Landmarks Kirkcaldy

square norman (west) tower of old kirk

the oldest church in kirkcaldy old kirk, old parish church, on kirk wynd. earliest mention of old kirk record of consecration in 1244 st brisse , st patrick david de bernham, bishop of st andrews. building s deterioration in late eighteenth century addressed major renovations main body of church between 1807 , 1808. square western tower, dates around 1500, retained , oldest building have survived within old burgh. in 2000 old kirk amalgamated st brycedale church , closed public worship in 2008. has since been re-opened old kirk trust , used musical , dramatic performances. other significant churches in town include st bryce kirk built between 1877 , 1881 james matthews @ corner of st brycedale avenue , kirk wynd; abbotshall parish church on abbotshall road, current building completed in 1788 , linktown church built in 1830-1 george hay on bethlefield place.

kirkcaldy town house on wemyssfield centrepiece of town s civic square. designed in 1930s david carr , william howard of edinburgh. world war ii stopped work on building until 1950. construction split 2 phases: west wing, completed in 1953, , east wing, completed in 1956.

kirkcaldy war memorial in war memorial gardens unveiled in 1923 gifted town john nairn, linoleum manufacturer , grandson of michael nairn. dedicated ian nairn, son of john nairn died in first world war. second world war memorial, designed thomas hubbard, later added , unveiled in 1958. memorial commemorates lives of 1,012 people first world war , 452 second world war. forming centre piece these gardens kirkcaldy galleries, formerly known kirkcaldy museum , art gallery, donated nairn. hunter street drill hall completed in around 1895.

sailors walk

in north-east 2 homes of wealthy merchants , shipowners connected kirkcaldy s harbour. merchant’s house or law’s close @ 339–343 high street; once owned law family, 1 of best surviving examples of sixteenth-century town house in scotland. sailors walk, @ 443–449 high street; consists of 2 seventeenth-century houses, resting on foundations dating around 1460. these 2 houses once divided 4 dwellings; 3 of owned oliphant family , fourth james ferguson of raith.

north of harbour area, on path, 2 examples of distinctive architectural styles. hutchison s house designed george spears, owner of nearby east bridge distillery, in 1793. path house, known dunnikier house, three-storey l-plan tower house designed john watson in 1692 bride, euphan orrock. in 1703 watson sold house oswald family, had important links town.

ravenscraig castle, showing large d-plan west tower , ruined east tower

two large stately homes exist within town. north of kirkcaldy dunnikier house, built in late eighteenth century seat oswald family, replacing previous residence @ path house. south-west of kirkcaldy raith house, built in late seventeenth century sir alexander raith, 4th earl of raith , melville, bride, barbara dundas. house remains private residence of munro-ferguson family.

to east of town ruins of ravenscraig castle on rocky spit of land extending firth of forth. king james ii began construction of castle in 1460 queen, mary of gueldres. means of defending upper reaches of forth, including port of dysart. lesser extent protected harbour of kirkcaldy against piracy , english rivalry. ravenscraig 1 of earliest british castles designed defend against , use artillery, innovation demonstrated massive walls, regularly placed shot holes, , deep rock-cut ditch. following death of king @ siege of roxburgh castle (1460), work continued on ravenscraig, , became home mary of gueldres until death in 1463. in 1470 king james iii granted castle , lands william sinclair, earl of orkney , caithness, in exchange castle in kirkwall , right earldom of orkney.