Kinghorn
Encyclopedia
Kinghorn is a town in Fife
, Scotland
. A seaside resort
with two beaches, Kinghorn Beach and Pettycur Bay, plus a fishing port, it stands on the north shore of the Firth of Forth
opposite Edinburgh
. According to the 2008 population estimate, the town has a population of 2,930.
Known as the place where King Alexander III of Scotland
died, it lies on the A921 road
and the Fife Coastal Path
. Kinghorn railway station
is on the Edinburgh to Aberdeen
and Fife Circle
railway lines. Kinghorn only has a primary school so high school pupils must travel by bus to Balwearie High School
in Kirkcaldy
.
The town's lifeboat station is one of Scotland's
busiest - regularly getting called out to all sorts of emergencies in the Firth. Currently stationed at Kinghorn is an Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat B-836 "Tommy Niven".
The historic former Royal Burgh
of Kinghorn lies on the coastline of the Kingdom of Fife. The former castle in Kinghorn was frequently visited by the Scottish Court in the period of the House of Dunkeld. The King's castle, controlling the sea way, stood on the headland above Pettycur. A later structure, Glamis Tower, stood just behind the High Street. Both buildings have totally disappeared and the sites built over in modern times.
It was because of King Alexander III
wanting to return to Kinghorn to see his new wife that he fell on the horseride from Burntisland and was found dead on the beach of Pettycur bay.
The castle remained an important possession of the Scottish crown, and this was recognised by the creation of the Earldom of Kinghorne
in 1606.
A burn fed from the freshwater Kinghorn Loch
above the town once provided the town with its water and subsequently provided the source of power to drive the machinery of flax mills.
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.
Following the opening of the Forth Railway Bridge in 1890,the North British Railway
started to promote Kinghorn's picturesque sheltered bay and beach as a resort
which led to considerable development of the town.
. The school has a long history dating back to Victorian times and the original premises are now a library and community centre. The school have currently achieved three of the four "green flags" available under the Eco-Schools
scheme, with the third flag being achieved on the 27 May 2009.
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 90's the numbers have increased significantly, as did the quality of the top end of the field, with winners including Bobby Quinn and Terry Mitchell. The new millennium has witnessed domination by 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.
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. A seaside resort
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
with two beaches, Kinghorn Beach and Pettycur Bay, plus a fishing port, it stands on the north shore of the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
opposite Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. According to the 2008 population estimate, the town has a population of 2,930.
Known as the place where King Alexander III of Scotland
Alexander III of Scotland
Alexander III was King of Scots from 1249 to his death.-Life:...
died, it lies on the A921 road
A921 road
The A921 road is a road that connects Kirkcaldy with the M90 motorway....
and the Fife Coastal Path
Fife Coastal Path
The Fife Coastal Path is a Scottish long distance footpath that runs from North Queensferry to Newport-on-Tay, near the Tay Bridge. The path was created in 2002 and runs for 82 miles along the coastline of Fife...
. Kinghorn railway station
Kinghorn railway station
Kinghorn railway station is a railway station in the town of Kinghorn, Fife, Scotland. The station is managed by First ScotRail and is on the Fife Circle Line 37 km north east of Edinburgh Waverley.-Service:...
is on the Edinburgh to Aberdeen
Edinburgh to Aberdeen Line
The Edinburgh to Aberdeen Line is a railway line linking Edinburgh with Aberdeen via the Forth Bridge, the Tay Bridge and Dundee. Also it serves as an extension to the East Coast Main Line and the Cross Country Route...
and Fife Circle
Fife Circle Line
The Fife Circle is the local rail service north from Edinburgh. It links all the towns of south Fife and the coastal towns along the Firth of Forth before heading to Edinburgh.-Service:...
railway lines. Kinghorn only has a primary school so high school pupils must travel by bus to Balwearie High School
Balwearie High School
Balwearie High School is a non-denominational comprehensive secondary school at the west end of Kirkcaldy in Scotland. Balwearie serves around 1750 pupils aged from 12 to 18 and includes a Department of Additional Support for children with Additional Support Needs.-Rector:The school opened in 1964...
in Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...
.
