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Town and former royal burgh in Scotland
Photo: Rohancragg, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Kirkcaldy is a town on the coast of Fife in central Scotland. It's called "The Lang Toun" due to the collection of villages that stretched along the coast. It's industrial, making linoleum, and in 2016 had a population of 50,010. Famous people from Kirkcaldy include the economist Adam Smith, the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the crime fiction writer Val McDermid.
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The museum displays the town's industrial heritage, such as the local Wemyss Ware pottery. The gallery has several works by Scottish Colourists and Jack Vettriano originals.
This is the town's main performing arts venue.
It has public skating and curling matches, but is best known as the home of Fife Flyers, who play Sept-April in the Elite Ice Hockey League, the UK top tier. Also playing here are Kirkcaldy Kestrels in the Scottish National League, the second tier.
Reliable JD Wetherspoon chain outlet. It's named for the 19th century industrialist who founded Kirkcaldy's linoleum trade.
It's got a bit of everything and is open from early afternoon, so it could save your skin on a cold wet day.
Consistently good family-run Italian restaurant, half a mile north of High Street.
Karaoke Bar
Small clean comfy place.
Great value small hotel, some noise from street and karaoke bar.
Central welcoming small hotel.
Plush hotel in an 18th-century mansion at the golf course, often caters for weddings.
Given a stylish makeover in 2019, Dean Park is by the retail park north edge of town, so a good choice for motorists.
By train
Kirkcaldy is on the east coast mainline which runs from London Kings Cross via York, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Inverkeithing to Kirkcaldy, continuing north to Dundee and Aberdeen.
By bus
Stagecoach Bus X58 / X60 runs from Edinburgh via Inverkeithing to Kirkcaldy (70 min), and continues via Leven and the East Neuk villages to St Andrews. It runs hourly, daily.
By road
From south or west, exit M90 at Jcn 2A onto A92 eastbound, then take A910 into town. This is much quicker than the coast road.
Town is walkable but quite spread out. Bus 7 takes you along the coast and the Glenrothes buses get you inland.
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