Kilrenny
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|---|---|
 Kilrenny from the air | |
  Kilrenny Location within Scotland | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
Kilrenny (Scottish Gaelic : Cill Reithnidh) is a village in Fife, Scotland. Part of the East Neuk, it lies immediately to the north of (but inland and separate from) Anstruther on the south Fife coast. [1]
The first element of the name is from the Scottish Gaelic cill, meaning 'church'. The '-renny' element may perpetuate a worn down form of Etharnan or Itharnan, an early churchman who 'died among the Picts' in 669 according to the Annals of Ulster ." [2] That Kilrenny is of early Christian origin is suggested both by the Kil- element of the place-name, and by the Skeith Stone, [3] a carved stone with marigold motif (circa 700?) which stands to the west of the village, possibly marking an ancient area of sanctity.
The village was formerly Upper Kilrenny, [1] until nearby Lower Kilrenny changed its name to Cellardyke in the 16th century. The oldest part of the present church is the 15th-century tower, with the body of the building rebuilt in 1807–08 (re-using the original stones as building rubble).
The village is a conservation area [4] has many well-preserved houses in the local vernacular style, with crow-stepped gables, datestones, forestairs, pan-tiled roofs etc.
