is the basis of the modern Links Market) in this "most ancient of burghs". Kirkcaldy was then granted burgh of barony status sometime between 1315 and 1328 by Robert The Bruce. In 1451, the town was awarded feu-ferme status gaining independence from Dunfermline Abbey meaning that it was now free to introduce it's own adminstrative issues and fiscal polices. Later, the town was given a charter by Charles II granting royal burgh status in 1644. As a gesture, he decided to leave of common moor to the town suitable "for dying and bleaching of linen, drying of clothes, recreation and perpetuity".
Kirkcaldy harbour was acknowledged for having "a sheltered cove round the East Burn", thus giving easy accessibility for boats. The success led to the growth of the burgh, surrounding the harbour, Main Street and Tiel (West) burn, commented on by Thomas Carlyle. During his stay he described the town as being "a mile of the smoothest sand, with one long wave coming on gently, steadily, and breaking into a gradual explosion beautifully sounding, and advancing, ran from the South to the North, from the West Burn to Kirkcaldy Harbour, a favourite scene beautiful to me still in the faraway". Difficult times lay ahead to beset the development of the town such as the Covenanting War (1644–65) leading to the death of over 250 men. and then the Highland Jacobite rebellion invading the town on two occasions during the 18th century in 1715 and between 1745 and 1746.
As Kirkcaldy entered into the 19th century, the arrival of the Kirkcaldy and District Railway, later to become part of the North British Railwaysaw the town develop into the industrial heart of Fife reviving the use of Kirkcaldy port, which had a severe setback during the mid-17th century. The harbour was catering for the growing trade of imports of flax, timber and hemp and exports of coal, salt and linen cloth, when a decision was made to build a new wet dock and pier from 1843–46. The subsequent demands for linoleum and coal led to a further extension from 1906–08 in the form of an inner dock.
Kirkcaldy became a centre for iron founding and linen manufacturing—specialising in coarser material (i.e. sailcloth). Linoleum was first introduced by the Scottish Linoleum Company (later Barry, Ostlere and Shepherd), due to the expired patent of Frederick Walton in 1877. Although the Michael Nairn & Co Ltd have since become famous, for their Trade Mark and being the world producers of the cloth. The linoleum also made Kirkcaldy recognisable from the queer-like smell resulting from the odour of the principal ingredient, linseed oil. The Nairn's, as a family, were later philanthropists bequeathing land for public and commercial use, over the course of several decades, as "good deeds" to the citizens of Kirkcaldy, with examples such as two public parks (Beveridge and Ravenscraig) and a museum, art gallery and library complex. Other industries such as coal, pottery, flour, malt, printing, light electrical engineering and furniture manufacturing flourished. Carpets, whose production coincided with linoleum, were also made in the town for a brief time by the firm Victoria Carpets until they moved their production to Kidderminster in 1901.
The burghs of Pathhead, Linktown, Gallatown and Sinclairtown were amalgamated into the royal burgh of Kirkcaldy in 1876. The town had a population of nearly 30,000 by the time of the census in 1891. Throughout the 20th century, the town continued to grow with several acquisitions (including most specifically, Dysart) reaching a population of nearly 50,000 by 1951. New housing estates to the north-west, multi-storey flats and the redevelopment of areas such as Sinclairtown and Linktown occurred between the 1950s and 1960s. There was speculation that the town could grow around the 55,000 to 60,000 mark by 1970. However, the decline of linoleum in the mid-1960s saw the population of the town dip from a peak of 53,750 in 1961 to 47,962 in 1981.
Nowadays, Kirkcaldy remains a busy town for the surrounding areas complete with modernised secondary schools; two campuses of the Adam Smith College and prime shopping facilities in the town centre and Sinclairtown. The town also hosts the annual Links Market commonly known as Europe's longest street fair. The production of linoleum still continues to this day, despite being on a vastly reduced scale and now in Swiss ownership. The company, which has since become known as forbo nairn has also diversified into the production of vinyl floor tiles and marmoleum for which the latter is now their speciality.
