Kinghorn
Kinghorn
| |
---|---|
A view across Kinghorn harbour | |
Location within Fife | |
Population | 2,940 (mid-2020 est.)[1] |
OS grid reference | NT271869 |
Council area | |
Lieutenancy area | |
Country | Scotland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Burntisland |
Postcode district | KY3 |
Dialling code | 01592 |
Police | Scotland |
Fire | Scottish |
Ambulance | Scottish |
UK Parliament | |
Scottish Parliament | |
Kinghorn (
Known as the place where King
The town's
The civil parish has a population of 4,201 (in 2011).[3]
Burntisland was in the past referred to as Little Kinghorn or Wester Kinghorn.[4]
History
The meaning of the name Kinghorn (or Kingorn
The historic
A later structure, Glamis Tower (or Glamis Castle), stood just behind the High Street.
During the
In October 1589 the minister of Kinghorn parish, John Scrimgeour, was chosen by King James VI to accompany him on his voyage to meet his bride, Anne of Denmark, in Norway.[9]
A
The old town was dramatically transformed in 1846 by the construction of the railway viaduct across the valley of the burn and the opening of Kinghorn Station by the Edinburgh and Northern Railway which had its terminus at Burntisland for ferries across the Forth to Granton. Much of the former horse ferry traffic from Pettycur Bay was lost to Burntisland. The huge viaduct (mainly solid) splits the original town in two and totally dominates the lower (southern) section.
Following the opening of the
Buildings of Note
- Kinghorn Town Hall by Thomas Hamilton 1830.
- Kinghorn Parish Church (1774) with a dramatic tower added in 1895 by Sydney Mitchell
- Kinghorn War memorial (1923) designed by William Williamson of Kirkcaldy and sculpted by Alexander Carrick
The town contains a number of 18th-century houses in the Scots vernacular style, but the integrity of the streetscapes are seriously compromised by the "town planning" of the 1960s and 70s, which failed to respect the original character and form.
Ministers
- William Gardine Dobie VD, served 1887–1907
- Alexander Hannay McIlwraith, served 1908–1926
- John Heriot Ballingall, served the Free Church 1845 to 1879[10]
Provosts
- John Sim served 1899 to 1908 – manager of Kinghorn Gas Works[11]
Notable people
- FRSE, military scientist[12]
- John McAulay, recipient of the Victoria Cross
- Jimmy Frew, footballer
- George Sanders, Scottish portrait painter
- Christina Robertson, portrait painter in the UK and Russia[13]
- John Scrimgeour, minister put under house arrest for not requiring his congregation to take the knee for Holy Communion
- Sharon Small, actress
- Professor Neil Campbell, chemist
Education
Kinghorn Primary School is the only school in Kinghorn.[14] The school is housed in a building that was built in 1986. The school has currently achieved three of the four "green flags" available under the Eco-Schools scheme, with the third flag being achieved on 27 May 2009.[15] The school has a long history. The original Parish School building of 1823 designed by Thomas Hamilton is now a library and community centre that retains the original octagonal Museum vestibule with replicas of the Elgin Marbles.[16]
Culture and sport
An annual attraction is the Black Rock '5' Race, commonly referred to as the "Black Rock '5'" or the "Black Rock Race", is a road and beach running race of about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) that has been held in Kinghorn each year since 1987. Its distinguishing feature is the loop around the Black Rocks, over a mile from the shore, and largely under water except at
The inaugural Black Rock '5', held in 1987, was won by Gifford Kerr, ahead of 66 other finishers; a very small field by today's standards - in 2005 there were over 600 participants, of a wide variety of abilities. The race has been staged every year since 1987, apart from 1991, and throughout the years the numbers have increased significantly, as did the quality of the top end of the field, with recent winners including Neil Renault and Ross Houston.
In the 21st century the race has been dominated by Edinburgh running club Hunters Bog Trotters (HBT) with both Phil Mowbray and Don Naylor having taken the spoils. The course record belongs to Ian Harkness, also of HBT, in a time of 22:03.
See also
Notes
- ^ Kinghorn Castle was located at 56°03′52″N 3°10′30″W / 56.0645°N 3.1751°W
- ^ Glamis Tower was located at 56°04′16″N 3°10′34″W / 56.0712°N 3.1762°W
References
- ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "Mid-2008 Population Estimates" (PDF). National Records of Scotland.
- ^ "Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS101SC – Usually Resident Population, See "Standard Outputs", Table KS101SC, Area type: Civil Parish 1930". National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ^ Fasti Ecclesistae Scotia p.80
- ^ "Gaelic Placenames collected by Iain Mac an Tailleir (2003)" (PDF).
- ISBN 1-900289-77-6.
- ^ Marshall, Rosalind K. (2003). Scottish Queens, 1034-1714. Tuckwell Press. p. 27.
- Groome, F. (1885). "Kinghorn". Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical.
- ^ William King Tweedie, Select Biographies, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1845), p. 308
- ^ Ewings Annals of the Free Church
- ^ "(215) - Scotland > 1882-1915 - Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Scotland > 1903, Part 2 - Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Scotland ... (Royal National Directory of Scotland.) With ... map, etc - Scottish Directories - National Library of Scotland". digital.nls.uk.
- ^ "Biographical Index" (PDF). Royal Society of Edinburgh. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
- ^ V. Remington, ‘Robertson , Christina (1796–1854)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 12 Oct 2015
- ^ "A list of all primary schools in Fife". Fife Council. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
- ^ Kinghorn Primary School, Fife Council website, accessed 19 April 2009
- ^ Public Library and Community Centre (formerly Kinghorn Primary School) British Listed Buildings, accessed 12 February 2016