Fife Forge

09/09/2026

09/09/2026

2 Day Rock Festival, Lomond Centre Glenrothes, 19th & 20th of July

Nice to find this flyer amongst the new records. Anyone remember this festival? and the year? Tickets were available from Strings, Kirkcaldy, the Dutch Mill, Kirkcaldy, Donaldson's, Glenrothes & Bruce's, Kirkcaldy and Edinburgh, which dates it sometime in the 1970s/1980s.

The Dutch Mill was a legendary Kirkcaldy music venue, sadly now replaced by Aldi, where great bands like Simple Minds once played.

Also found in a Kid Creole & The Coconuts Album was a handwritten note. Did you ever give David Bowie and Duran Duran back Kay? :)

JD

09/09/2026

Could You Be Loved? Yes, if You Love Your Vinyl, Get Yourself Down to Fife Forge at 69 High Street, Kirkcaldy

Fresh old LPs just in. JD

08/09/2026

08/09/2026

The Daily Sketch - Wednesday April 10th, 1940

The Daily Sketch was a British national tabloid newspaper published out of Manchester from 1909 to 1971.

We have been lucky to get hold of a few original WW2 newspapers containing some historical and cultural gems. Some of these stories seem tragically familiar today; only today we have different clowns in different circuses.

JD

08/09/2026

Keep Digging

One of the wonderful, but obvious things about history, is the more you dig the more you can find and the deeper you dig, the finds can get richer. That's true for the story of Kirkcaldy with coal, ironstone and ancient burial cists. What else lies beneath?

The recent donation of a souvenir programme of the Ravenscraig Park Opening revealed reference to a memoir by John Sinclair, one of the Sinclair family living in Ravenscraig Castle around 1715. The Saint Clair or Sinclair family lived in Ravenscraig Castle for about 180 years, from 1471 until the mid-17th century and owned the estate for over 425 years.

I am looking forward to reading the Memoirs Of The Insurrection in Scotland in 1715 (Jacobite Uprising) and seeing what it reveals about Ravenscraig Castle, the Sinclair Clan, Kirkcaldy and the war.

There are Sinclairs still living in Kirkcaldy. These modern Sinclairs may or may not be related to the same line who played such a central part in Scottish, and Kirkcaldy history with their association with Ravenscraig Castle, Kirkcaldy and Scotland's wars.

Their presence lingers on in some Kirkcaldy place and street names: Sinclairtown, Ravenscraig Castle, Ravenscraig Park, Dysart (formerly part of the Sinclair estate), Rosslyn Street (named after the Sinclairs as Earls of Rosslyn), Saint Clair Street, Orkney Place, (named after the Sinclairs as the Earls of Orkney) and Caithness Place (named after the Sinclairs as Earls of Caithness).

This rich Kirkcaldy history deserves a little more than street names.

BECOME A GUARDIAN OF RAVENSCRAIG CASTLE, KIRKCALDY!

If you like the idea of restoring Ravenscraig Castle please show your support by joining this group. If you are keen on doing more in the way of volunteering please PM me.

Thanks

George Proudfoot, Chair, Kirkcaldy Civic Society
John Dennett, Fife Forge

05/09/2026

04/09/2026

A Special Event in Kirkcaldy?

A whisky tasting? A first course and dram before a stag do? A first course and fizz before a hens? A creative session? A burns night? Revolution planning? There's nothing like the Forge in Kirkcaldy or probably anywhere else? We'll make for your measure. PM me. JD

04/09/2026

Ravenscraig Castle Restoration Update

Last Thursday we held our inaugural meeting of the Guardians of Ravenscraig Castle at Fife Forge on the Kirkcaldy High Street.

Our guest speaker, architect John Sanders provided an authoritative and informative talk on Ravenscraig Castle and its restoration potential. John encouragingly stated, ‘restoration' was probably too strong a word as to what is needed in relation to Ravenscraig Castle, as it is in fairly good shape.

John Sanders will post in-depth on his talk later, but for now some key takeaways are:

- Ravenscraig Castle appears structurally sound, and the main works required are some reinstatement of the East Tower, roofing of both towers, some facing stones repairs, a proper working drawbridge, and reinstallation of floors, doors and windows.

- Importantly, the works above are considered consistent with maintaining the architectural integrity of the castle, particularity as a military defensive castle.

- Also important, is that current Historic Environment Scotland thinking on roofing castles has changed. In the past roofing was seen as potentially architecturally invasive, but this thinking has now flipped, given evidence that increased rain fall is accelerating the degradation of unroofed castles.

We also discussed the economic benefits to Kirkcaldy of a restored castle, as an treasured jewel around which Kirkcaldy tourism will thrive, as a part of the wonderful cluster of historic treasures in Kirkcaldy and vicinity and a usable community venue. We also discussed the castle’s potential for featuring interactive exhibits / edutainment appealing to younger generations.

Our next steps will be engaging in depth with local and central Government and Historic Environment Scotland on the proposal.

Thank you to the enthusiastic group of Guardians who attended our first meeting. We now have over 200 Guardians in our Guardians of Ravenscraig Castle Kirkcaldy FB Group and over 200 in the more internationally supportive Friends of Ravenscraig Castle FB Group.

BECOME A GUARDIAN OF RAVENSCRAIG CASTLE, KIRKCALDY!

If you like the idea of restoring Ravenscraig Castle please show your support by joining this group. If you are keen on doing more in the way of volunteering please PM me.

Thanks

George Proudfoot, Chair, Kirkcaldy Civic Society
John Dennett, Fife Forge