Welcome to Burntisland Heritage Trust
 
The aim of the Trust is to protect and promote
all aspects of Burntisland's heritage.

Burgh seal

Site navigation - use menu on left (click here to display it if not visible; or use site map).          Search the website
  
This website had 251,000 visitors in the year to 31 December 2020.

Please see below for:
  
Heritage Exhibition    Guided Walks    Other Activities    Appeal for Old Photos
     For more information on the exhibitions and walks, please contact the Convenor of Burntisland Heritage Trust, Ian Archibald (telephone 01592 873557 or ) (or contact via website manager).
  

New section on the website - Burntisland and Slavery

  

Heritage Exhibition: 25 June to 28 August 2021
"Portrait of a Town: Burntisland Through the Ages"

     In 2021 Burntisland Heritage will be presenting an extensive illustrated exhibition showing the town and surrounding area from earlier times to the present day. The exhibition will comprise a variety of over 100 images displaying the town's rich built, social, industrial and natural heritage. The exhibition is based on three heritage trails in the town which cover the town and the surrounding area. See poster on the right.
    The display will be a continuation of summer exhibitions which have been bringing the community together - attracting many visitors from the town, region, country and overseas for more than two decades.The exhibition will be open from 1.00 to 4.00pm on Fridays and Saturdays from Friday 25 June up to Saturday 28 August 2021. Admission to the exhibition will be free. Covid-19 restrictions will apply.

New YouTube Channel

     Our new YouTube channel contains a wide and varied selection of videos. A list of these can be found here. All of them show some of Burntisland’s rich history and heritage.
     Three of the most recent slideshow videos are based on the ‘Portrait of a Town’ exhibition and feature the Inner Heritage Trail (Portrait of a Town Part 1), the Outer Heritage Trail (Portrait of a Town Part 2), and a walk from Starley Burn via the High Street to the Lammerlaws and beyond (Portrait of a Town Part 3).

Restoration of Paintings

     In 2019, the Trust was able to secure funding to allow it to go ahead with the restoration of three important Burntisland paintings, two by Andrew Young and one by S. Humble.
    The conservation treatment of all three ("The Bridge of Life", "The Magistrates’ Seat" and "View of Burntisland from the Lammerlaws") has now been completed. Please click here for more information on the project; and here to see the YouTube video on the project.

Guided Historical Walks

Our programme of guided walks round the inner and outer heritage trails is in abeyance because of  Covid-19. Details will be posted here when they resume.

Other Heritage Trust Activities

Presentations - the Trust's Convenor regularly undertakes talks on the following subjects:
    * Burntisland's Gifts and Treasures.
    * The Search for the Lost Treasure of King Charles I.
    * Shipwrecks of the Forth and Beyond.
    * Island Jewels of the Forth.
    * Mary Somerville.
    * The Lewis Chessmen Unmasked.
    * A Revolution in Mapping: History of the Ordnance Survey.
    * The Man Who Told the Truth: The story of the Orcadian explorer Dr John Rae who discovered the missing link.
         to the North West Passage and is arguably the greatest of all Arctic Explorers.
    * The Vasa Story: The mighty warship Vasa capsized and sank in Stockholm in 1628 after sailing for only two hours.
         After 333 years on the sea bed the warship was salvaged and the voyage continues today as the Vasa is the
         only intact preserved 17th century ship in the world and is the most visited museum in Scandinavia.
The presentations are undertaken specifically to raise funds for the work of Burntisland Heritage Trust and a donation to the trust is always appreciated. Please contact Ian Archibald on 01592 873557.

The Trust was the lead organisation in the Kirkton Church restoration project (link opens in a new tab or window).

The Trust has produced a number of books and publications, most of which are still available - please see our 'Publications for Sale' page and our 'Heritage Trails Leaflet' page.

Heritage Trust projects include the erection of two comprehensive commemoration panels in the town; and an oral history programme, recording the memories of the town's older residents for posterity.

In 2020 the old red phone box outside the Public Library was converted into a Heritage Trust display kiosk. It now shows information about important events in the town's history. Click here for details.

In a joint venture in 2007, Burntisland Heritage Trust and the Arsenal Scotland Supporters Club erected a plaque to commemorate David Danskin, the founder and first captain of Arsenal Football Club - please see the David Danskin Commemoration Plaque page. In a similar venture in 2008, the Trust joined with the Institution of Civil Engineers to erect a plaque to commemorate William Bald, the pioneering 19th century cartographer, surveyor and civil engineer - please see the William Bald Commemoration Plaque page.

In 2013, Burntisland Heritage Trust was given permission to digitally copy the Erskine Church's older Kirk Session records and all of its newsletters to add to the Trust's local collections. Please click here for full details.

The Trust's activities include the search for King Charles I's baggage ferry, the 'Blessing', which sank off Burntisland in 1633 - please click here for the search timeline from 1997 to date.

Please click here to see a summary of all the Trust's activities and associated time line from 1993 to 2019.

Appeal for Old Photos

Burntisland Heritage Trust are always on the lookout for old Burntisland photos - in particular interesting photos from family archives, which might be of workplaces, buildings, streets, shops, sports, people, etc. Please (or use contact page) if you can help.

 

    Webpage by Iain Sommerville; Help on bookmarking this page.