Kirkcaldy

The Battle of Raith in AD 596 is believed to have taken place to the west of the town’s site. The battle was fought between the Angles and an alliance, led by King Aedan mac Gabrain of Dal Riata, of Scots, Picts and Britons. The first document to recognise the town was issued in 1075, when the King of Scots, Malcolm III (reigned 1058-93) granted the shire of Kirkcaladunt, among other gifts, to the church at Dunfermline. The residents were expected to pay dues and taxes for the church’s general upkeep. Two charters, later confirmed by Malcolm’s son David I in 1128 and 1130, refer to Kircalethin and Kirkcaladunit respectively, but do not indicate their locations. In 1304, a weekly market and annual fair for Kirkcaldy was proposed by the Abbot of Dunfermline to King Edward I, during a period of English rule in Scotland from 1296 to 1306. During these discussions, the town may have been referred to as “one of the most ancient of burghs”. This status as a burgh dependent on Dunfermline Abbey was later confirmed in 1327 by Robert I, King of Scots.