Editing Dalgety Bay (section)

== History ==
Dalgety Bay began as the village of Dalgety, which was built on the site of the 12th century [[St Bridget's Kirk]].The land surrounding the town was part of the estate owned by the [[Earl of Moray|Earls of Moray]] who built [[Donibristle|Donibristle House]] as their residence. In 1592 [[James Stewart, 2nd Earl of Moray]] was murdered on the seashore near Donibristle by his rival [[George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly|George Gordon, Earl of Huntly]], which is remembered in the popular ballad [[The Bonnie Earl O' Moray]]. 

Towards the end of the 18th century, the village was destroyed by order of the Earls of Moray.<ref name="Omand p176">Omand ''The Fife Book'' p.176.</ref> and the inhabitants dispersed. During the [[First World War]] [[Earl of Moray|Morton Gray Stuart, 17th Earl of Moray]] donated a portion of his land to [[the Crown]], which built an airfield there in 1917 as a base for the [[Royal Naval Air Service]].  The town also sent 30 men into the First World War, with only eight returning unharmed. The Royal Naval Air Service improved and expanded the aerodrome during the [[Second World War]] as [[HMS Merlin|HMS ''Merlin'']], an [[naval air station|air station]], and constructed an extensive aircraft maintenance facility there.

Construction of the modern town of Dalgety Bay as Scotland's first "enterprise town" began around 1965 on the site of RNAS Donibristle <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/donibristle/|title=Donibristle - Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust UK|website=www.abct.org.uk}}</ref> and much of the remaining ground of the Earls of Moray family seat, Donibristle House.<ref name="Omand p90">Omand ''The Fife Book'' p.90.</ref> The town stretches across several bays and coves of the northern coast of the Firth of Forth including Donibristle Bay and St David's Bay.