Pittenweem
Encyclopedia
Pittenweem is a small and secluded fishing village and civil parish
tucked in the corner of Fife
on the east coast of Scotland
. According to the 2006 estimate, the village has a population of 1,600. At the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 1,747.
The name derives from Pictish and Scottish Gaelic. "Pit-" represents Pictish pett 'place, portion of land', and "-enweem" is Gaelic
na h-Uaimh, 'of the Caves' in Gaelic, so "The Place of the Caves". The name is rendered Baile na h-Uaimh in modern Gaelic
, with baile, 'town, settlement', substituted for the Pictish prefix. The cave in question is almost certainly St Fillan's
cave, although there are many indentations along the rocky shores that could have influenced the name.
, being awarded the status by King James V
(1513–42) in 1541. Founded as a fishing village around a probably early Christian religious settlement, it grew along the shoreline from the west where the sheltered beaches provided safe places for fishermen to draw their boats up out of the water.
In due course a breakwater was built, extending out from one of the rocky skerries that jut out south-west into the Firth of Forth
like fingers. This allowed boats to rest at anchor rather than being beached, providing a means for larger vessels to use the port.
A new breakwater further to the east has been developed over the years into a deep, safe harbour with a covered fish market. As the herring
disappeared from local waters and the fishing fleet shrank, this harbour and attendant facilities led Pittenweem to become the main harbour for the fishermen of the East Neuk
of Fife.
The white houses with red roofs shown in the above picture "Pittenweem from the outer harbour wall" illustrate the classic East Neuk building style, influenced by trade with the Low Countries (Belgium and the Netherlands). The East Neuk offered natural trading ports for Dutch and Belgian captains as they sailed up past the east coast of England. These ships brought red pantiles as ballast and the locals soon found them to be excellent roofing material. It is just possible to make out the "crow step [Scots: corbie-steppit] gable", where the gable ends rise in steps rather than the more normal smooth angled line - an architectural feature imported from the Low Countries. These and other vernacular features are common throughout the small town, which has one of Scotland's best-preserved and most attractive townscapes, with many historic buildings (some restored by the National Trust for Scotland
). The 'organic' layout of the town centre, which grew up piecemeal over several centuries, with numerous winding streets and alleys, is one of its particular charms. Few Scottish towns have so well preserved their ancient character.
At the shore end of the outer harbour wall, some of the paving stones have numbers engraved in them. The numbers are now randomly scattered, but once were vital to the smooth operation of the fish market. Before the pier was re-surfaced, the stones were placed in numerical order at the quayside running outwards from the shore. The first fishing boat to return with its catch placed its haul alongside stone number one, the second boat at stone two and so on. When the market opened, the fish was sold in strict order of landing.
In 1779 John Paul Jones
(otherwise known as the founder of the American Navy) anchored half-a-mile off Pittenweem in the USS Bonhomme Richard
. Despite bombarding Anstruther, Jones did not attack Pittenweem, but did make off with the town's pilot who had sailed out to meet Jones' squadron.
There was a feudal Barony of Pittenweem,which became extinct on the death of the last baron in 2011.
in the East Neuk coast of Fife
. Other primary industries are farming, tourism and, recently, arts and crafts.
In former times, Pittenweem had two coal mines, one inland at Easter Grangemuir, the other at Pathhead, on the coast between Pittenweem and St Monans. A spin-off from the Pathhead mine was salt production. Receptacles below the tideline collected water that could be pumped up to salt-pans, the pans then being heated by coal fires fed from the mine to extract the salt. Evidence of the ash produced can still be seen on the coast.
in the neighbouring town of Anstruther
. The nearest private educational institution is St Leonard's School in St Andrews
, or the High School of Dundee
.
was a small Augustinian
monastery linked to that on the Isle of May
and built over the ancient sacred cave associated with St Fillan
. The cave, recently fitted out as a chapel, is situated in Cove Wynd (leading from the High Street down to the harbour) and is open to the public with the key available locally from the Cocoa Tree café. From this rough dwelling St Fillan is said to have converted the local Pictish population. The cave was re-discovered around 1900 when a horse ploughing in the priory garden fell down a hole into it. The cave has flat rocks that are presumed to be 'beds' and a small spring of "holy water" at the rear. St Fillan's Cave was also used as prison for witches during the witch hunts of the 17-18th centuries (see below).