Governance
During the middle of the 15th century, the passing of feu-ferme status, for the first time, saw the town being able to deal with their own administrative issues and fiscal policies. A deal was also made for the town to now control their own burgh revenues such as rents, multries and revenues from fishing in exchange for an annual payment of 33s 4d to the abbot of Dunfermline (who was the superior of the estate of Kirkladunt between 1095 and 1451). The burgesses (or neighbours) became responsible for the affairs of the town, such as enforcing freedom from opposition and having trading rights. The first mention of a town council was made around 1582, where the head courts of the burghs would meet either in the common muir (now known as Volunteers' Green) or the Tolbooth on Tolbooth Street which would be done particularly in the summer months.
When Kirkcaldy was awarded Royal burgh status in 1644, the duties of the provost were initially completed by bailies, councillors and magistrates (following the passing of an act in 1588 by the burgesses to prohibit the election of provosts). The first Lord Provost as Robert Whyt of the Whyt family was finally elected to the post around 1658. The burgh was also one of four in Scotland to use two coat of arms introduced in 1673. The first supposed to be "an abbey" reputedly Dunfermline Abbey bearing the motto Vilgilando Munio (I Stand by Watching). The second shows the figure of St Bryce with the "abbey" in the background. The royal burgh status was abolished in 1975, when a three-tier authority was adopted under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and the County Planning (Scotland) Act 1972. The town is now part of a unitary council area which has been under the control of Fife Council in Glenrothes since 1996.
Local government
The Kirkcaldy area supports three multi-member wards with eleven councillors sitting on the committee of Fife Council. The main headquarters for the Kirkcaldy Area including administrative and planning issues are based in Kirkcaldy's town house and Forth House.
Kirkcaldy Town House which was completed between 1953 and 1956, initially served as the headquarters of Kirkcaldy District Council between 1975 and 1996. The town is also home to a sheriff court which works in partnership with other local services to guarantee credible and highlight social inclusion. Working procedures which the court deals with include a social work service, voluntary support and supervision of offenders, for example, such as drug treatment and probation.
Westminster and Holyrood
Kirkcaldy is within the Kirkcaldy (Scottish Parliament constituency), the Mid Scotland and Fife (Scottish Parliament electoral region) of the Scottish Parliament (at Holyrood) and the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath (UK Parliament constituency) (at Westminster).
The Kirkcaldy Scottish Parliament (or Holyrood) constituency created in 1999 is one of nine within the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region. Each constituency elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post system of election, and the region elects seven additional members to produce a form of proportional representation. The seat is currently held by Marilyn Livingstone for Labour.
The Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath UK (or Westminster) constituency, created in 2005 when the previous seat Kirkcaldy was abolished, elects a Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first past the post system. The seat is currently held by Gordon Brown (the PM for the UK) for Labour.
Geography
Kirkcaldy is located on a bay facing southeast onto the Firth of Forth, along a sandy cove. The town is located in the Midland Valley of Scotland between the major cities of Edinburgh and Dundee away. The town is triangular in shape with relatively low-lying ground being a feature to the south-west near Invertiel and to the east of Boreland both areas of the town. Agricultural land in the vicinity of Kirkcaldy supports cereals, grass, potatoes, field beans, other vegetables and roots. The soil derives from Carboniferous limestone and Old Red Sandstone gravels and raised beach sands. The town's national grid reference is NT275915.
Areas in and around the town centre at above sea level contain clay, sand and gravel while the majority of Pathhead, Ravenscraig Park and older parts of Dysart at contained sandy gravel and shaley soil. The highest piece of ground in the vicinity of the town, west of the Raith Estate at , contains hard volcanic ash while to the north of the estate (Sauchenbush and south-east Chapel) are dolerite rock outcrops. An area to the south-west of the town, south of the Raith Estate and Invertiel, is practically impossible to build houses upon because of the thin drift and being full of basalt fragments. A raised beach to the west of the High Street (a result of sea level changes 5 to 10 000 years ago) is likely to have heavily influenced Kirkcaldy's mediaeval form and development.
