Perched high above the Firth Of Forth, Buckhaven once
accommodated the second largest fishing fleet in Scotland and had a quaint
fishing quarter, as well as being a popular seaside resort. These features may have
vanished but the town, with its wide streets and stunning views over the Forth,
is currently undergoing a renaissance.
Find out more…
Buckhaven was initially a thriving weaving village, where,
according to local legend, the residents were descendants of a Dutch ship
wrecked on the rocks, although other sources link Buckhaven’s early inhabitants
to Viking raiders. Regardless of where they came from, Buckhaven’s original families
were considered ‘different’ from their Levenmouth neighbours until the early 19th
century, when Fife’s coal industry brought the local communities together.
In between weaving and mining, Buckhaven’s main industry was
fishing. In 1831, almost 200 fishing boats sailed from the harbour every day.
In 1869, the town’s fisherfolk bought a church in St Andrews, which they
demolished and transported to Buckhaven, brick by brick, in their fishing
boats.
Buckhaven has a free museum, which features a recreated
kitchen from a miner’s cottage over 100 years ago, and a busy community centre.
Across Buckhaven, huge community planting efforts over the past decade have
created community orchards and woodlands, while quirky artworks and heritage
interpretations emphasise the town’s distinctiveness.