A shrine was dedicated to St Adrian on the Isle of May. It is said that St Adrian's men undertook the first harbour improvements, laying the foundation for the fishing industry
, but no evidence for this currently exists.
The present Church of Scotland parish kirk
is on the site of the priory
church. Much of the fortified east gatehouse of the priory survives (15th century), as does the 'Great House', one of Scotland's best-preserved late medieval houses, which may have served as accommodation for the prior and monks.
As befits a village steeped in the dangerous and uncertain practices of fishing and farming, there are many churches in the village. Current denominations with churches include: Church of Scotland
, Roman Catholic, Episcopalian
and Baptist
. Other denominations have had churches or the equivalent, but these have been converted to other purposes. The "Church of Scotland" Church Hall, for example, was once the "Free Church of Scotland" kirk.
The late 17th to early 18th centuries saw a number of notorious witch-hunt
s by the local minster. The town at this time had become bogged down in debt and this was used as an excuse to seize the assets of some local women in order to alleviate money problems. The Church of Scotland building at the top of the High Street was used as the jail for the poor females and the door to the cells can still be seen. It is the studded door at the bottom of the tower.
The Tolbooth
was home to one of the last and most infamous witchcraft trials in Scotland.
The dark events took place in the year 1704, at a time when the Church elders were the supreme arbiters of power in Scotland, with the country a theocracy in all but name. The tragedy began innocuously enough when a local woman, Beatrix Lang, asked the blacksmith
's apprentice, Patrick Morton, to make her some nails. On being informed that he was busy and would make them later, Beatrix left, muttering under her breath - which the boy took to be the issuing of a curse on him.
Obviously under the power of suggestion of this, Patrick Morton took ill after a few days and stopped eating, which obviously made him worse, but not before he had spoken to the local minister, Patrick Cowper, a man who obviously had his own agenda in this case. Cowper not only encouraged the boy in his claims of witchcraft against Beatrix Lang, but also gave him the names of other villagers encouraging him to denounce them in turn.
The accused were imprisoned in the tolbooth and tortured viciously, with one of their number, Thomas Brown, starving to death in his cell. Beatrix Lang was released with a fine, but chased out of the village by the locals to die in St Andrews soon after, most likely as a result of her ill-treatment.
The zenith of the barbarity of the Pittenweem witch hunt was reached when Janet Cornfoot managed to escape from the tolbooth. She did not however escape from the village, and the locals, her neighbours, dragged her to the beach, where she was beaten, pelted with stones, covered with a door which then had boulders placed on top of it and finally, after death, had a horse and carriage driven back and forth over her body.
Thankfully this was one of the last witch hunts in Scotland, and the grave injustice of this case may be regarded as one of the main catalysts in bringing more enlightened views within the Church of Scotland to the fore.
The village is home to a number of members of the Fence Collective; as well as the Scottish Collection of Art Extraordinary Gallery belonging to The Art Extraordinary Trust. Art Extraordinary (also known as Art Brut or outsider Art) arises from a powerful compulsion to create an inner personal vision.
Pittenweem had the first newspaper in the area - the Pittenweem Register (1844–52?). It caused a great stir in the town when the London daily newspapers contained extracts from the Register's eighth edition.
On the 1st of December 2011 Pittenweem
pharmacy launched a Christmas single which is going to be available on most major online music stores. The song will be sold and proceeds going to selected local charities. The video for the song/advert will be available on Youtube
in the next few days.
) Member of the UK Parliament is Sir Menzies Campbell
CBE QC MP, former leader of the Liberal Democrats
.
The local (representing Fife North East
) Member of the Scottish Parliament
(MSP) is Iain Smith of the Liberal Democrats. It is also represented by the MSPs of the Mid-Scotland and Fife parliamentary region.