Built environment
Kirkcaldy developed as a linear settlement stretching along the sandy cove between the Tiel Burn in the south and the East Burn to the north. More recently as the town has developed north the settlement shape is more triangular in form.
Following the Second World War, the first development plan was approved in the mid-1950s. This saw new housing developments in the north and west sides of the town built by the private sector, the SSHA (Scottish Special Housing Association) and the then Fife County Council. Much of this land was suitable since it contained no man-made or natural barriers. Older areas in the town such as Gallatown, Sinclairtown, Pathhead and Linktown were also subsequently re-developed under the plan. This partnership played a pivotal role in the distribution of ownership ratios to the west of the town and in the owner occupied Dunnikier Estate. The town was to maintain a reputation for having a good mix of both private and public housing and having more smaller scale residential developments including land that applies to availability returns. The construction of the first multi-storey flats in the town began in the late 50s with the completion of Viewforth followed by Ravenscraig during the mid-60s located on The Esplanade and in Pathhead, respectively.
The features of housing styles of imported English bricks, tiles and horizontal picture windows can be seen in the Templehall, Longbraes and Dunnikier parts of the town. Later, housing styles in Redcraigs, Blackcraigs and other parts of Templehall as well as ones to the west of Oriel Road built during the 1970s were of Scottish origin showing dark roof tiles, lightly coloured rendered walls and windows.
A local plan replaced the first development plan in the early 80s, under the Town and Country Planning (Act) Scotland 1972 and Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. This new plan dealt with highlighting areas for local authorities, private organisations and individuals while looking at the availability and best use of greenfield sites around the town, although brownfield land within Kirkcaldy was also considered.
New housing developments were focused towards the south-west (Southerton, Raith) and north-west (Capshard) of the town. The 1980s Local Plan also promoted the upgrading of many roads within and surrounding the town including the completion of the Thornton-by-pass (Kirkcaldy-Glenrothes Road) in 1980 and East Fife Regional Road (A92) in 1990—which the latter saw the town finally connect to the motorway system bringing viable growth and new development.
Another local plan developed in the early 90s aimed to regenerate Kirkcaldy by creating new employment opportunities in the north of the town and facilitating the creation of a variety of housing types and conditions. A major objective was to improve the state of residential areas by promoting suitable development land within the town. The majority of new housing was development by private developers in the south-east (Seafield) and north-west (Chapel Farm site) of the town. The new local plan also allowed out-of-town shopping facilities to be developed, conveniently located adjacent to the new A92 junction at Chapel.
Demography
Kirkcaldy compared according to UK Census 2001 | Kirkcaldy | Fife | Scotland |
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| Total population | 46,912 | 349,429 | 5,062,011 |
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| Foreign born | 1.01% | 1.18% | 1.10% |
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| Over 75 years old | 8.57% | 7.46% | 7.09% |
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| Unemployed | 5.68% | 3.97% | 4.0% |
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According to the 2001 census, Kirkcaldy had had a total population of 46,912. A recent population estimate of Kirkcaldy has been recorded at 48,108 in 2006. The town also falls under the wider Kirkcaldy and Mid-Fife Local Plan area which includes Glenrothes, Levenmouth, Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly having an overall total population of 180,220.
The demographic make-up of the population is much in line with the rest of Scotland. The age group from 30 to 44 forms the largest portion of the population (22%). The median age of males and females living in Kirkcaldy was 37 and 41 years respectively, compared to 37 and 39 years for those in the whole of Scotland.
The place of birth of the town's residents was 96.52% United Kingdom (including 87.15% from Scotland), 0.28% Republic of Ireland, 1.18% from other European Union countries, and 1.86% from elsewhere in the world. The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 40.13% in full-time employment, 12.17% in part-time employment, 4.79% self-employed, 5.68% unemployed, 2.57% students with jobs, 3.06% students without jobs, 15.70% retired, 5.51% looking after home or family, 6.68% permanently sick or disabled, and 3.71% economically inactive for other reasons. The number of children living in low income families is 46% within the constituency of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath. Compared with the average demography of Scotland, Kirkcaldy has low proportions of people born outside the United Kingdom but has higher proportions for people over 75 years old. The most deprived areas of the town are Templehall and Valley regarded as the 7th in the SIMD indicators for Fife.
