Home Report Kinghorn

Kinghorn is a small, quiet coastal town in Fife of some 2900 residents. It is a seaside resort with two beaches, Kinghorn Beach and Pettycur Bay, plus a fishing port. The town lies on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, opposite Edinburgh.

The area of Kinghorn, despite having a relatively small population, has at one time or another played a prominent role in Scottish history. It is a former Royal Burgh and had a royal castle – Kinghorn Castle – that is sadly now all gone, but it was frequently visited by the Scottish Court during the reign of the House of Dunkeld in the 11th century, and the castle effectively controlled the seaway around the area. Additionally, in 1286 the Scottish King Alexander III was returning on horseback from Edinburgh at night to the castle on high ground near to the castle. It is believed it was so dark the horse stumbled close to the cliff’s edge and pitched him to his death over the cliffs. Alexander’s death resulted in a crisis of succession that led directly to the Wars of Independence with England.

In later centuries, the town primarily revolved around the harbours and fishing. In the 1860s shipbuilding became prominent until the closure of the shipyard in 1921 with the last vessel launched the aptly named SS Kinghorn.

Today, Kinghorn is primarily a quiet dormitory town for residents working in the nearby towns and villages like Kirkcaldy, and to a lesser degree the city of Edinburgh. The town and nearby Pettycur Bay are popular with visitors and offer incredible views overlooking the bay as well as some fantastic coastal walks. Kinghorn has a big annual event called the Black Rock 5 where thousands of runners race across the sands finishing in the centre of town.

Transport links to the town are good and make the town an attractive prospect for commuters who want small-town living while still feeling connected. Kinghorn has its own railway station which connects directly to Kirkcaldy to the north and to the city of Edinburgh. Travel time to the latter is usually under 50 minutes. The station also allows commuters to travel to Dunfermline, although this requires alighting and changing trains at Glenrothes. For road users, the A92 road runs nearby and allows for onward travel to the M90, A985, A900, and A915, which in turn allows for relatively easy travel further to the north of Scotland or around the central belt.

In terms of local schooling, Kinghorn Primary School is the only school in the town. The closest state high schools: Balweary and St. Andrews RC school are in nearby Kirkcaldy.