The town of Kirkcaldy is a former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It is north of Edinburgh and south-southeast of Dundee.
With a population of about 50,000, it is the second-largest settlement in Fife and the twelfth most populous settlement in Scotland.
The discovery of Bronze Age burials dating from 2500 BC and 500 BC suggests that the area was a funerary site during this period. Although there are a few Roman sites in Fife, a Roman camp was known to exist on the town's outskirts.
The first documented acknowledgement of the town was in 1075, when the Malcolm III, King of Scots, granted the shire of Kirkcaldunt to the church at Dunfermline. Residents were expected to pay taxes for the church's upkeep. Two charters, in 1128 and 1130, refer to Kircalethin and Kirkcaladunit respectively, although their locations were not given.
In 1304, a weekly market and annual fair was proposed by the Abbot of Dunfermline to King Edward I, during a period of English rule. During these discussions, the town was referred to as "one of the most ancient of burghs."
During the late 14th century, David II requested a regality charter for Kirkcaldy, and, by the middle of the 15th century, the town gained independence from the abbey.
Unlike most Scottish towns, Kirkcaldy had no defensive stone walls. Rather, its inhabitants depended on the sea for protection. The construction of Ravenscraig Castle, around 1460, lowered its vulnerability, as it was accompanied by small walls or dykes built on rigs west of High Street. Most of the dykes includes small gates for the convenience of the town crofts and burgesses, and three main gates became the entry points to the burgh; they were located at East Port, West Port, and near the Old Kirk on Kirk Wynd.
The town was accessible through a sheltered cove around the East Burn, and this became known as Kircaldy Harbour. A local shipping trade grew here by the early 16th century, as local ships were trading with the Baltic. Later, a shipbuilding trade developed, although it operated for only a short time.
Kirkcaldy became part of the Convention of Royal Burghs in 1574, and Charles I renewed its status as a royal burgh in 1644.
More than two hundred and fifty Kirkcaldy men were killed because of local support for the Covenanting War of 1644-65, and shortly afterwards, Oliver Cromwell's troops nearly destroyed the town. Kirkcaldy was also affected by the Jacobite rebellions in 1715 and again in 1745.
Kirkcaldy's shipbuilding industry was resurrected for a time near the end of the 18th century, and the town also hosted a leather making industry, a brick and tile works, a cotton spinning mill, and linen factories.
When the Industrial Revolution made its way to Kirkcaldy in the early 19th century, the Kirkcaldy and District Railway (North British Railway) boosted industrial development, and revived the town's port, as the harbour was used for the import of flax, timber, and hemp, as well as exports of coal, salt, and linen. Iron foundries were opened in Kirkcaldy, and its linen mills specialised in the coarse material used as sailcloth. Linoleum was introduced by the Scottish Linoleium Company, which later became Barry, Ostlere and Shepherd. Other industries included carpets, coal, flour, furniture, malt, pottery, printing, and electrical engineering.
Following World War II, Kirkcaldy entered a period of rapid residential and private housing construction to meet a rising housing crisis. New developments were built to the north west, and areas like Sinclairtown and Linktown saw a great deal of redevelopment from the 1950s to the 1980s. Several school were built to address the town's rising population and post-war births.
Growth slowed somewhat in the 1970s and 1980s, as the town's linoleum industries declined, although some linoleium manufacture continues today. Kirkcaldy Harbour was closed to main traffic in 1992.
Today, Kirkcaldy remains a busy town with a modern school system, two campuses of Adam Smith College, and flourishing shopping areas in the town centre and Sinclairtown. A business and retail park opened to the north west of the town centre recently, and additional housing developments have taken place in Seafield, Chapel, and the harbour areas.
Topics related to the town of Kirkcaldy, Scotland are the focus of this portion of our web guide.
