Visit Kirkcaldy Places

Welcome to Visit Kirkcaldy Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Kirkcaldy

  

Kirkcaldy Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Kirkcaldy

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Kirkcaldy history

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Toponymy

Kirkcaldy is derived from Pictish *caer meaning “fort”, *caled, which is Pictish “hard” or a personal name, and -in, a suffix meaning “place of” Caled may describe the fort itself or be an epithet for a local ruler. The Old Statistical Account gives a derivation from culdee.

Early

11 Bronze Age cist burials which date from 2500 BC and 500 BC have been found. Four Bronze Age burials dating from around 4000 BC have also been found around the site of the unmarked Bogely or Dysart Standing Stone. The Battle of Raith in AD 596 was once believed to have taken place to the west of the town’s site but the theory no longer holds support.

Medieval

The first document to recognise the town was issued in 1075, when the King of Scots, Malcolm III granted the shire of Kirkcaladunt to the church at Dunfermline. The residents were expected to pay dues and taxes for the church’s general upkeep. A charter granted in 1363 by David II awarded the burgh the right to trade across the regality of Dunfermline. By 1451, Kirkcaldy was awarded feu-ferme status.

16th to 18th centuries

At the beginning of the 16th century, Kirkcaldy became an important trading port. The town took advantage of its east coast location, which facilitated trading contacts with the Low Countries, the Baltic region, England, and Northern France. A charter issued by Charles I granting royal burgh status in 1644 resulted in the end of the Abbey’s jurisdiction over the town. In 1638, under the reign of Charles I, the town subscribed to the National Covenant, which opposed the introduction of episcopacy and patronage in the Presbyterian church. By 1660, there were only 12 registered ships, down from 100 recorded between 1640 and 1644.

Modern

Kirkcaldy is an important centre for the surrounding areas, with a Museum and Art Gallery, three public parks and shopping facilities. For most of the 19th century, the main industries in the town were flax spinning and linen weaving. In 1847 a canvas manufacturer, Michael Nairn, took out a licence on Frederick Walton’s patent for the production of floorcloth, and opened a factory in nearby Pathhead. A further expansion of the harbour was completed between 1906 and 1908, for another increase in linoleum and coal. In 1930, the town expanded to include the former royal burgh of Dysart under an act of Parliament when its own town council became bankrupt.

Kirkcaldy culture & places

Kirkcaldy Galleries is home to the town’s museum and art gallery and central library. The Adam Smith Theatre, the main auditorium, is currently being redeveloped to become the biggest venue in Fife. The Links Market was originally a farmers market on Links Street, before moving to its present site in 1903.

