|
Dunfermline is the first community of any size after the Forth Road Bridge coming north from Edinburgh. It was a capital of Scotland from the eleventh century when King Malcolm III brought the court here until the seventeenth when James VI and I moved it to London. Malcolm's queen, Margaret, was a devout Roman Catholic who built the abbey at Dunfermline which eventually became the place of interment of the Scottish kings.
Activities and attractions
Dunfermline Abbey grew in importance and wealth in the early years of its existence. When King Edward I came north from England in 1303 he held court in the Abbey, and then burned it when he left. It was sacked again during the Reformation, but enough of the structure remains to give an indication of its former glory. Dunfermline Palace, built on the site of the abbey's guesthouse, was a royal residence from the fourteenth century. The Scottish kings David I and James II were born at Dunfermline, and all three children of James VI and I and his wife Anne of Denmark were born there. The removal of the Scottish court to London after 1603 meant that Dunfermline Palace was much less frequented, and it soon fell into disrepair.
In the corner of a public car park stands a building from which a long flight of steps leads down to a cave. It is here that Queen Margaret, the wife of Malcolm III, came to pray long before she was canonized as St. Margaret. Today it is a place of pilgrimage where the devout leave flowers.
Neolithic arrowheads and a carved stone ball found in the Dunfermline area testify to its early occupation. Although its stint as a national capital ended with the Union of Crowns, its good access to water power and to the ports of the Fife coast made it a player in the textile industry. Coal mining became established, as did the presence of the Royal Navy. Modern Dunfermline is a centre for the whole western half of Fife as well as acting as a dormitory community for Edinburgh.
The industrialist Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline. His birthplace, a weaver's cottage to which a memorial hall has been added. Carnegie's philanthropy is as evident in Dunfermline as in the United States. He gave Pittencrieff Park to the town, as well as swimming baths and a library.
Places To Stay and access
Dunfermline is at the intersection of the M90 and A92. Its railway station has frequent connections from Edinburgh, Dundee and Perth as well as Kirkcaldy. Motor coaches and buses provide frequent service to most parts of the country, and air connections are available at Edinburgh.
Accommodation in the Dunfermline area ranges from guesthouses and B&Bs to hotels with an atmosphere of luxury. Dining is for the most part ethnic, but in Dunfermline that does not have to mean takeaway. Ristorante Alberti and the Khashi both have good reputations. The town also has an active night life scene.
Accommodation in Dunfermline
Show Bed & Breakfasts in Dunfermline
Show Hotels in Dunfermline
Show Cottages in Dunfermline
Show Holiday Apartments in Dunfermline
Show Caravan Parks & Camping Sites in Dunfermline
| 
