Editing Fife (section)

==History==
Fife, bounded to the north by the [[Firth of Tay]] and to the south by the [[Firth of Forth]], is a natural peninsula whose political boundaries have changed little over the ages. The [[List of kings of the Picts|Pictish king list]] and [[De Situ Albanie]] documents of the [[Poppleton manuscript]] mention the division of the [[Picts|Pictish]] realm or [[Alba]]ny into seven sub-kingdoms, one being Fife.<ref name="Taylor">{{cite book|last=Taylor|first=Simon|title=The Place-Names of Fife, Volume 5|year=2012|publisher=Shaun Tyas|location=Donington, Lincs.|isbn=9781907730085|author2=Gilbert Márkus}}</ref>{{rp|70–72}} The earliest known reference to the common epithet ''The Kingdom of Fife'' dates from only 1678, in a proposition that the term derives from the quasi-regal privileges of the [[Earl of Fife]].<ref name=Taylor/>{{rp|132}} The notion of a kingdom may derive from a misinterpretation of an extract from [[Andrew of Wyntoun|Wyntoun]].<ref name=Taylor/>{{rp|133}} The name is recorded as ''Fib'' in A.D. 1150 and ''Fif'' in 1165. It was often associated with [[Fothriff]].

The hill-fort of [[Clatchard Craig]], near [[Newburgh, Fife|Newburgh]], was occupied as an important [[Picts|Pictish]] stronghold between the sixth and eighth centuries AD.<ref name="RCAHMS">{{cite web|url=http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/30074/details/clatchard+craig/ |title=The site record for Clatchard Craig at RCAHMS |publisher=Canmore.rcahms.gov.uk }}</ref><ref name="SAS">{{cite web|url=http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/arch-352-1/dissemination/pdf/vol_116/116_117_184.pdf |title=Excavation Summary by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland }}</ref>

Fife was an important royal and political centre from the reign of King [[Malcolm III]] onwards, as the leaders of [[Scotland]] gradually moved southwards away from their ancient strongholds around Scone. Malcolm had his principal home in [[Dunfermline]] and his wife [[Saint Margaret of Scotland|Margaret]] was the main benefactor of [[Dunfermline Abbey]]. The Abbey replaced [[Iona]] as the final resting place of Scotland's royal elite, with [[Robert the Bruce|Robert I]] amongst those to be buried there.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM90116|title=Dunfermline Abbey (SM90116)|website=portal.historicenvironment.scot|quote=Dunfermline has high significance as the chosen burial place of the Canmore dynasty of Scottish kings. It took on the role of Royal Mausoleum after the loss of Iona to the kingdom of Norway. Kings and Queens believed to lie buried beneath the abbey church include Queen Margaret and King Malcolm III, David I, and Robert I. The site is unparalleled in Scotland as a royal burial place, serving this role for over 250 years. After 1371, the Stewart dynasty chose to be buried elsewhere.}}</ref>

The Earl of Fife was until the 15th century considered the principal peer of the Scottish realm, and reserved the right of crowning the nation's monarchs, reflecting the prestige of the area.

A new royal palace was gradually constructed at [[Falkland, Fife|Falkland]], formerly the stronghold of [[Clan MacDuff]], and was used by successive monarchs of the [[House of Stuart]], who favoured Fife for its rich hunting grounds.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/GDL00176|title=FALKLAND PALACE (GDL00176)|website=portal.historicenvironment.scot|quote=Falkland Palace was used as a home where the Stuarts could relax, play tennis, practise archery and hunt deer, wild boar, and ride out hawking in the Forest of Falkland.}}</ref>

King [[James VI of Scotland]] described Fife, in {{Langx|sco|"beggar's mantle fringed wi gowd"|label=[[Middle Scots]], as a}}<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zqq8BQAAQBAJ&q=James+%22beggar%27s+mantle+fringed+wi+gowd%22&pg=PT79|title=A Dictionary of Scottish Phrase and Fable|isbn=9780857906373|last1=Crofton|first1=Ian|date=5 November 2012|publisher=Birlinn }}</ref> the golden fringe being the coast and its chain of little ports with their thriving fishing fleets and rich trading links with the [[Low Countries]]. [[Wool]], [[linen]], [[coal]] and [[salt]] were all traded. [[Open-pan salt making|Salt pans]] heated by local coal were historically a feature of the Fife coast. The distinctive red clay pan tiles seen on many old buildings in Fife arrived as ballast on trading boats and replaced the previously thatched roofs.