Pittenweem is in the East Neuk and Landward ward of Fife council and is represented by a number of members elected by Single Transferable Vote.
From 1885–1983, Pittenweem was part of the East Fife Parliamentary constituency, its most famous MP being Prime Minister
Herbert Asquith
(Liberal) from 1886–1918.
Football - The local team is Pittenweem Rovers AFC
Rugby - The local team is Waid Academy FP RFC
Horse riding - http://www.pittenweemgymkhana.org.uk/ Pittenweem Gymkhana hosts horse and dog shows annually
Pittenweem Bowling and Tennis Club can be found on the east side of Viewforth Place
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
tucked in the corner of 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...
on the east coast of 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...
. According to the 2006 estimate, the village has a population of 1,600. At the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 1,747.
The name derives from Pictish and Scottish Gaelic. "Pit-" represents Pictish pett 'place, portion of land', and "-enweem" is Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
na h-Uaimh, 'of the Caves' in Gaelic, so "The Place of the Caves". The name is rendered Baile na h-Uaimh in modern Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
, with baile, 'town, settlement', substituted for the Pictish prefix. The cave in question is almost certainly St Fillan's
Fillan
Saint Fillan, Filan, Phillan, Fáelán or Faolan is the name of two Scottish saints, of Irish origin. The career of a historic individual lies behind at least one of these saints Saint Fillan, Filan, Phillan, Fáelán (Old Irish) or Faolan (modern Gaelic) is the name of (probably) two Scottish...
cave, although there are many indentations along the rocky shores that could have influenced the name.
History
Until 1975 Pittenweem was a royal burghRoyal 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....
, being awarded the status by King James V
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
(1513–42) in 1541. Founded as a fishing village around a probably early Christian religious settlement, it grew along the shoreline from the west where the sheltered beaches provided safe places for fishermen to draw their boats up out of the water.
In due course a breakwater was built, extending out from one of the rocky skerries that jut out south-west into 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...
like fingers. This allowed boats to rest at anchor rather than being beached, providing a means for larger vessels to use the port.
A new breakwater further to the east has been developed over the years into a deep, safe harbour with a covered fish market. As the herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
disappeared from local waters and the fishing fleet shrank, this harbour and attendant facilities led Pittenweem to become the main harbour for the fishermen of the East Neuk
East Neuk
The East Neuk or East Neuk of Fife is an area of the coast of Fife, Scotland, which is geographically ill-defined but nonetheless stirs local passions....
of Fife.
The white houses with red roofs shown in the above picture "Pittenweem from the outer harbour wall" illustrate the classic East Neuk building style, influenced by trade with the Low Countries (Belgium and the Netherlands). The East Neuk offered natural trading ports for Dutch and Belgian captains as they sailed up past the east coast of England. These ships brought red pantiles as ballast and the locals soon found them to be excellent roofing material. It is just possible to make out the "crow step [Scots: corbie-steppit] gable", where the gable ends rise in steps rather than the more normal smooth angled line - an architectural feature imported from the Low Countries. These and other vernacular features are common throughout the small town, which has one of Scotland's best-preserved and most attractive townscapes, with many historic buildings (some restored by the National Trust for Scotland
National Trust for Scotland
The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland describes itself as the conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotland's natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations to...
). The 'organic' layout of the town centre, which grew up piecemeal over several centuries, with numerous winding streets and alleys, is one of its particular charms. Few Scottish towns have so well preserved their ancient character.
At the shore end of the outer harbour wall, some of the paving stones have numbers engraved in them. The numbers are now randomly scattered, but once were vital to the smooth operation of the fish market. Before the pier was re-surfaced, the stones were placed in numerical order at the quayside running outwards from the shore. The first fishing boat to return with its catch placed its haul alongside stone number one, the second boat at stone two and so on. When the market opened, the fish was sold in strict order of landing.
In 1779 John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones was a Scottish sailor and the United States' first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among America's political elites, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to...
