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

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).
 

  
Heritage Keeps You in the Picture

     Among the many events that were cancelled due to COVID was the Burntisland Heritage 2020 Summer Exhibition (see below). However not to disappoint the many visitors – local, national and international – who attend and for those who might be suffering “cabin fever” during this lockdown BHT considered how to make some of its resources available. The result was a channel on YouTube on which were posted a number of videos. There is a wide and varied selection. 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). Click on the images below to access the slideshows.

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.

Heritage Exhibition 2021 (postponed from 2020 because of COVID-19)
"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 display will be a continuation of summer exhibitions which have been bringing the community together attracting thousands of visitors from the town, region, country and overseas for more than two decades.
    The exhibition will run from mid June 2021 to the end of September 2021, and full details of opening hours etc will appear here as soon as they have been finalised. Admission to the exhibition will be free.

Guided Historical Walks

Our programme of guided walks round the inner and outer heritage trails is also 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 olderresidents 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.