In 1598, King James VI employed a group of 11 men from Fife, who became known as the [[Fife adventurers]], to colonise the [[Isle of Lewis]] in an attempt to begin the "civilisation" and de-gaelicisation of the region.<ref name="keay">{{cite book|last=Keay|first=John & Julia|title=Collins Encyclopedia of Scotland|year=1994|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=978-0-00-255082-6|page=370}}</ref> This endeavour lasted until 1609 when the colonists, having been opposed by the native population, were bought out by [[Kenneth Mackenzie, 1st Lord Mackenzie of Kintail|Kenneth Mackenzie]], the [[Scottish clan chief|clan chief]] of the [[Clan Mackenzie|Mackenzies]].<ref name="keay"/>

Fife became a centre of heavy industry in the 19th century. Coal had been mined in the area since at least the 12th century, but the number of pits increased ten-fold as demand for coal grew in the Victorian period. Previously rural villages such as [[Cowdenbeath]] rapidly swelled into towns as thousands moved to Fife to find work in its mines. The opening of the [[Forth Bridge|Forth]] and [[Tay Rail Bridge|Tay]] rail bridges linked Fife with Dundee and Edinburgh and allowed the rapid transport of goods. Modern ports were constructed at [[Methil, Fife|Methil]], [[Burntisland]] and [[Rosyth]]. Kirkcaldy became the world centre for the production of [[linoleum]]. [[Postwar]] Fife saw the development of Scotland's second [[New town#United Kingdom|new town]], [[Glenrothes]]. Originally to provide housing for miners at a new coal mine, the town eventually attracted a high number of modern [[Silicon Glen]] companies to the region.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/glenrothes-and-markinch-p238971|title=Glenrothes And Markinch Visitor Guide - Accommodation, Things To Do & More|website=www.visitscotland.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/past-times/3300158/rothes-colliery/|title=Rothes Colliery: When the ill-fated Glenrothes coal mine was blasted into rubble|first=Kate|last=Brown|date=17 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/glenrothes-70-scandal-art-and-royalty-278057|title=Glenrothes at 70 - scandal, art and royalty|date=5 July 2018|website=www.fifetoday.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l2UcB50hV7EC&dq=glenrothes+%22silicon+glen%22&pg=PA68 | isbn=9781853025013 | title=The Professional Engineer in Society | year=1989 | publisher=Jessica Kingsley Publishers }}</ref> Fife Council and Fife Constabulary also centre their operations in Glenrothes.

There are numerous notable historical buildings in Fife, some of which are managed by the [[National Trust for Scotland]] or [[Historic Scotland]]. They include Dunfermline Abbey (the last resting place of Scottish royalty), the palace in Culross, Ravenscraig Castle in Kirkcaldy, Dysart Harbour area, [[Balgonie Castle]] near Coaltown of Balgonie, Falkland Palace (hunting palace of the Scottish Kings), Kellie Castle near Pittenweem, [[Hill of Tarvit]] (a historical house), St. Andrews Castle, [[St Andrews Cathedral|St. Andrews Cathedral]] and [[St Andrews Cathedral#St Rule's tower|St. Rule's Tower]].

===Administrative history===
[[File:A new map of Scotland with the roads (8643653080).jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|right|Map of Scottish provinces in 1689 showing the earldom of Fife, which included Kinross and Clackmannan.]]
Fife was one of the ancient [[provinces of Scotland]], under the authority of the [[Mormaer]] or [[Earl of Fife]]. The early province of Fife appears to have covered only that part of the later county lying east of a line from [[Newburgh, Fife|Newburgh]] to [[Scoonie]]. The western part of the later county was in the province of [[Fothriff]], which also covered areas that would later become [[Kinross-shire]] and part of [[Clackmannanshire]], including the town of [[Clackmannan]]. By the early thirteenth century Fothriff had been joined to the earldom of Fife. Sometime between the reign of [[David I of Scotland|David I]] (reigned 1124–1153) and the mid-thirteenth century, this part of Scotland was divided into [[shires of Scotland|shires]], being areas administered by a [[sheriff principal|sheriff]]. Kinross and Clackmannan were each given their own sheriffs, whilst the rest of the Fife and Fothriff area was placed under the authority of the [[Sheriff of Fife and Kinross|Sheriff of Fife]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chalmers |first1=George |title=Caledonia (Volume 7) |date=1894 |publisher=Alexander Gardner |location=Paisley |pages=112–119 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Dg6AQAAMAAJ |access-date=22 April 2023}}</ref>