(otherwise known as the founder of the American Navy) anchored half-a-mile off Pittenweem in the USS Bonhomme Richard
USS Bonhomme Richard (1765)
|-External links:** Clive Cussler recounts his elusive search for the Bonhomme Richard....
. Despite bombarding Anstruther, Jones did not attack Pittenweem, but did make off with the town's pilot who had sailed out to meet Jones' squadron.
There was a feudal Barony of Pittenweem,which became extinct on the death of the last baron in 2011.
Industry
Pittenweem is currently the most active of the fishing portsPort
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
in the East Neuk coast of Fife
East Neuk
The East Neuk or East Neuk of Fife is an area of the coast of Fife, Scotland, which is geographically ill-defined but nonetheless stirs local passions....
. Other primary industries are farming, tourism and, recently, arts and crafts.
In former times, Pittenweem had two coal mines, one inland at Easter Grangemuir, the other at Pathhead, on the coast between Pittenweem and St Monans. A spin-off from the Pathhead mine was salt production. Receptacles below the tideline collected water that could be pumped up to salt-pans, the pans then being heated by coal fires fed from the mine to extract the salt. Evidence of the ash produced can still be seen on the coast.
Geology / Geography
The village sits astride a raised beach, with the lower part of the village housing the harbour and the older houses, and the upper part having the main shopping area, churches, school and more recent housing. The village has a population of around 1,500.Education
Pittenweem Primary School is a traditional village school with its own playing fields on the northern side of the older part of the village. It caters for children aged 4/5 to 11/12. Secondary education (up to ages 16, 17 or 18 depending on educational ambitions) is provided at Waid AcademyWaid Academy
The Waid Academy is a public secondary school located in the town of Anstruther, Fife. The schools catchment area extends out to the area of Lundin Links and Largo but accepts pupils from town such as Leven, Kennoway and Markinch.-History :...
in the neighbouring town of Anstruther
Anstruther
Anstruther is a small town in Fife, Scotland. The two halves of Anstruther are divided by a small stream called Dreel Burn. Anstruther lies 9 miles south-southeast of St Andrews. It is the largest community on the stretch of north-shore coastline of the Firth of Forth known as the East Neuk,...
. The nearest private educational institution is St Leonard's School in St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
, or the High School of Dundee
High School of Dundee
The High School of Dundee is an independent, co-educational, day school in the city of Dundee, Scotland which provides both primary and secondary education to just over one thousand pupils...
.
Religion
In the Middle Ages, Pittenweem PrioryPittenweem Priory
Pittenweem Priory is the name of an Augustinian priory located at the village of Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland. It was originally a Benedictine abbey founded from Reading Abbey and based on the Isle of May...
was a small Augustinian
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
monastery linked to that on the Isle of May
Isle of May
The Isle of May is located in the north of the outer Firth of Forth, approximately off the coast of mainland Scotland. It is 1.8 km long and less than half a kilometre wide...
and built over the ancient sacred cave associated with St Fillan
Fillan
Saint Fillan, Filan, Phillan, Fáelán or Faolan is the name of two Scottish saints, of Irish origin. The career of a historic individual lies behind at least one of these saints Saint Fillan, Filan, Phillan, Fáelán (Old Irish) or Faolan (modern Gaelic) is the name of (probably) two Scottish...
. The cave, recently fitted out as a chapel, is situated in Cove Wynd (leading from the High Street down to the harbour) and is open to the public with the key available locally from the Cocoa Tree café. From this rough dwelling St Fillan is said to have converted the local Pictish population. The cave was re-discovered around 1900 when a horse ploughing in the priory garden fell down a hole into it. The cave has flat rocks that are presumed to be 'beds' and a small spring of "holy water" at the rear. St Fillan's Cave was also used as prison for witches during the witch hunts of the 17-18th centuries (see below).
A shrine was dedicated to St Adrian on the Isle of May. It is said that St Adrian's men undertook the first harbour improvements, laying the foundation for the fishing industry
Fishing industry
The fishing industry includes any industry or activity concerned with taking, culturing, processing, preserving, storing, transporting, marketing or selling fish or fish products....
