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Kinghorn and Pettycur are small Towns, now
joined, in the Fife area of Scotland, 25 miles
north of Edinburgh, via the Firth of Forth
Road Bridge, 3 miles north of Burntisland.
The Towns are popular for their Two Beaches
and Church right at Kinghorn Harbour.
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Click On Map for area Attractions
Camping & Touring
Parks in area
The image top is looking down onto Kinghorn
Beach and Harbour.
The second image is of Kinghorn Beach
looking south.
The third and fourth images are along St
James Place towards the Harbour. The main
attractions here are the Lifeboat Station, one
of the busiest in the area, and Kinghorn Kirk
by the Sea, right at the Harbour.
Kinghorn Kirk by the Sea was built in 1774,
on the site of much earlier Churches, going
back over 700 years. The Bell Tower was added
to the Church in 1895.
The Railway Station is between Station Brae
and the steep Harbour Road, with a Viaduct
built in 1846. The Forth Rail Bridge was
completed in 1890, increasing the number of
tourists to the Town for its beaches.
One strange thing about Kinghorn is there is
no Hotel, Inn, or Bar by the Harbour, as there
is in most small Towns up this coast.
All the Restaurants, Cafes, and Bars are on
the High Street, up above the Harbour.
The War Memorial is at the south end of the
High Street, at the Pettycur Parish Church
Halls.
By the War Memorial is the Kinghorn
Community Centre with a Cafe, used for many
games and events.
The road down past the War Memorial leads to
Pettycur Bay Harbour and Beach.
There are two Caravan Parks by the beach,
Sandhills that is private, and the larger
Pettycur Bay that sits higher up.
Pettycur Bay holiday
park has a Restaurant and Leisure Centre with
sea views. The Holiday Park also has an area
for Tourers and Camping.
Kinghorn Golf
Club is just off the High Street. The Club
was founded in 1887.
Kinghorn Area History
The name Kinghorn is said to be from
Scottish Gaelic meaning, Head of the Marsh.
1100s - a Royal Castle was built on the
shoreline above Pettycur Bay for the Canmore
Kings. That Castle was later abandoned in
favour of another Castle built in the Town of
Kinghorn.
The Canmore Kings
used religion to unite all of Scotland under
one King, building most of the large historic
Abbeys and Cathedrals in Scotland.
1221 - records state King Alexander II
awarded the Castle at Kinghorn to his new
Queen, Princess Joan of England.
1286 - King Alexander
III was traveling to the Castle at Kinghorn
when he fell from his horse at Pettycur Bay and
died. With him dying without leaving an heir,
this was the end of the Canmore dynasty,
leading to the English trying to gain control
of Scotland, and the Wars of Scottish
Independence.
1373 - Sir John Lyon married Princess Joan,
daughter of King Robert II, with this gaining
him control of the Castle at Kinghorn. This
Castle was also known as Glamis Tower. The
Lyons are better known for their Glamis
Castle at the Village of Glamis north of
Dundee.
1546 - Kinghorn Castle was besieged and
taken by Kirkcaldy of
Grange. Grange is better known for his
involvement in the downfall of Mary Queen of
Scots in 1567.
The Lyon family then seem to have moved to
their lands in Angus by Dundee.
1606 - Lord Patrick Lyon was made 1st Earl
of Kinghorn.
1677 - Patrick Lyon,
was created Lord Glamis, and 3rd Earl of
Kinghorn.
1700s - records state Kinghorn was a base
for Porpoise shooting, with the Porpoise
carcases used to make Oil. This is said to have
stopped after the numbers of Porpoise in the
area declined dramatically.
1700s - Kinghorn grew around the Flax
industry, making Linen Cloth from the
Flax Plant, mainly in homes on small manual
powered machines.
1760s - Pettycur Harbour was completed to
serve as a ferry port for people and goods
traveling north from Edinburgh, with a number
of sailing vessels operated on the route.
1830s - Kinghorn Loch above the Town,
provided water to power machinery in the first
Flax Mills, ending the making of Cloth in
Homes.
1842 - a new Pier was built at Burntisland 3
miles south, leading to the Ferry service
between Pettycur Harbour and Edinburgh being
relocated to Burntisland.
1846 - the Railway Viaduct was built through
the Town.
1860s - a Shipyard was built next to the
Kinghorn Kirk to build Steamships.
1890 - the Forth Railway Bridge was
completed, with the North British Railway
promoting Kinghorn as a Holiday Resort.
1921- the Shipyard closed after the last
vessel had been produced, the SS Kinghorn.
There is now a Static Caravan Park on the site
of the Shipyard.
1900s late - Houses were built on the site
of Kinghorn Castle, in the area of Glamis
Terrace. Home owners in the area have since
been finding Boars Teeth and other Items from
many centuries back in their gardens.
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