The town's lifeboat station is one of Scotland's
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
busiest - regularly getting called out to all sorts of emergencies in the Firth. Currently stationed at Kinghorn is an Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat B-836 "Tommy Niven".
History
The meaning of the name Kinghorn (or Kin-gorn derives from the Gaelic ceann gronn, 'head of the bog'.The historic former Royal Burgh
Royal burgh
A royal burgh was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished in 1975, the term is still used in many of the former burghs....
of Kinghorn lies on the coastline of the Kingdom of Fife. The former castle in Kinghorn was frequently visited by the Scottish Court in the period of the House of Dunkeld. The King's castle, controlling the sea way, stood on the headland above Pettycur. A later structure, Glamis Tower, stood just behind the High Street. Both buildings have totally disappeared and the sites built over in modern times.
It was because of King Alexander III
Alexander III of Scotland
Alexander III was King of Scots from 1249 to his death.-Life:...
wanting to return to Kinghorn to see his new wife that he fell on the horseride from Burntisland and was found dead on the beach of Pettycur bay.
The castle remained an important possession of the Scottish crown, and this was recognised by the creation of the Earldom of Kinghorne
Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
The title Earl of Kinghorne was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1606 for Patrick Lyon. In 1677, the designation of the earldom changed to "Strathmore and Kinghorne". A second Earldom was bestowed on the fourteenth Earl in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1937, the title being Strathmore...
in 1606.
A burn fed from the freshwater Kinghorn Loch
Loch
Loch is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for a lake or a sea inlet. It has been anglicised as lough, although this is pronounced the same way as loch. Some lochs could also be called a firth, fjord, estuary, strait or bay...
above the town once provided the town with its water and subsequently provided the source of power to drive the machinery of flax mills.
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
Edinburgh and Northern Railway
The Edinburgh and Northern Railway was a Scottish railway company. It was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1845. It operated services between Burntisland, on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth, Perth and Tayport, with a junction at Ladybank...
which had its terminus at Burntisland
Burntisland
Burntisland is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland on the Firth of Forth. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town has a population of 5,940....
for ferries across the Forth to Granton
Granton
-Places:Australia* Granton, TasmaniaCanada* Granton, Nova ScotiaScotland* Granton, EdinburghUnited States* Granton, Wisconsin...
. Much of the former horse ferry traffic from Pettycur bay was lost to Burntisland.
Following the opening of the Forth Railway Bridge in 1890,the North British Railway
North British Railway
The North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923.-History:...
started to promote Kinghorn's picturesque sheltered bay and beach as a resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
which led to considerable development of the town.
Education
Kinghorn Primary School is the only school in Kinghorn. The school is now housed in a modern building built in 1986 with views across the Firth of ForthFirth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
. The school has a long history dating back to Victorian times and the original premises are now a library and community centre. The school have currently achieved three of the four "green flags" available under the Eco-Schools
Eco-Schools
Eco-Schools is an international program of environmental and sustainable developmental education for schools. Foundation for Environmental Education is the founder of the programme and Eco-Schools is just one out of their five programmes....
scheme, with the third flag being achieved on the 27 May 2009.
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 each year in Kinghorn since 1987. Its distinguishing feature is the loop around the Black Rocks, over a mile from the shore, and largely under water except at low tide. The race is held on a suitable Friday in May or June, when the tide is out and the water is no more than knee deep. Over these past 19 years it has changed from a simple race, into a full-blown social night on Kinghorn's calendar. There is also a shorter Midi Black Rock Race.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 90's the numbers have increased significantly, as did the quality of the top end of the field, with winners including Bobby Quinn and Terry Mitchell. The new millennium has witnessed domination by 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.
External links
- http://www.kinghorn.org.uk/ Kinghorn lifeboat's main website
- Official Black Rock race website
- Old and New Kinghorn pictures on Fife Family History website
- http://www.alexandercarrick.webeden.co.uk/#/kinghorn/4518164935/ Link to website of Alexander CarrickAlexander CarrickAlexander Carrick 1882–1966 was one of Scotland’s leading monumental sculptors of the early part of the 20th century. He was responsible for many architectural and ecclesiastical works as well as many war memorials executed in the period following World War I...
, sculptor of the war memorial