Inverkeithing

Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration (2019 – 2024)

The Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration scheme is underway – a big thank you to our funders, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic Environment Scotland! Fife Historic Buildings Trust is working with Fife Council and the local community to deliver the project, and here is a taster of what is happening over the next five years:

Inverkeithing Town House will be restored to create a community hub that will be accessible to everyone. Local people will be supported to develop a community organisation that will manage the building in the long-term.

A grant scheme for buildings in the High Street area will help private owners to repair or improve their properties using traditional materials and skills. Owners can also get advice on how to look after their historic property and improve energy efficiency.

A major uplift to the High Street and the Market Square will include new paving and the restoration of historic features. The Mercat Cross will be moved from its current location in Bank Street to the heart of the town.

An exciting activity programme will raise awareness of Inverkeithing’s rich history and promote good practice in looking after traditional buildings.

Information about the project will be made available on this webpage, in the local press, and at drop-in events and exhibitions. You can also join our mailing list to receive regular updates.

If you have any questions or would like to find out more, please email or call us on 01592 890060.

* Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (£1.2 million via the Townscape Heritage programme) and Historic Environment Scotland (£1 million via the Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme). In total, over £3.6 million will be invested in Inverkeithing’s heritage during the five-year programme, which runs from 2019 to 2024.*

Inverkeithing Town House

Inverkeithing Building Repair Grant Scheme

Inverkeithing has a superb architectural heritage, reflected in its many listed buildings and large Conservation Area. These historic buildings need regular care and attention and the Building Repair Grant Scheme is designed to help property owners and tenants with a full repairing lease to repair and conserve the external fabric and traditional appearance of their buildings.

Grants are available for properties within the Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration grant scheme area – an area at the heart of the Conservation Area that we have agreed with our funders as a priority for grant support. Grants can support sensitive repairs to the external fabric of historic buildings using traditional materials and skills. The reinstatement of architectural features and details can also be funded.

Please email or call 01592 890060 for more information and to register your interest.

Inverkeithing Grants Leaflet

Grant Scheme Map

Small Grants Overview

Application Guidance – Small Grants

Inverkeithing Stone and Slate Survey

A stone and slate building survey of the historic centre of Inverkeithing was carried out in 2019-20. Stone matching through analysis and testing is an important step in identification of a suitable replacement stone for the repair of historic masonry. The use of incompatible replacement stone can lead to further decay of the surrounding masonry.

Several of the building stones in Inverkeithing were matched as part of this project. This ensured that the correct stone and slate types were identified for town centre building repair projects. The survey also provided a better understanding of the condition of the buildings and future conservation needs.

The survey report is a useful resource for contractors, specifiers and property owners. You can read a summary of the report here, or follow the links below to read the full report.

A Building Stone Survey for Inverkeithing Conservation Area, Fife Final 2021

Appendix C – Stone analysis reports

Appendix D – Mortar analysis reports

Appendix G – Stone distribution map PA

Appendix H – Historic Quarry Locations

Appendix J – General guidance on Lime Work

Appendix K – Mortar Skew Fillet and Key (with specification)

Appendix L – Generic Specifications

Appendix M – Generic ashlar grouting powerpoint

Appendix N – Traditional burnt sand mastic pointing

Appendix O Glossary of Terms

High Street and Mercat Cross

Improvements to the High Street and Mercat Cross in the town centre will form a major part of the Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration scheme. The first phase of works, in front of the Civic Centre, was completed in 2021. The main phase of the construction works, focused on the High Street and Mercat Cross, is due to start in 2022.

The improvement works are managed by Fife Council. The designs were developed in consultation with stakeholders and Inverkeithing residents, and planning consent is in place. You can view the designs on Fife Council’s online planning service here, or follow the links below.

The historic Mercat Cross will be moved into the square, where it will become a focal point. It will be carefully repaired by a specialist stone conservator.
Improvements will be made to traffic management and safe surfaces and routes for pedestrians and cyclists. The square will have new grey stone setts in a shared surface. The footpaths in Townhall Street, the East side of the High Street, Bank Street and Queen Street will be laid in buff sandstone flags. The main road and the footpath at the West side of the High Street will be resurfaced in asphalt. Natural whinstone kerbs will be laid along all footpaths.
New seating, new lighting, and new planters with trees and other plants will be installed.
New stone ‘Port Features’ will mark the North and South entrances to Inverkeithing’s conservation area, inspired by the old gates into what was once a walled Royal Burgh.
New interpretation will be installed.

Mercat Cross planning consent

Welcome to Inverkeithing’s digital resources: Oral histories, a model of the Town House, and links to the podcasts. Scroll down for links.

