Industrial & Commercial
KInghorn's royal patronage faded and as a consequence so did it's fortunes, to the extent that before the industrial revolution the town was in a sorry state, it was poor and rundown and some of the residents had a bad reputation for exploiting the Midlothian ferry passengers arriving and departing from Pettycur harbour as shown by this short extract from the Journal of Alexander Wilson (Poet, Ornithologist and contemporary of Robert Burns). He visited Kinghorn on the 29th September 1789.
"Kinghorn is but a small place....... The town is composed of an irregular assemblage of poor, low, ruinous, tile-covered huts but if miserable without still more so within. Almost every home being so dark, black and dirty, that I wrong them not to call each the cave of misery and desolation. The inhabitants are almost all Boatmen and their whole commerce being with strangers whom perhaps they may never see again, makes them avaricious, and always on the catch."
The rest of Fife had an equally dim view of the borough, for example:
"Dysart for coal and saut
Pathhead for meat and maut
Kirkcaldy for lassies braw
Kinghorn for breaking the law"
However, Kinghorn's natural resources positioned it to reap the benefits of the industrial revolution. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, several flax mills were constructed, attracted by the power source provided by the Loch's storage capacity and its burn's 100-foot drop to the Forth. This quote by the Reverend Fergus Jardine from the Statisical Accounts 1843. shows the impact of the Industry on the town:
"Few places have undergone such a transformation during the last thirty years as Kinghorn. Its streets were then almost impassable, they are now levelled and well paved. Its public buildings were mean,—they are now good. The former town-house was an ancient ecclesiastical building, the present town house and jail is of Gothic architecture, which cost the burgh £2500. The schoolhouse was formerly a plain unpretending building; the schoolhouse now, and the grounds adjoining would do honour to the metropolis."
The advent of the railway in 1847 marked the end of the Pettycur to Midlothian ferries and ushered in a new wave of prosperity for Kinghorn, notable examples are, the Abden Shipyard strategically located between the shoreline and the main railway line, complete with a siding for the efficient supply of materials. Similarly, the Bottleworks was built near the main railway line, with a dedicated siding for the transportation of both raw materials and finished products. On the 18th of October 1886 "The Scotsman" reported that the Binnend Oil Company were opening a Candle factory built on land acquired from Kinghorn Town Council the Company had also constructed a railway line, linking the factory to both the Binnend (Burntisland) Shale Works and Kinghorn Station on the main railway route. The factory's location was determined by its proximity to the Loch's waters, required for cooling processes.
These emerging industries, including Gibson's Cleekworks, the Glue Works, and the Tannery, acted as magnets for skilled labour from various regions of Scotland. The influx of workers not only swelled the local population but also gave a significant boost to the local economy, contributing to the formation of the vibrant Kinghorn we recognise today.
Hover or click to see the
tribute to Kinghorn's bygone industries by James Doward
The links below provide access to a wider body of source material. Although presented simply, together they form a small reference library supporting and extending the information on this page.
Pigot's Commercial Directory 1825 – A brief report on Kinghorn and its manufacturers and traders (select page 372).
Pigot's Commercial Directory 1837 – Another report on Kinghorn and its manufacturers and traders (select page 386).
Westwood's Parochial Directory for Fife & Kinross (1862) – Opens in a book reader on the Kinghorn pages.
Kinghorn Golf Club – Officially opened in 1887 as a commercial enterprise, though golf was played there well before then.
History of Abden Shipyard by Curly Mills – Many ocean-going vessels were built here for customers from around the world.
The Abden Shipyard – A detailed and well-researched account of the ships built there, written by Dorothea Kindley.
Clyde Ship Database – Lists the history of all ships built in Kinghorn. Search by individual shipbuilders (e.g. John Scott & Co.).
Kinghorn's Mills – A historical summary and collection of source material. A fuller account will appear in the forthcoming Kinghorn Historical Society book.
Kinghorn Bottleworks – A skeletal history; further detail remains to be added.
Gibsons Cleek Makers – A short history.
Burntisland Shale Oil Works – An excellent booklet by Ron Edwards, published by the Craigencalt Rural Community Trust, covering geology, origins, operations, and social history. Additional sources include Burntisland.net (History → More) and Abandoned Communities , which contains five pages depicting life at Binnend.
RCAHMS Search Page – Scotland’s national collection of buildings, archaeology, and industry, holding millions of photographs, maps, drawings, and documents from prehistory to the present day.
Fife Coal Mines – Many people in Kinghorn worked in the pits, notably at Seafield.
Burntisland Shipyard – Operated for just over 50 years, building 310 ships and employing many Kinghorn families.
Kinghorn Harbour Proposed Pier - The plan for a new Pier by George Buchanan (Civil Engineer) courtesy of James Edmiston
Pettycur Harbour Ferry – An 1808 report by civil engineer John Rennie assessing Pettycur Harbour as part of plans to improve ferry links between Midlothian and Fife (see page 889).
Fife County Council Archive – Holds Item B/KH/3/1/2: correspondence, plans of Kinghorn and Pettycur harbours, survey soundings, and an 1887 agreement between the Town Council and Burntisland Oil Company, including a sketch plan of the Little Dam candle works (1844–1901).