A local plan which looks forward to 2026 says that the Kirkcaldy and Mid-Fife area will need at least 6,730 more houses to keep the population stable. There is expected though to be a 0% growth in population issued by the Housing Market Area (HMA). The urgent need for more housing alongside the SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment) was the result of the Environment Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Scotland) regulations in 2004. The main areas of growth will be seen to the east and south-west of the town coinciding with the 20-year plan by SLA (Scottish Land Allocations).
Economy
Employment
Many people in the town are employed in the service sector, particularly MGT (call centre), which is now the largest private sector employer in the town. Other employers include: Forbo Nairn (floorcloth coverings), Adam Smith College, ESA McIntosh (school furniture manufacturers), Victoria Hospital and Kingdom Bakeries (food and drink) . There are nearly 21,500 people employed in the town, representing 16% of employment in Fife. Unemployment in Kirkcaldy is above the national average at 4.9%.
Kirkcaldy has, however, been recognised as one of Fife’s strategic development areas. This is aimed at addressing the chronic shortage of jobs in Kirkcaldy and the high levels of unemployment in the town. The long anticipated extension to the John Smith Business Park, due to open in early 2009, is hoped to improve the economy of the town and Central Fife. There is also a proposal for a new business park, situated to the east of Kirkcaldy near the Kingslaw development, although this has not officially started yet.
Town centre
Kirkcaldy's town centre has always been focused on the High Street, which runs parallel with the coast, stretching from the historic harbour in the north-east to Nicol Street in the south-west. The centre which is labelled a conservation area contains many vibrant buildings for both civic and commercial purposes. These include a town house; a sheriff court; a railway station; two college campuses and a museum, art gallery and public library complex.
Historically the town had a wealth of family owned businesses which attracted people from across Fife and outside the county to visit the town. The town still has the main shopping area in Fife and currently the largest provision of all of the council area's town centres. The central portion of Kirkcaldy's High Street was pedestrianised in 1991 between Whytescauseway and Kirk Wynd. A number of major retailers have outlets here with The Mercat Shopping Centre and The Postings Shopping Centre both in the vicinity. A Kirkcaldy development plan, under proposals laid out by Kirkcaldy Renaissance, has been promoted for town centre regeneration. This should include an extension to the town's shopping facilities, a hotel and a multiplex cinema.
Culture
Considered by many to be one of Scotland's finest museums, the
Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery was donated in 1925 (by Nairn's benefactor, John Nairn the grandson of Michael Nairn), contains a notable collection of paintings by the Scottish Colourists and a permanent display of the town's industrial heritage. The nearby Adam Smith Theatre (initially known as the Adam Smith and Beveridge Halls) opened in 1899 by Andrew Carnegie as part of a memorial fund left in the will of Michael Beveridge to preserve the legacy of Adam Smith on the 100th anniversary of his death. The theatre is currently the base for musical companies and organisations such as KADS (Kirkcaldy Amateur Dramatic Society), KAOS (Kirkcaldy Amateur Operatic Society), the local Gilbert and Sullivan group and of course, the annual Fife Festival of Music which gives an opportunity for Fife's best musicians and choirs to highlight their talent.
The famous Links Market sited on the Promenade every year, widely claimed to be "Europe's longest street fair" began as a farmer's market in 1304 before moving to Sands Road (later to be known as the Promenade) in 1903. The 700th anniversary of the market was celebrated in 2004. Another tradition in the town is the pageant which began in 1923 to raise money for several hospitals. Many local firms would supply the decorations for the floats with local people on foot collecting money as well as the participation of local bands. This would change to local charities in 1948 with the birth of the NHS (National Health Service}. Later, saw the introduction of the Lang toun lad and lass riding in a carriage in 1968. The Pageant has since been revived in 2001. Kirkcaldy was also credited in the song Cry Baby Cry as the dutchess of Kirkcaldy by The Beatles which featured on their White Album. This had been inspired by John Lennon, when the band visited the town on a Scottish tour in late 1963.