, but no evidence for this currently exists.
The present Church of Scotland parish kirk
Kirk
Kirk can mean "church" in general or the Church of Scotland in particular. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it.-Basic meaning and etymology:...
is on the site of the priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
church. Much of the fortified east gatehouse of the priory survives (15th century), as does the 'Great House', one of Scotland's best-preserved late medieval houses, which may have served as accommodation for the prior and monks.
As befits a village steeped in the dangerous and uncertain practices of fishing and farming, there are many churches in the village. Current denominations with churches include: Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
, Roman Catholic, Episcopalian
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....
and Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
. Other denominations have had churches or the equivalent, but these have been converted to other purposes. The "Church of Scotland" Church Hall, for example, was once the "Free Church of Scotland" kirk.
The late 17th to early 18th centuries saw a number of notorious witch-hunt
Witch-hunt
A witch-hunt is a search for witches or evidence of witchcraft, often involving moral panic, mass hysteria and lynching, but in historical instances also legally sanctioned and involving official witchcraft trials...
s by the local minster. The town at this time had become bogged down in debt and this was used as an excuse to seize the assets of some local women in order to alleviate money problems. The Church of Scotland building at the top of the High Street was used as the jail for the poor females and the door to the cells can still be seen. It is the studded door at the bottom of the tower.
The Tolbooth
Tolbooth
Tolbooth or tollbooth may refer to:* Tolbooth, a traditional Scottish 'town hall' for the administration of burghs, usually providing a council meeting chamber, a court house and a jail.* Toll house, a place where road usage tolls are collected...
was home to one of the last and most infamous witchcraft trials in Scotland.
The dark events took place in the year 1704, at a time when the Church elders were the supreme arbiters of power in Scotland, with the country a theocracy in all but name. The tragedy began innocuously enough when a local woman, Beatrix Lang, asked the blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
's apprentice, Patrick Morton, to make her some nails. On being informed that he was busy and would make them later, Beatrix left, muttering under her breath - which the boy took to be the issuing of a curse on him.
Obviously under the power of suggestion of this, Patrick Morton took ill after a few days and stopped eating, which obviously made him worse, but not before he had spoken to the local minister, Patrick Cowper, a man who obviously had his own agenda in this case. Cowper not only encouraged the boy in his claims of witchcraft against Beatrix Lang, but also gave him the names of other villagers encouraging him to denounce them in turn.
The accused were imprisoned in the tolbooth and tortured viciously, with one of their number, Thomas Brown, starving to death in his cell. Beatrix Lang was released with a fine, but chased out of the village by the locals to die in St Andrews soon after, most likely as a result of her ill-treatment.
The zenith of the barbarity of the Pittenweem witch hunt was reached when Janet Cornfoot managed to escape from the tolbooth. She did not however escape from the village, and the locals, her neighbours, dragged her to the beach, where she was beaten, pelted with stones, covered with a door which then had boulders placed on top of it and finally, after death, had a horse and carriage driven back and forth over her body.
Thankfully this was one of the last witch hunts in Scotland, and the grave injustice of this case may be regarded as one of the main catalysts in bringing more enlightened views within the Church of Scotland to the fore.
Culture
In the late 1960s the fishermen of the area celebrated the re-opening of the re-designed harbour with a Gala Day, where the boats were dressed overall and people could have short trips on the boats. By the early 1980s, however, increasing regulation, higher fuel costs and a shrinking fleet were bringing this event to its knees. In its place sprang up an Arts Festival, which initially incorporated the Gala Day as its finale. The Arts Festival has moved on somewhat, however, becoming one of the best respected in Scotland. Many artists have rediscovered the charms and the light of the area, which was always popular with itinerant and hobby artists, and have moved to the village, creating a vibrant artistic community.The village is home to a number of members of the Fence Collective; as well as the Scottish Collection of Art Extraordinary Gallery belonging to The Art Extraordinary Trust. Art Extraordinary (also known as Art Brut or outsider Art) arises from a powerful compulsion to create an inner personal vision.
