Dunfermline Weekly 🌼 23 March 2025
Mysterious Abbey glass, school absence numbers, banking hub for Cowdenbeath, war memorial repairs, and more
⛪ Mysterious glass shards were returned to the Abbey Church in 2020, and have now been identified by experts. The glass was allegedly found before 2000, and was returned in a box wrapped in 2005 newspapers alongside a typewritten note. All 49 shards have been matched to the Margaret Window in the south transept of the church, though the fully story of their acquisition and return will remain unknown unless the anonymous individual gets in contact again. (STV)
🎒 School absence figures in Fife have slightly reduced over five years, as per council data. All schools’ attendance rate for 2023/24 is 89.5%, meaning about 25 missed days a year per pupil on average. These rates are in line with national averages across Scotland. (Fife Council & Courier)
🏫 New South West Fife high school name vote is closing on Friday. You can vote for the final proposals here, and the council will pick the name while consulting the most popular options. The construction of the school has now been topped out and remains on track to finish for August 2026 opening. (Fife Council)
📡 Fife Council is considering contracting Starlink satellite internet for education services despite the controversies surrounding the company owner Elon Musk, particularly his extreme right wing politics and incendiary rhetoric. (The National)
⚓ A new anchor sculpture has been unveiled at the Rosyth Dockyard entrance, replacing the previous 1950s anchors severely damaged by weather and passage of time. The new anchors were designed and made by the Babcock employees working on site. (Royal Navy)
🪖 Dunfermline War Memorial will undergo £200k repairs with a planned unveiling in October. The council is responsible for its maintenance and has now been able to find funds for the required work, which will include repairs to boundary wall and paving slabs. (Courier)
💷 A banking hub is on the way for Cowdenbeath High Street, where the TSB branch used to be located until 2021. Hubs combine several banks in one facility, allowing for communities to retain banking services even if individually the banks can no longer justify keeping distinct branches open. (Central Fife Times)
📶 O2 is looking to upgrade its mobile network antennas located above Dunfermline High St. The company already has an installation on the rooftop above the Poundstretcher, and is looking to move the equipment slightly higher as well as upgrade it to provide 5G coverage in town. (Dunfermline Press)
Place names of Fife
🗺️ This week we’re looking at the most inland of the west villages.
Blairhall - likely derived from the name of Blair Castle (west of Culross) for a 20th century housing development.
Comrie - Gaelic comar ‘confluence’, likely referring to Blair Burn and Comrie Burn merging here.
Oakley - first appears in the 1820s as Oakly and was probably imported by the local laird. The estate was previously known as Annfield, almost certainly named after a female member of the landowning family. The village itself was known as Nether Blair before it took on the same name as the estate in late 19th century.
Inzievar - potentially from Gaelic eang ‘nook, gusset’. The Z in the spelling is a typical corruption of the letter yogh, indicating a correct pronunciation like Ingyvar. This name was in fact attested as Ingzever in 1500s and Ingefair in 1600s.
Saline - possibly from Gaelic sabhalìn ‘little barn’.
Steelend - from Scots steel ‘steep bank, spur of a hill ridge’. 20th century mining village of Steelend is about a mile southwest of the historical site of Steelend, now referred to as Upper Steelend.
Transport
⭕ Just like a few weeks ago M90 J3 Halbeath will see all-weekend lane closures and a full closure of Sanderling Way from Friday 28th until Monday morning. Lane closures will then continue overnight after the next weekend until works’ planned completion on 8 April. (Amey)
🏴 An Orange Order Covid remembrance parade is taking place in Cowdenbeath next Saturday, 26 March. Broad Street and High St will be closed to car traffic from between 1815-1930. (Central Fife Times)
🌉 Queensferry Crossing will be closed overnight on Monday with all traffic rerouted on the Forth Road Bridge. (BEAR Scotland)