Locally, the town is also known for having six famous sons who are: "the father of modern economics" Adam Smith (1723–90); "Demarcator of Standard Time" Sandford Fleming (1827–1915); one of Scotland's most famous architects, Robert Adam (1728–92); linen manufacturer and philanthropist, Baillie Robert Philip (1751–1828); missionary to South Africa, Dr John Philip (1775–1851) and first European explorer of Australia, John McDouall Stuart (1815–66). These names have all been acknowledged in Kirkcaldy's Town House, all for the exception of Robert Philip. Although, in the last decade, two further names have been added: poet, diarist and author, Marjorie "Pet Majorie" Fleming (1803–11) and floorcloth later linoleum manufacturer, Michael Nairn (1804–58). Other literary and artistic people associated with or hailing from the town include current United Kingdom prime minister Gordon Brown; the author John Buchan; architect William Adam; artist Jack Vettriano; writers Ian Rankin and Val McDermid and professors Duncan Glen, William Walker and Tom Hubbard. In politics, the town boasts Governor-General of Australia, Ronald Munro-Ferguson; David Steel the final leader of the Liberal Party and the first female judge of the Supreme Court of Canada and Court of Appeal for Ontario, Bertha Wilson. In popular culture, the town also boasts the Coldplay bassist, Guy Berryman.
Landmarks
Andersoune's House, located at 34-36 Kirk Wynd, of vernacular design is partly eighteenth century and one of three good examples of seventeenth and eighteenth century architecture in Kirkcaldy town centre, along with 17 Tolbooth Street and 23/25 Tolbooth Street. The Old Kirk, which was largely re-built between 1806 and 1808, retains a square Norman-style tower dating back to the early 16th century. The tower is the oldest example of medieval architecture left in the town, playing both religious and defensive roles in its history. Beside the two entrances to the churchyard of the Old Kirk, is the Scottish baronial style Hendry Hall at 40 Kirk Wynd, dating from 1890, donated to the church and named after the benefactor Daniel Hendry of Forth Park Trades Hall. To the east on Coal Wynd is the St Brycedale Mission Hall dating from the early 20th century, now converted into a dance studio.
At the top of Bennochy Road is Beechwood, dating from around 1880, which was built by town provost Michael Beveridge (1836-90) as his home. The house is now the centrepiece of luxury apartments with the building itself converted into two flats. Three other main houses were also built around this area - Forth Park, Marchmont and Morningside - of which the latter two have since been converted into nursing homes. Opposite Bennochy Road is War Memorial Gardens and Kirkcaldy Museum, Art Gallery and Library, all built between 1923 and 1928 and which were donated to the town by John Nairn, grandson of Michael Nairn who lost his only son, Ian Nairn in the Second World War. This was built on the site of the demolished Balsusney House, home of John Maxton. At the corner of Bennochy Road and St Brycedale Avenue, is the Adam Smith Theatre, and beyond to the north-east is the 200ft (60m) spire of St Brycedale Church on St Brycedale Avenue, which was built between 1877 and 1881 as a Free Church.
To the north-east of the town are two important buildings associated with or at one stage the homes of wealthy merchants and shipowners connected with Kirkcaldy's harbour. The Merchant's House located at 339/343 High Street, built by the Law family around 1590, is considered to be one of Scotland's finest sixteenth-century town houses and it has been stated by Scottish Heritage Trust that this may "be the most important town house outside the cities". . The Flemish-influenced Sailors' Walk located at 443/449 High Street, were initially a pair of two 17th century dwellings. The houses have been built on foundations, said to date from around 1460, making this possibly Kirkcaldy's oldest surviving house.