Pittenweem had the first newspaper in the area - the Pittenweem Register (1844–52?). It caused a great stir in the town when the London daily newspapers contained extracts from the Register's eighth edition.
On the 1st of December 2011 Pittenweem
Pittenweem
Pittenweem is a small and secluded fishing village and civil parish tucked in the corner of Fife on the east coast of Scotland. According to the 2006 estimate, the village has a population of 1,600. At the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 1,747....
pharmacy launched a Christmas single which is going to be available on most major online music stores. The song will be sold and proceeds going to selected local charities. The video for the song/advert will be available on Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
in the next few days.
Politics
The local (representing North East FifeNorth East Fife (UK Parliament constituency)
North East Fife is a county constituency in Fife, Scotland, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom currently held by Sir Menzies Campbell, former leader of the Liberal Democrats...
) Member of the UK Parliament is Sir Menzies Campbell
Menzies Campbell
Sir Walter Menzies "Ming" Campbell, CBE, QC, MP is a British Liberal Democrat politician and advocate, and a retired sprinter. He is the Member of Parliament for North East Fife, and was the Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2 March 2006 until 15 October 2007.Campbell held the British record...
CBE QC MP, former leader of the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
.
The local (representing Fife North East
Fife North East (Scottish Parliament constituency)
North East Fife is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
) Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
(MSP) is Iain Smith of the Liberal Democrats. It is also represented by the MSPs of the Mid-Scotland and Fife parliamentary region.
Pittenweem is in the East Neuk and Landward ward of Fife council and is represented by a number of members elected by Single Transferable Vote.
From 1885–1983, Pittenweem was part of the East Fife Parliamentary constituency, its most famous MP being Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Herbert Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
(Liberal) from 1886–1918.
Sport
Pittenweem has access to Anstruther Golf Course, a midi-ocre 9-hole golf course, immediately to its eastern boundary. However for more luxurious tastes the nearby town of St Andrews has two particularly famous golf resorts- The Old Course and St Andrews Bay Golf Resort and Spa.Football - The local team is Pittenweem Rovers AFC
Rugby - The local team is Waid Academy FP RFC
Horse riding - http://www.pittenweemgymkhana.org.uk/ Pittenweem Gymkhana hosts horse and dog shows annually
Pittenweem Bowling and Tennis Club can be found on the east side of Viewforth Place
Famous Pittenweemers
- John Douglas, Anglican Bishop of Salisbury
- Graham ManleyGraham Manley-Biography:Graham Manley has worked for a wide range of British comics, and is credited by Tony O'Donnell as inspiring the creation of Near Myths.He has drawn episodes of Juliet November and Whatever happened to? for the Judge Dredd Megazine...
, comic artist - John SmithJohn Smith (clockmaker)John Smith was a clockmaker born in Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland.His most famous clock is in the possession of the Duke of Buccleuch. It is reported to have four dials and shows days of the week and days of the month...
, clockmaker - Ian StewartIan Stewart (musician)Ian Andrew Robert Stewart was a Scottish keyboardist, co-founder of The Rolling Stones and inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
, musician - Frederick Stewart, Lord PittenweemLord PittenweemThe title of Lord Pittenweem was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created on 16 January 1609 for Frederick Stewart and became extinct on his death in 1625....
- Sir Walter Watson HughesWalter Watson HughesSir Walter Watson Hughes was a pastoralist, public benefactor and founder of the University of Adelaide, South Australia.-Early life:...
, Public benefactor, founder of the University of Adelaide, South Australia. - Wallace LindsayWallace LindsayWallace Martin Lindsay was a one of the leading classical scholars of the late 19th and early 20th century. He was Professor of Humanity at St Andrews University. He also wrote articles in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica....
(Wallace Martin Lindsay), Professor of Humanity at St Andrews University, 1899 to 1937 and Scholar of International Repute - David StewartDavid StewartDavid Stewart may refer to:*David Stewart, Earl of Strathearn *David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, heir to the throne of Scotland *David Stewart , Scotland international goalkeeper...