Over time, Scotland's shires became more significant than the old provinces, with more administrative functions being given to the sheriffs. The larger earldom of Fife, including Kinross and Clackmannan, was therefore gradually eclipsed in importance by the smaller shire of Fife. In 1667 [[Commissioners of Supply]] were established for each shire, which would serve as the main administrative body for the area until the creation of county councils in 1890. Following the [[Acts of Union 1707|Acts of Union]] in 1707, the English term "county" came to be used interchangeably with the older term "shire".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Keith |title=Act of the convention of estates of the kingdom of Scotland etc. for a new and voluntary offer to his majesty of £72,000 monthly for the space of twelve months, 23 January 1667 |url=http://www.rps.ac.uk/trans/1667/1/10 |website=Records of the Parliament of Scotland |publisher=University of St Andrews |access-date=25 February 2023}}</ref>

Elected county councils were established in 1890 under the [[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889]], taking most of the functions of the commissioners (which were eventually abolished in 1930). The two [[burgh]]s of [[Dunfermline]] and [[Kirkcaldy]] were deemed capable of managing their own affairs and so were excluded from the administrative area of the county council.<ref>Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, c. 50</ref> The 1889 act also led to a review of boundaries, with several [[exclave]]s being transferred to a county they actually bordered, and parishes which straddled more than one county being adjusted such that each parish was entirely in a single county. These changes saw some adjustments to Fife's boundaries with Kinross-shire and Perthshire, with the most significant change being that Fife gained the two parishes of [[Culross]] and [[Tulliallan]], which had previously formed an exclave of Perthshire.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shennan |first1=Hay |title=Boundaries of counties and parishes in Scotland as settled by the Boundary Commissioners under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 |date=1892 |publisher=W. Green |location=Edinburgh |page=249 |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_meygAAAAMAAJ/page/n285/mode/2up?q=fife |access-date=22 April 2023}}</ref> Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy were brought within the administrative area of the county council in 1930, but classed as [[large burgh]]s, allowing them to continue to deliver many local government functions themselves.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929|year=1929|chapter=25|accessdate=22 April 2023}}</ref>

[[File:County buildings, Cupar.jpg|thumb|[[County Buildings, Cupar]], the former headquarters of Fife County Council]]
Fife County Council was based at [[County Buildings, Cupar|County Buildings]] in Catherine Street in [[Cupar]], which had been built in 1817 as the county's sheriff court and meeting place for the commissioners of supply, replacing the town's medieval [[tolbooth]] which had performed the same functions.<ref>{{Historic Environment Scotland|num= LB24160|desc= County Buildings and former Court House, excluding 4-storey offices and police station adjoining to rear and single storey block to east, St Catherine Street, Cupar|access-date=18 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Cupar, Tolbooth |url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/31497/cupar-tolbooth |website=Canmore |publisher=Historic Environment Scotland |access-date=22 April 2023}}</ref>

Fife County Council was abolished in 1975 under the [[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973]], which replaced Scotland's counties, burghs and [[List of local government areas in Scotland (1930–1975)|landward districts]] with a two-tier structure of upper-tier [[Local government areas of Scotland (1975–1996)|regions]] and lower-tier [[districts of Scotland|districts]]. Fife region was created covering the same area as the county, divided into three [[Regions and districts of Scotland|district]]s: [[Dunfermline (district)|Dunfermline]], [[Kirkcaldy (district)|Kirkcaldy]] and [[North-East Fife (district)|North-East Fife]]. In 1996 the district councils were abolished and Fife Regional Council became a [[unitary authority]] known as Fife Council. Fife is one of the six local authorities in the [[City region#United Kingdom|city region]] of Edinburgh and southeast Scotland.

There was a [[parliamentary constituency]] of [[Fife (UK Parliament constituency)|Fife]] in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom]] until 1885 and the [[Fife (Parliament of Scotland constituency)|Fife constituency]] in the [[Parliament of Scotland]] until the [[Acts of Union 1707]].