Kirkcaldy

Kirkcaldy, a seaport and market-town of Fife, on the Firth of Forth, 15 miles N. of Edinburgh. Including the suburbs of Linktown and Newtown of Abbotshall on the west, and Pathhead, Sinclairtown, and Gallatown on the north-east, it is nearly 4 miles in length; hence the name 'The Lang Toun.' It was created a royal burgh in 1450, and, with Dysart, Kinghorn, and Burntisland, sends one member to parliament. Its harbour is small and shallow, but there is wet-dock accommodation for ships of considerable burden, and a bill was passed in 1890 for the construction of an entirely new harbour on a large scale. Its manufactures are spinning flax, tow, and jute, and bleaching and weaving linen yarns, which are extensively carried on, the products being the usual varieties of linen cloth; mechanical (including marine) engineering on a large scale; iron-founding; and tanning. There are also several potteries. The manufacture of floorcloth and linoleum has been developed into a great trade, and Kirkcaldy is the chief seat of this growing and important manufacture. There is also a direct export trade to the United States, which in 1884-90 averaged over £75,000 annually. Pop. of parliamentary burgh (1841) 5704; (1871) 12,422; (1891) 17,324; of royal burgh, as extended in 1876, (1891) 27,155. Kirkcaldy is the birthplace of Adam Smith; and Edward Irving and Thomas Carlyle were teachers here.