Dunfermline Weekly 🌱 11 May 2025
Peak train tickets scrapped, numerous fires, Dolly Parton's book charity, and more
🛍️ Artisan Market is back in St Catherine’s Wynd today, 11-15 as usual.
🔥 A number of fires took place this week, ranging from grass and woodland blazes to derelict building fires across West Fife. We are still in an extremely high wildfire risk warning period. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5; SFRS via STV)
📚 Dolly Parton’s children’s book charity is scaling up its presence in Dunfermline area following conversations with councillor Auxi Barrera. Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP is also looking to get involved and facilitate partnerships between Imagination Library and local charities and organisations. (Dunfermline Press)
🚨 A 49-year-old clocked 121mph on the A92 near Lochgelly last week, blasting through a speed check in a 70mph zone. (Courier)
♻️ Dalgety Bay recycling centre will still require booking until an independent safety review. Fife Recycling Services has already commissioned the safety review, but has not yet received a report, so currently there are no dates in sight for relaxation of access to the facility. (Dunfermline Press)
🌱 Allotments in Fife have exploded in popularity with 2100 people currently on the waiting lists across the whole council area. The council is working to increase the number of available plots by extending existing sites and establishing new allotments. (Fife Council)
Place names of West Fife
🗺️ Moving along the coast, today we’re looking at Queensferry and Inverkeithing.
North Queensferry - the northern harbour of the cross-Forth ferry was always known by descriptive names, such as Latin portus regine ‘queen’s harbour’. This continued in Scots and English, e.g. Qwenys-ferry in 1400s, and from 1700s as North Ferry or North Queensferry. In 1100s the name Ardchinnechena appears with no clear origin or meaning. In 17th century Gaelic form of unknown origin or age was recorded as Caschilis, almost certainly actually Cas Chaolas ‘steep strait’. Historically, the place was also frequently just considered to be an extension of Inverkeithing.
Inverkeithing - from Gaelic inbhir ‘river mouth’ and Scots/English Keithing. Keithing Burn in turn is likely derived from Pictish cēt ‘a woodland’. The Gaelic name Inbhir Cheitean was almost certainly formed back from the Scots Inverkeithing after the battle of Inverkeithing in 1651.
Belleknowes - likely from Scots bell and knowe, ‘bell-shaped knowes (hills)’. Appears on some maps as Belzeid, potentially from Scots bell heid.
Boreland - Scots bordland ‘table land’, land that supplies the household. Historically the land gifted by king Robert I to Nicholas Scrymgeour.
Spittalfield - literally ‘field belonging to a hospital’. It is unclear if the connected hospital was actually on this land, but a well on this land was named Spittal Well.
Transport
🚂 ScotRail peak fares will be permanently scrapped from 1 September in an unexpected move from the Scottish Government. The previous peak fare suspension pilot ended with last year with the government arguing it was not financially sustainable - only to meet widespread criticism from the public, media, and across the whole political spectrum in Scotland. (STV)
🍺 The complete alcohol ban on trains is also ending and being replaced with more targeted restrictions. From 2 June drinking will be permitted on ScotRail trains from 10am to 9pm, with a possibility of targeted temporary bans for big events. (STV)