KIRKCALDY, a royal and police burgh, parish, and seaport, of Fifeshirc, Scotland. Pop. 43,874. It lies on the Firth of Forth, 26 m. N. of Edinburgh by the L.N.E. railway, via the Forth bridge. Although Columba is said to have planted a church here, the authoritative history of the town does not begin for several centuries after the era of the saint. In 1240 the church was bestowed by David, bishop of St. Andrews, on Dunfermline abbey, and in 1334 the town with its harbour was granted by David II. to the same abbey, by which it was conveyed to the bailies and council in 1450, when Kirkcaldy was created a royal burgh. In the course of another century it had become an impor tant commercial centre, the salt trade of the district being then the largest in Scotland. In 1644 it was made a free port, and six years later it was assessed as the sixth town in the kingdom. After the Union its shipping fell off, Jacobite troubles and the American War of Independence accelerating the decline. But its linen manufactures, begun early in the 18th century, restored prosperity. It is called the "lang toun," as since it absorbed Link town and Abbotshall on the west, and Pathhead, Sinclairtown and Gallatown on the east, it has reached a length of nearly 4 m. The
parish church was mainly rebuilt in 1809, but has a Norman tower. The high school (1894) has succeeded the burgh school (1582). Thomas Carlyle was its master 1816-18.
To the west lies Beveridge park of no acres, including a large sheet of water, which was presented to the town in 1892. The harbour has an inner and outer division, with wet dock and wharves. Extensions, which include the lengthening of the east pier and the construction of a south pier, a tidal harbour and a dock, were opened in 1909. Besides the manufacture of sheeting, towelling, ticks, dowlas and sail-cloth, the principal industries include flax tow and jute spinning, net and rope making, bleaching, dyeing, brass and iron founding, and there are potteries, machine works, fisheries, and factories for the making of oil-cloth and linoleum. In 1847 Michael Nairn invented the method of making oil-cloth. Kirkcaldy has kept the predominance in its manufacture to which Nairn's enterprise entitled it, and is the centre of the oil-cloth and linoleum manufacture of the kingdom. Kirkcaldy combines with Dysart, Buckhaven (with Methil and Innerleven), Kinghorn and Burntisland to return one member to parliament.