In late Autumn 2021, oral histories were recorded as part of the project Burgh Survey, focusing on local people’s memories of Inverkeithing’s major 20th century industries: Wards Ship Breaking Yard, and Caldwell’s Paper Mill. Former resident George Hastie also recorded his memories of Inverkeithing in the 1960s. These films are now on the FHBT You Tube Channel. Clicking these links will take you to the films:

Memories of Inverkeithing Town during the 1960s – an oral history by George Hastie https://youtu.be/Z2HTsQaTS0M

Memories of Inverkeithing Papermill, an Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project film https://youtu.be/-cWo5W9DQpw

Memories of Ward’s Shipbreaking Yard, an Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project film https://youtu.be/-fDAF-EjIRk

An Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project oral history interview with William/Bill Wilson https://youtu.be/w8u-yBTeiqs

An Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project oral history interview with John Venters https://youtu.be/QFUs-I-xAec

An Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project oral history interview with Richard Steinbach https://youtu.be/F_FtuwIFPdE

An Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project oral history interview with Nancy Rhouma https://youtu.be/N0-jDhwsZ0U

An Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project oral history interview with Daoud Rhouma https://youtu.be/pMp336LfIrs

An Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project oral history interview with Lorna Muir https://youtu.be/-bIYQ6AlGEc

An Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project oral history interview with Moira Marshall https://youtu.be/9fUCJeknsns

An Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project oral history interview with Catherine Johnston https://youtu.be/qQJ9nbmiajo

An Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project oral history interview with John/Ian Innes https://youtu.be/F8ERowIl5z4

An Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project oral history interview with George Hastie https://youtu.be/EBf4SYHMXGg

An Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project oral history interview with Robert Gibson https://youtu.be/2Fs1m_e4bn0

Make your own Inverkeithing Town House model

Make your very own model of the Town House.

There’s a video to watch, to help you make your model, and a template to download and print, below.

The template has full instructions on how to cut, fold and stick the model together. It can be coloured in too, and the kit comes with accessories: little people to animate your scenes, street furniture, market stalls, pipers at the Lammas fair, and even a Mercat Cross, to create Inverkeithing scenes. Please tweet or Instagram pictures of your completed models, using the hashtag #Inverkeithing or email them to .

Inverkeithing Town House Model

Here at Fife Historic Buildings Trust, we really love your creativity, thank you for letting us share your pictures, Anya, Dylan, Maya, Eilidh, James, Anais, Lily and Jane.

If you have made and coloured a model, we’d love to see it too. Please send us your pictures, to .

Inverkeithing podcasts

The Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration podcast, Series 1, was launched in 2020. Listen to episodes about Inverkeithing and pirates, the plague, find out more about the Town House. Subscribe, to find out new information currently being uncovered about Inverkeithing’s relationship to the Scottish Wars of Independence, and Inverkeithing’s direct connection to the Declaration of Arbroath. The episode descriptions have links to sources of further information on the topic.

Subscribe, and never miss an episode, on:

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2EmbfTC9wn7NRz6N87zIzH
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inverkeithing-heritage-regeneration/id1531498334?uo=4
Anchor.fm https://anchor.fm/emma-griffiths
Breaker https://www.breaker.audio/inverkeithing-heritage-regeneration
Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/nklkly3t
RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/inverkeithing-heritage-regenerati-WdqdvL

Take on a jigsaw challenge

Take on a jigsaw challenge, and get to know some of Inverkeithing’s heritage a different way. There’s an inbuilt timer – you can get competitive with your jigsaw completing skills!

Inverkeithing Town House, 45 pieces, moderate https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=15910e3c1f90

Town House panel, easier, 36 pieces

https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=0c88e8168d7e

Inverkeithing’s Town House has well documented alterations that date to the mid-1700s, but wall thicknesses in parts of the tower suggest the origins of the building may date from the 14^th or 15^th centuries. Inverkeithing was granted it Royal Burgh status in 1160, so some form of building in which serious town affairs were debated, taxes and tithes were collected and justice law and order were maintained, must have existed for centuries. There were even cells in the building, right up until the 19^th century – records exist of prison inspections, which report on the rather dubious jailor.

Providence House Inverkeithing, moderate, 49 pieces

https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=12b54a16264b

Can you beat someone else in the time it takes to complete the jigsaws?

The last jigsaw is of Providence House, with its carved lintel from 1688 – and the initials of patron who extended her house at that time: Isabella Bairdie.

Why not go for a responsible, socially distanced walk to the centre of Inverkeithing, have a good look at the Town House, and read the full inscription at Providence House – now Ferrier and MacKinnon Optometrists in the High Street – when you’ve completed the jigsaws?

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