Inverkeithing: History, Buildings and Routes

Inverkeithing brings together a range of themes for a stay: the Mercat Cross in the market square, Inverkeithing Parish Church, the Hospitium of the Grey Friars, the history of the second Battle of Inverkeithing, and two routes, each with its own points of interest. If you’re looking for a hotel in Inverkeithing, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your stay: architectural history, battlefield history or a particular route. These themes intersect at certain points, such as the Mercat Cross, which the Fife Coastal Path passes, but remain distinct perspectives on the town.

Buildings and History of Inverkeithing

Inverkeithing Parish Church can be understood through several clearly distinct dates. An earlier church was founded by St Erat in 1244; the present church was built on the remains of this predecessor. The Parish Church has a four-storey tower dating from the 14th century. The church also contains a baptismal font from the late 14th century. This means that one building brings together the founding story of an earlier church and distinct features from the 14th century: the tower and the baptismal font.

The Mercat Cross was conserved and moved to a more central location in Inverkeithing’s market square. On the High Street, the Fife Coastal Path passes the Cross on its way towards the coast. This brings a historic building and the described course of the coastal path together at one point.

The Hospitium of the Grey Friars offers a different focus on monastic architecture. Of the 14th-century monastery, only the Hospitium remains today. It is considered the best-preserved surviving example of a monastic building in Scotland. The Hospitium gardens offer views across the Forth and a place to picnic. In addition to the history of the surviving monastic building, visitors can enjoy the surrounding landscape and a place to picnic.

The Battlefield and the Landscape

The second Battle of Inverkeithing was the last battle fought within Scotland during the period of conflict known in the British Isles as the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Large areas of the battlefield have been preserved, although the landscape around Inverkeithing and Rosyth has since changed and developed. The historical story therefore includes both the context of the event and the surviving areas of the battlefield within a wider landscape. Anyone interested in Inverkeithing’s history can explore these aspects as a focus in their own right, alongside the historic buildings.

Two Routes, Different Ways to Find Your Way

The Fife Pilgrim Way passes through the historic town of Inverkeithing; its waymarkers are on lampposts and wooden posts. The section from Inverkeithing to Dunfermline passes through woodland and farmland. For the Fife Pilgrim Way, both the waymarkers along the route through town and the landscape along the named section are relevant.

The Fife Coastal Path offers a different point of reference: on the High Street, it passes the Mercat Cross on its way towards the coast. The route details differ in specific ways: for the Pilgrim Way, they include the locations of the waymarkers and the woodland and farmland along the section to Dunfermline; for the Coastal Path, they include the High Street, the Cross and the direction towards the coast. Inverkeithing also has a railway station, which you can include as a separate point of reference when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Saline, Cairneyhill, Ladybank, Pitlessie, Leuchars, Crossford, Aberdour, Lundin Links

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