Tour Dunfermline

Dunfermline is a town in southwest Fife, a former
royal burgh; it was a royal residence from the 11th to the
17th century. Dunfermline Abbey was founded in the 11th
century as a Benedictine religious house by Queen (St)
Margaret on the site of an earlier church and made an abbey by David I in 1128.

Many royal persons were buried there, including Queen Margaret, David I and Robert I, and the abbey guest house was used as royal residence until the Reformation,
when it suffered damage, with other parts of the abbey.
It was rebuilt as a palace in 1593 for James VI’s queen, Anne of Denmark, and Charles I was born here in 1600.
After the Reformation, the Romanesque nave continued in use as a parish church, but the abbey buildings suffered further damage over the centuries, and in 1818 a new parish church was built on the site of the choir and transepts. The nave and the remaining ruins are now in the care of Historic Scotland and the 16th century Abbots House is now a museum.

The town was an important centre of the linen industry, especially of damask table linen, from the 18th to the 20th centuries, its prosperity at that time expressed in the magnificent French late Gothic City Chambers, designed by James Campbell Walker. Coal mining in the area, begun by monks in the 12th century, was also important, especially in the 19th century. Other industries have been introduced, including silk and
artificial silk weaving and, in more recent times, electronics.

Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline and was a generous benefactor to the town; his birthplace is a museum. Here he financed the first of the Carnegie libraries and in 1902 he bought Pittencrieff House and the surrounding parkland, just to the west of the town centre, and presented it to the town; it is now a public park and the mansion restored by Robert Lorimer is a museum.

Dunfermline Athletic Football Club Founded In 1885.
One of Scotland’s less noted teams for most of the last century, Dunfermline came into their own in the 1960s, inspired by the leadership of Jock Stein. With him as manager they won the Scottish Cup in 1961 and, after his departure, took the trophy again in 1968.

Keavil House Hotel. A beautifully appointed country house hotel near Scotland's ancient capital of Dunfermline. All bedrooms are calm and tastefully designed. The award-winning Cardoon Restaurant offers a varied menu of light to modern Scottish dishes using locally sourced, quality food, which is served in a relaxed and stylish setting. Guests can pamper themselves in the luxurious Picture of health club, play golf on one of the local golf courses or visit the beaches of the Fife coast. Edinburgh is only 30 minutes drive away. Fife Hotel Breaks.

Corus Hotel North. This modern hotel is situated on the north side of the Firth of Forth with spectacular views overlooking the famous bridge and offering easy access from M90 motorway. The elegant restaurant offers both traditional and international cuisine, with wonderful views of the river. A great base for visiting Edinburgh and historic Fife. Fife Hotel Breaks.

If you would like to Tour Dunfermline on a highly personalized small group tour of my native Scotland please e-mail me: Sandy Stevenson

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