North of the harbour area on the Path are two excellent examples of distinctive architectural styles. The impressive Hutchison's House was designed by George Spears, the owner of the nearby East Bridge distillery, in 1793. Displaying an ellipticed fanlight and doric-columned Venetian windows, these are evidence of his wealth. At the top of the Path, is Path House (initially known as Dunnikier House) a three-storey L-plan tower house designed by John Watson of Burntisland in 1692. The house became a home for the Oswald family - specifically Captain James Oswald - when Watson sold the property, citing financial difficulties in 1705. The building itself is presented with finely-carved dormerheads, a moulded doorway and a double wall sundial. A circular tower was a later addition to the building around 1880. Under Sir John Oswald, the Oswald family would later built a new Dunnikier House - one of Kirkcaldy's two "big houses" - between 1791 and 1793 to the north of the town. The house has since been converted into a hotel. The other "big house" is Raith located to the south-west of the town surrounding Raith Estate. This was built by Alexander Lord Raith, first son of the 4th Earl of Leven and Melville for his bride, Barbara Dundas with the architect being James Smith between 1692 and 1694. The house was sold to the Fergusons in 1707 whom it is still occupied by the family under Ronald Munro-Ferguson as a private residence.
Although now referred to as a ruin, Ravenscraig Castle remains a dominant feature to the east of the town on a rocky spit of land extending into the firth of forth. The castle is best known as one, if not the first, in Scotland as an attempt for artillery defence to withhold cannon fire from the wall thickness; frequent shot-holes and an apparent rock-cut ditch. James II began construction of the castle in 1460 to defend the important port of Dysart along with the small harbour of Kirkcaldy in the fight to protect the crown lords of fife against piracy and English rivalry. There is also a possibility that this may have also been built as a home for his wife, Mary of Guelders. Sadly, the king died in a tragic accident with a loaded cannon at the Siege of Roxburgh Castle (near Floors Castle) and it was completed for his widow, Mary of Guelders as a dower house. After her death in 1463, work was suspended until the hands of the castle passed into William Sinclair (otherwise known as the Earl of Sinclair) in 1470. This was because of an exchange deal with James III of Scotland for a castle in Orkney Isles. The new owners, the Sinclair family, held onto the castle until 1896—despite it suffering damage by Oliver Cromwell in 1651. Ravenscraig was later taken into state care by 1955 and was made an A-listed structure from Historic Scotland in 1971. Nowadays, the general running of the castle is undertaken by the parks department of Fife Council.
Sport and recreation
Kirkcaldy is home to professional league teams in football, rugby and ice hockey.
Footballers, Colin Cameron and John Thomson as well as the twice World Darts champion, Jocky Wilson have represented their home town in sporting achievements. The senior football team are Raith Rovers who play their matches at Stark's Park. The club was established in 1883 and currently play in the Scottish Football League Second Division. In 1902, they became the first notable Fife team to be elected to the Scottish Football League. They had some glory in the 1990s, winning the Scottish League Cup in 1994 by defeating Celtic on penalties in a Final played at Ibrox Stadium. This cup win meant that the club qualified for the UEFA Cup, where they reached the second round before eventually losing to Bayern Munich. In 2008, the club celebrating its 125th anniversary with a new sponsor and shirt as preparation for the new season. The town also has a team at junior level known as Kirkcaldy YM who were re-admitted back into the central division in 2007. The team play at Denfield Park in Den Road.
Kirkcaldy RFC are the rugby union side, playing their games at the Beveridge Park. Fife Flyers, on the other hand, are famous for being the oldest surviving Ice Hockey team in Scotland. The team have maintained a tradition of recruiting Canadian players since the Second World War. The town is also home to the Raith and Abbotshall curling club; several private and municipal bowling clubs; Dunnikier cricket club and a private lawn and tennis club. Motor racing was also once a popular event, with the annual Scottish road races—Kirkcaldy being a pioneer in this field as the first place in Scotland to stage this—taking place in the Beveridge Park from 1948 until 1988 where they have since moved to Knockhill racing circuit in Dunfermline following health and safety concerns. A local club known as the KDMC (Kirkcaldy and District Motor Club) dedicated to preserve the legacy of the town's sport are still going strong. The town's leisure facilities include a variety of public parks most notably Ravenscraig and Beveridge, an ice rink and two golf courses—Kirkcaldy (private) and Dunnikier (municipal). The latter being built in 1963 as a response to the loss of Dysart golf course.There has also been pressure to replace the town's aging swimming pool, which has been met with controversy. The local sports council believes that funding should be directed towards building a new multi-sports centre instead, in order to improve the condition of the town's leisure facilities.