Kirkcaldy landmarks

The oldest church in Kirkcaldy is the Old Kirk, the old parish church, on Kirk Wynd. The earliest mention of the Old Kirk is the record of its consecration in 1244 to St Brisse and St Patrick by David de Bernham, Bishop of St Andrews. The building’s deterioration in the late 18th century was addressed by major renovations to the main body of the church between 1807 and 1808. Only the square western tower, which dates from around 1500, was retained and is now the oldest building to have survived within the old burgh. In 2000 the Old Kirk was amalgamated with St Brycedale Church and was closed for public worship in 2008. It has since been re-opened by the Old Kirk Trust and is used for musical and dramatic performances. Other significant churches in the town include St Bryce Kirk built between 1877 and 1881 by James Matthews at the corner of St Brycedale Avenue and Kirk Wynd; Abbotshall Parish Church on Abbotshall Road, the current building completed in 1788 and Linktown Church built in 1830-1 by George Hay on Bethlefield Place. Kirkcaldy Town House on Wemyssfield is the centrepiece of the town’s main civic square. The building was designed in the late 1930s by David Carr and William Howard of Edinburgh. With the advent of World War II, work was delayed on the building until 1950. Construction was split into two phases: the west wing, which was completed in 1953, and the east wing, completed in 1956. Kirkcaldy War Memorial in War Memorial Gardens unveiled in 1925 was gifted to the town by John Nairn, linoleum manufacturer and grandson of Michael Nairn. This was dedicated to Ian Nairn, the son of John Nairn who died in the First World War. A Second World War memorial, designed by Thomas Hubbard, was later added and unveiled in 1958. The memorial commemorates the lives of 1,012 people from the First World War and 452 from the Second World War. Forming a centre piece to these gardens is Kirkcaldy Galleries, formerly known as Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery, which was also donated by Nairn. In the north-east are two homes of early wealthy merchants and shipowners connected with Kirkcaldy’s harbour. The Merchant’s House or Law’s Close at 339–343 High Street; once owned by the Law family, is one of the best surviving examples of a 16th century town house in Scotland. Sailors’ Walk, at 443–449 High Street; consists of two 17th century houses, resting on foundations dating back to around 1460. These two houses were once divided into four dwellings; three of which were owned by the Oliphant family and the fourth by James Ferguson of Raith. North of the harbour area, on The Path, are two examples of distinctive architectural styles. Hutchison’s House was designed by George Spears, the owner of the nearby East Bridge distillery, in 1793. Path House, originally known as Dunnikier House, is a three-storey L-plan tower house designed by John Watson in 1692 for his bride, Euphan Orrock. In 1703 Watson sold the house to the Oswald family, who had important links with the town. Two large stately homes also exist within the town. To the north of Kirkcaldy is Dunnikier House, built in the late 18th century as a seat for the Oswald family, replacing their previous residence at Path House. To the south-west of Kirkcaldy is Raith House, built in the late 17th century by Sir Alexander Raith, 4th Earl of Raith and Melville, for his wife, Barbara Dundas. The house remains a private residence of the Munro-Ferguson family. To the east of the town are the ruins of Ravenscraig Castle on a rocky spit of land extending into the Firth of Forth. King James II began construction of the castle in 1460 for his queen, Mary of Guelders. It was also a means of defending the upper reaches of the Forth, including the port of Dysart. To a lesser extent it protected the harbour of Kirkcaldy against piracy and English rivalry. Ravenscraig is one of the earliest British castles designed to defend against and use artillery, an innovation demonstrated by the massive walls, the regularly placed shot holes, and the deep rock-cut ditch. Following the death of the King at the siege of Roxburgh Castle (1460), work continued on Ravenscraig, and it became a home for Mary of Gueldres until her death in 1463. In 1470 King James III granted the castle and lands to William Sinclair, Earl of Orkney and Caithness, in exchange for the castle in Kirkwall and the right to the Earldom of Orkney.

Kirkcaldy geography / climate

Kirkcaldy lies 9.3 miles (15 km) south-southeast of Glenrothes, 11.8 miles (19 km) east-northeast of Dunfermline, 44.4 miles (71 km) west-southwest of Dundee. The town adopted its nickname of the lang toun from the 0.9-mile (1.4 km) single street, recorded on early maps of the 16th and 17th centuries. The linear market was important not only to the town itself but to the nearby hinterland.

You can visit Kirkcaldy places with Walkfo Kirkcaldy to hear history at Kirkcaldy’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Kirkcaldy has 16 places to visit in our interactive Kirkcaldy map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Kirkcaldy, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Kirkcaldy places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Kirkcaldy & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 16 audio facts unique to Kirkcaldy places in an interactive Kirkcaldy map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Kirkcaldy Places Map
16 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Kirkcaldy historic spots	Kirkcaldy tourist destinations	Kirkcaldy plaques	Kirkcaldy geographic features
Walkfo Kirkcaldy tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Kirkcaldy

  

Best Kirkcaldy places to visit

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Kirkcaldy has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Kirkcaldy’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Kirkcaldy’s information audio spots:

Kirkcaldy Town House Kirkcaldy Town House is a Scandinavian influenced town hall in Fife, Scotland. The current town house was begun in 1937, from a competition-winning design by architects David Carr and William Howard of Edinburgh. The building was completed in two separate phases between 1953 and 1956.

Kirkcaldy RFC Kirkcaldy Rugby Football Club plays rugby union in Scottish National League Division Two. The womens side currently plays in Scottish Womens Midlands & East One.

Path House, Kirkcaldy Path House, formerly known as Dunnikier House, is a manor house in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. It was listed by Historic Environment Scotland in 1971 as a Category A listed building.

Ravenscraig Castle Ravenscraig Castle is a ruined castle located in Kirkcaldy which dates from around 1460. The castle is an early example of artillery defence in Scotland.

Fife Ice Arena Fife Ice Arena (originally known as Kirkcaldy Ice Rink) opened in 1938. The one-storey building contained seating for 4,500 and cost £37,000 to construct. The building was to have a carcass of steel stanchions and a roof span of 145 feet without any supporting pillars except those at the extremities.

Visit Kirkcaldy plaques