Kirkcaldy Museum & Art Gallery,
Archaeology, Archives, Coins and Medals, Costume and Textiles, Decorative and Applied Art, Fine Art, Land Transport, Maritime, Medicine, Personalities, Science and Technology, Social History.
(Tel) : 01592 412860
Dunfermline Museum & Small Gallery, Archaeology, Archives, Natural Sciences, Costume and Textiles, Fine Art, Weapons and War, Coins and Medals, Personalities, Science and Technology, Social History, Land Transport, Maritime (Tel) : 01383 721 814
Abbot House Heritage Centre, Dunfermline, Archaeology, Archives, Decorative and Applied Art, Medicine, Personalities, Religion, Science and Technology, Social History. 01383 733 266
The Alpha Bar, Hayfield Rd, Kirkcaldy, Fife, KY1 2JP [01592 267809]
The Harbour Bar, 471-473, Kirkcaldy, Fife, KY1 2SN [01592 264270]
The Sailors' Walk - Along the High Street are several reminders of the Scottish vernacular architecture which once characterised the Royal Burgh, principally the Sailors' Walk (left), 16th century houses overlooking the harbour and restored by the National Trust for Scotland. Further south, where the High Street and Esplanade diverge, is another interesting building, now known as the Merchant's House. This is thought to date originally from the 16th century and contains fine plasterwork and panelling.
Ravenscraig Castle - On a clifftop setting eastwards from the harbour, but overlooked by three multi-storey blocks of flats of such a scale that they are plainly visible from Calton Hill in Edinburgh, are the significant remains of Ravenscaig Castle, maintained by Historic Scotland. The castle, which was founded by James II in 1460 and later passed into the ownership of the Sinclair Earls of Orkney, is thought to be one of the first British castles to be systematically designed for defence by firearms. Nearby are two other buildings of interest, the beautiful Path House (formerly Dunnikier House) at the top of The Path, and the Feuars' Arms, a pub notable for the quality of its decorative tiling and stained glass. Although the three 15-storey tower blocks previously referred to are entirely out of scale with the Kirkcaldy townscape, they are at least some of the best of their kind, in terms of the quality of their construction, maintenance and landscaped grounds. The more recent vernacular-revival housing to the west is much more in keeping with tradition, but some of its detailing, particularly the windows, could perhaps have been a little better.
Old Parish Church - Dominating Kirk Wynd (photograph on right) is the late 15th century tower of Kirkcaldy's ancient parish kirk. The main part of the church building is about two hundred years old and contains a good variety of stained glass windows. In the churchyard is an interesting collection of old tombstones. The nearby St Brycedale Church (now ecclesiastically united with the Old Kirk under the name St Bryce Kirk) is a large, impressive building with a tall spire which is a significant local landmark.