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Operated by Robert Urquhart, an archivist and palaeographer, the small business in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland offers transcription services, wills and testaments, and other manuscript records, as well as palaeography coaching, talks and training events, and family research services. An overview of the business is provided, and selected publications are highlighted. A guide to Scottish wills and testaments may be downloaded in PDF format, and an email address is provided.
https://www.abbotshall.net/
The non-denominational comprehensive secondary school is situated at the west end of Kirkcaldy, Scotland. Serving around 1,500 students aged from 11 to 18, the school was established as a junior secondary school in 1964, and became a comprehensive school in 1972. Its curriculum is highlighted on the site, and its address, map, telephone number, and email address are provided. School life resources and programmes, educational subjects, and a school handbook are provided.
https://www.balweariehigh.co.uk/
The Kirkcaldy, Scotland retail park is home to a variety of shopping venues, which are highlighted here, along with directions, opening hours, and a list and a map of the retail parks, showing its shops. An email address and online contact form are provided for those who would like additional information. Privacy policies are stated on the site, detailing what personal information is processed through the site, how it is used, and additional data and contacts.
https://fifecentralretailpark.com/
The Fife Council is the local authority for the Fife region of Scotland. The largest Scottish council by population, covering the same area as the historic county of Fife, a peninsula bounded by the Firth of Tay, the North Sea, and the Firth of Forth. The Council is headquartered in Kirkcaldy, and is made up of seventy-five elected members. Public notices, announcements, and contacts are posted, and an overview of its services and facilities is included.
https://www.fife.gov.uk/
A Young or Young Adult Carer is a child or young person whose life has been affected by looking after a family member with a long-term or terminal illness, mental illness, physical disability, learning disability, or drug or alcohol use. Headquartered in Kirkcaldy, Fife Young Carers offers fortnightly or monthly respite group sessions allowing them a break from their caring role with other young people facing similar circumstances. The team is introduced, and contacts are provided.
https://www.fifeyoungcarers.co.uk/
With offices in Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes, and Leven employs a team of solicitors supported by accredited paralegals and other support staff, offering a variety of personal, business, and property services, which are detailed here. Its property services include sales, properties to let, property management, and tenant emergencies, which are also described here. Prices are noted on the site, and career opportunities, contacts, and informational articles are included.
https://www.innesjohnston.co.uk/
With a capacity of up to 110 people in its largest room, The Kings in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland includes a bar, lounge, and various rooms available for hire. The facility showcases local and national live music, theatre, comedy, cabaret, cinema, classes, and other events. Tickets may be booked online. Several photographs are posted on the site, along with current and upcoming productions, live events, and shows. An introduction to the cast for current live productions is presented.
https://www.kingstheatrekirkcaldy.com/
Located on Overton Road in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, St. Andrew's is a Roman Catholic high school that enrolls students in grades S1 to S6, which are equivalent to grades 7 to 12 in the U.S. system. Its location, schedules, admissions and transitions policies, bus timetables, school policies, curriculum, and a prospectus are set forth. School uniform policies, catering services, homework, and parent council are discussed, and an online enquiry form is available.
https://www.standrewsrchs.org.uk/
Opened in 1908, the secondary school is in East Kirkcaldy, Scotland. Its address, telephone number, email address, and social media links are published on the site, along with news and announcements, a school calendar, curriculum data, course options, term dates, and uniform policies. Digital resources available to students are discussed, and may be accessed through the site, and its departments, student policies, parent information, and a gallery of photographs are included.
https://viewforthhighschool.co.uk/
Situated in the coastal town of Kirkcaldy, Scotland, the family-owned and operated business opened in 1987, and was completely refurbished in 2020. It is located less than a half mile from the Kirkcaldy Train Station and just over a half mile from the Kirkcaldy Bus Station. The facility offers single, double, triple, and quadruple rooms. Descriptions, a gallery of photographs, promotional offers, and contacts are provided on the site, and rooms may be booked online.
https://www.thewindsorhotelkirkcaldy.com/
