Kinross
Encyclopedia
Kinross is a burgh
in Perth and Kinross
, Scotland
. It was formerly the county town of Kinross-shire
.
Kinross is a fairly small town, with some attractive buildings. The site of the original parish church and churchyard are located down a small wynd
overlooking Loch Leven
, a little away from the town.
The town was originally linked by railway to Perthshire
, Fife
and Clackmannanshire
. However, one by one, these rail links were lost, leaving the town isolated to an extent. Recently, Kinross has expanded somewhat, especially since the construction of the M90 motorway
, which bypasses the town. The burgh is attractively located on the shores of Loch Leven
, and there are boat trips around the loch
and to Loch Leven Castle
.
The annual T in the Park
music festival is held nearby, at the former Balado
airfield. Balado is also the locale of a now inactive NATO ICBM early warning radar
and during the Second World War there was an airstrip and barracks
.
There are roughly 4000-5000 people living in Kinross. The vast majority of children living in Kinross will attend Kinross High School
, with the others also possibly attending local private school
s such as Dollar Academy
.
Kinross was also the home of Flight Sergeant George Thompson
whose posthumous Victoria Cross in 1945 is often cited as the best merited of the entire air war. He was the wireless operator in a Lancaster of No. 9 Squadron on a dawn raid against the Dortmund-Ems Canal when the plane was struck by a salvo of two 88mm shells.
Kinross offers many opportunities for getting out and being active, offering great opportunities for walking and cycling in the local area. A recently developed path called the Loch Leven Trails has been developed which offers 12.5km of walking and cycling heritage trail around the shoreline of Loch Leven. It begins at RSPB Vane Farm Nature Reserve via Findatie to Kinross Pier/Kirkgate Park. The local leisure centre in Kinross - Loch Leven Leisure also opportunities for all ages and abilities to stay active all year round.
Kinross also has an amateur football team who currently play in the Fife Kingdom Caledonian Football League
.
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
in Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre...
, 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...
. It was formerly the county town of Kinross-shire
Kinross-shire
Kinross-shire or the County of Kinross is a registration county, electoral ward and historic county in the Perth and Kinross council area in the east central Lowlands of Scotland...
.
Kinross is a fairly small town, with some attractive buildings. The site of the original parish church and churchyard are located down a small wynd
Alley
An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane found in urban areas, often for pedestrians only, which usually runs between or behind buildings. In older cities and towns in Europe, alleys are often what is left of a medieval street network, or a right of way or ancient footpath in an urban setting...
overlooking Loch Leven
Loch Leven
Loch Leven is a fresh water loch in Perth and Kinross council area, central Scotland.Roughly triangular, the loch is about 6 km at its longest. The burgh of Kinross lies at its western end. Loch Leven Castle lies on an island a short way offshore...
, a little away from the town.
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
, Fife
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...
and Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'....
. However, one by one, these rail links were lost, leaving the town isolated to an extent. Recently, Kinross has expanded somewhat, especially since the construction of the M90 motorway
M90 motorway
The M90 is a motorway in Scotland. It runs from Inverkeithing, at the north end of the Forth Road Bridge, to Perth, passing Dunfermline, Cowdenbeath and Kinross on the way...
, which bypasses the town. The burgh is attractively located on the shores of Loch Leven
Loch Leven
Loch Leven is a fresh water loch in Perth and Kinross council area, central Scotland.Roughly triangular, the loch is about 6 km at its longest. The burgh of Kinross lies at its western end. Loch Leven Castle lies on an island a short way offshore...
, and there are boat trips around the 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...
and to Loch Leven Castle
Loch Leven Castle
Loch Leven Castle is a ruined castle on an island in Loch Leven, in the Perth and Kinross local authority area of Scotland. Possibly built around 1300, the castle was the location military action during the Wars of Scottish Independence...
.
The annual T in the Park
T in the Park
T in the Park is a major British music festival that has been held annually since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents. It was originally held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire but since 1997 has been held at a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire...
music festival is held nearby, at the former Balado
Balado
Balado is a park and former airfield within the Perth and Kinross council area of Scotland. It is now the venue of the annual T in the Park music festival.Poultry sheds of Balado Poultry Farm now occupy the old concrete runways of the airfield...
airfield. Balado is also the locale of a now inactive NATO ICBM early warning radar
Early warning radar
An early warning radar is any radar system used primarily for the long-range detection of its targets, i.e., allowing defences to be alerted as early as possible before the intruder reaches its target, giving the defences the maximum time in which to operate...
and during the Second World War there was an airstrip and barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
.
There are roughly 4000-5000 people living in Kinross. The vast majority of children living in Kinross will attend Kinross High School
Kinross High School
Kinross High School is a state school in Kinross, Scotland. It is located adjacent to the leisure centre, and is part of Loch Leven Community Campus. Currently the school has about 1107 pupils enrolled...
, with the others also possibly attending local private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
s such as Dollar Academy
Dollar Academy
Dollar Academy was founded in 1818, which makes it the oldest co-educational day and boarding school in the world. The open campus occupies a site in the centre of the thriving town of Dollar in Central Scotland, less than 40 minutes drive from the two main Scottish cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh...
.
Kinross was also the home of Flight Sergeant George Thompson
George Thompson (VC)
George Thompson VC was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Biography:...
whose posthumous Victoria Cross in 1945 is often cited as the best merited of the entire air war. He was the wireless operator in a Lancaster of No. 9 Squadron on a dawn raid against the Dortmund-Ems Canal when the plane was struck by a salvo of two 88mm shells.
Kinross offers many opportunities for getting out and being active, offering great opportunities for walking and cycling in the local area. A recently developed path called the Loch Leven Trails has been developed which offers 12.5km of walking and cycling heritage trail around the shoreline of Loch Leven. It begins at RSPB Vane Farm Nature Reserve via Findatie to Kinross Pier/Kirkgate Park. The local leisure centre in Kinross - Loch Leven Leisure also opportunities for all ages and abilities to stay active all year round.
Kinross also has an amateur football team who currently play in the Fife Kingdom Caledonian Football League
Kingdom Caledonian Football League
The Kingdom Caledonian Football League is a football league competition for amateur clubs in Fife, Scotland. The league was formed in 1984 and is fully affiliated with the Scottish Amateur Football Association.-League Members:...
.