| Country: | Scotland |
| Official Name: | Kinglassie |
| Population Ref: | |
| Map Type: | Scotland |
| Unitary Scotland: | Fife |
| Static Image Name: | Kinglassie Post Office - geograph.org.uk - 3039963.jpg |
| Static Image Caption: | Kinglassie Post Office |
Kinglassie (Scottish Gaelic: Cill Ghlaise[1]) is a small village and parish in central Fife, Scotland. It is located two miles southwest of Glenrothes. It has a population of around The civil parish has a population of 22,543 (in 2011).[2]
The village of Kinglassie (properly pronounced Kin-glassie, but locals have said King-lassie for decades) lies to the north of the Lochty Burn, 2miles southwest of Glenrothes in Fife, and two miles southeast of Perth and Kinross district.
The name of the village derives from Scottish Gaelic, although the exact meaning is obscure. The name was first recorded as "Kilglassin" in 1127. The first element, kil, is from the Gaelic, cill, meaning monk's cell or church, but was changed to kin or ceann, meaning head or end, by the 13th century. The element 'glassie' may refer to the Irish saint Glaisne, or may be glasin, meaning the place of the burn. Taken together this gives "St Glaisne's Church" or "Church of the Burn" as possible meanings.[3]
Little of antiquity remains, except for the Dogton Stone, with its Celtic cross, situated in a field about a mile (1.5 km) to the south. For many years, Kinglassie was a weaving village, but in the 19th and 20th centuries it developed as a mining town.
From a very early period through to the Reformation, Scotland was dotted over with certain divisions of lands known as "Schyres." Thus, in the immediate neighbourhood of Kinross were Kynros-Schyre, Portmocke-Schyre, Kinglassy-Schyre, Muchard-Schyre, and Doloure-Schyre. These Schyres must not be confused with the shire of the present day; they were simply divisions of land, similar in extent to an average modern parish.
Kinglassie has a primary school, Mitchell Hall (1896) and the Miners' Welfare Institute (est. 1931). Fife Airport lies about a mile (1.5 km) to the north and, on a hill overlooking the farm of Redwells, stands Blythe's Folly, a 15.6adj=midNaNadj=mid tower built in 1812 by an eccentric Leith ship owner. Kinglassie's development during the late 19th and early 20th centuries was marked by its rapid expansion to house mine workers. Many mine workers perished or were injured during the life of the mine. The mine was plagued by water flooding problems. The Kinglassie Pit started in 1908 and closed in 1967. The Westfield open cast coal mine lies to the west of the village and is still regarded as the biggest man-made hole in Europe by local people.
Glastian of Kinglassie B (AC) (also known as Glastian of MacGlastian) was born in Fife, Scotland. He died at Kinglassie (Kinglace), Scotland, in 830. As bishop of Fife, Saint Glastian mediated in the bloody civil war between the Picts and the Scots. When the Picts were subjugated, Glastian did much to alleviate their lot. He is the patron saint of Kinglassie in Fife and is venerated in Kyntire (Benedictines, Husenbeth).
Kinglassie Primary School has a roll of approximately 270 pupils. The school was built to designs by the architect George Charles Campbell[4] in 1912. It has a butterfly type plan consisting of two single storey rendered wings either side of a hexagon shaped hall. The central portion of the façade is two storeys high and of red sandstone, with generous steps leading to a central formal entrance. It is a category B listed building.
The Pupil Council represents pupils in the school. The eco-committee consists of pupils, staff, parents, and members of the wider community, and is proactive in promoting conservation initiatives throughout the school. A parent council represents the parent body and raises funds for various initiatives. In addition, children are supported in class by a growing number of parent helpers and the school is well-supported by parents generally.
Blythe's Tower, built in 1812, is a four-storey square tower, 15.8m (51.8feet) high, built of rubble with ashlar string courses and a crenellated parapet. It is a category B listed building. The tower's interior was formerly floored to afford access to an observation platform. The tower was built by a linen merchant to view ships as they entered the Forth, affording him the opportunity to procure the best goods at port. During World War II, the tower was used as a look out tower by the home guard.
The Dogton Stone, lies in a field to the south of Kinglassie at Grid reference – NT 236 968. The stone is a fragment of a free standing cross erected by the Picts, it probably dates from the 9th Century. The lower portion of the stone is all that remains of the cross and badly eroded decoration including a figure of an armed horseman above two beasts can be discerned. No one is certain why the stone was erected at this spot.[5] It is a scheduled monument.
The Mitchell Hall, built in 1896, was donated to the community by Alexander Mitchell. Mitchell also donated the first Parish Church organ. The Mitchell Hall is used by local community groups and is an asset to the wider Fife community.