Media
The town's local newspaper The Fife Free Press operated by the Fife Free Press group (who are based in the town and also own the Glenrothes Gazette and East Fife Mail) is published every Thursday.
The Courier and advertiser, a daily newspaper operated by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd, also serves the Kirkcaldy area with their Fife edition.
The three local radio stations that serve the town are Kingdom FM, Forth one and Forth two. Kingdom FM operates on 95.2 and 96.1 MHz. This station broadcasts from the former Haig factory in the village of Markinch located immediately east of Glenrothes and operates as a local radio network. Forth One broadcasts from Edinburgh and covers the south Fife area, including Kirkcaldy. It operates on a wave length of 97.3 MHz(FM). Forth 2 sister station to Forth One operates on a wave length of 1548 kHz (Medium Wave).
Education
There are four secondary schools and twelve primary schools along with a private school and a school for children with learning difficulties in the town. Of these, Roman Catholic pupils are accommodated by St Maries' Primary School and St Andrew's High School - one of two catholic secondaries in Fife - catering for pupils living in the eastern half of Fife from Cupar to Burntisland. Educational performances at both standard grade and higher levels are higher than the national average in Scotland. Between 2005 and 2007, 90% of pupils attending the town's schools achieved five or more standard grades passes between 1-4 and 60% of those achieving five or more higher passes between A-C. In 2007, the average number of students in the town staying on to continue their further or higher education is 58%, 2% above the national average at 56%.
The oldest of the four secondary schools is Kirkcaldy High School, which was established initially as a burgh school in 1582, before the present name was adopted in 1872. The school premises were located in St Brycedale Avenue until they moved to a new site on the north side of the town in 1958. Famous pupils to attend the school include Gordon Brown. The other major secondary in the town is Balwearie which has recently been acknowledged as one of Scotland's best performing Schools. The school which began life as a junior secondary in 1964, now contains the largest intake of the four with 1550 pupils serving the western side of Kirkcaldy along with neighbouring Burntisland and Kinghorn. Another former junior secondary, Viewforth serves the eastern end of the town including Dysart.
Adam Smith College, Scotland's third largest college, was formed from the merger of Glenrothes College and Fife College of further and higher education in 2005. The college has three campuses in the town - St Brycedale, Priory and Mitchleson (known as the Fife Institute of Technology). The college is known for having partnerships with community organisations, often working with Fife Council and recently has forged a deal with the University of Abertay, Dundee for students to be given the chance to do university courses for degrees, within the vicinity of the college grounds, for the first time.
Transport
Kirkcaldy is served by the A910 road which connects the A92 with Dunfermline to the west and Glenrothes and Dundee to the north. The main route through the town, Chapel Level and Dunnikier Way (B981) runs from Chapel Junction in the west to Redhouse Roundabout in the east where this meets the A92 and joins up with the A915, A955 and A921. The A915 known locally as the Standing Stane Road connects the town to St Andrews and Leven to the north-east and the A921 to Kinghorn, Burntisland and Aberdour via St Clair Street and The Esplanade to the south-west. The A955 also connects the town to Dysart and East Wemyss to the south-east.
The main bus terminus is located on a site to the north of the town centre which provides twelve stances as well as seating, toilets, a cafe and a hairdresser. A railway station can also be found to the north-west of the town centre which is on the route for Fife Circle Line and National Express East Coast.
The station has half-hour services to both Dundee and Edinburgh Waverley.
Other services run from locations such as Perth, Aberdeen and Inverness to the north and Newcastle Central, York, London King's Cross south of the border. Nearby stations such as Burntisland and Kinghorn exist to the west of the town. The nearest major international airport is Edinburgh airport with the nearest ferry sea port at Rosyth being and , respectively.
Bibliography
Further reading
Town rivalry, Kirkcaldy vs Glenrothes
Economy and employment
External links
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