Scoonie

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Scoonie
Fife UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Scoonie
Location within Fife
Population9,613  [1] (2011 Census)
OS grid reference NO384007
Civil parish
  • Scoonie
Council area
Lieutenancy area
  • Fife
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LEVEN
Postcode district KY8
Dialling code 01333
Police Scotland
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
56°11′42″N2°59′39″W / 56.195°N 2.994167°W / 56.195; -2.994167 Coordinates: 56°11′42″N2°59′39″W / 56.195°N 2.994167°W / 56.195; -2.994167
Aithernie Castle in the north of the parish Aithernie Castle - geograph.org.uk - 186581.jpg
Aithernie Castle in the north of the parish

Scoonie is a settlement and parish in Fife, Scotland, the parish contains the town of Leven. It is bordered on the north by the parishes of Kettle and Ceres, on the east by the parish of Largo, on the south by the parishes of Markinch and Wemyss, and on the west by the parishes of Markinch and Kennoway. It extends about 4+1⁄2 miles (7.2 kilometres) north to south. Its width varies between 5⁄8 and 2+3⁄4 mi (1.0 and 4.4 km). The parish is on the coast of the Firth of Forth, with a coastline of about 1+1⁄2 mi (2.4 km) [2] The area of the parish is 4,107 acres (1,662 hectares). [3]

Contents

Parish of Scoonie, 1900 Scoonie map 1900.jpg
Parish of Scoonie, 1900

The River Leven forms the southern boundary of the parish, flowing into Largo Bay. The surface rises gradually northward to 600 feet (180 metres) near Kilmux Wood. [2]

In 1951 the population of the parish was 9,518 [4] and is now 9,613 (in 2011). [1]

The population of the parish is mainly in Leven. In 1791 the parish population was 1,675, of which 1,165 were in the village of Leven. [5] By 1901 [6] Scoonie had a population of 6,342 of which 5,577 were in Leven. At the most recent census (2011) Scoonie has a population of 9,613, of which 9,004 are in Leven (94%). [7]

The old parish church is now a ruin lying in the centre of the burial ground. [2] It was constructed in the twelfth century and all that remains is a roofless structure which may have been the session house or vestry of the church. [8]

The name Scoonie is of Gaelic and possibly Pictish origin meaning place of the lump-like hill. This refers to the site of the old kirk which was on a small hill like a mound. [9]

War Memorial of the Parish of Scoonie, Durie St., Leven Leven's War Memorial - geograph.org.uk - 474760.jpg
War Memorial of the Parish of Scoonie, Durie St., Leven

Durie House lies in the centre of the parish. This mansion, built in 1762 as the seat of the Durie family, is now a listed building. [10] On the northern borders of the parish are the historic estate of Montrave and the ruined castle of Aithernie, by the banks of Scoonie burn. [11]

Local Government

A Parochial Board was established for Scoonie under the Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845. The town of Leven became a Police burgh when in 1867 the inhabitants adopted the General and Police Improvement (Scotland) Act, 1862, Andrew Wilkie being elected as the first Chief Magistrate from April 1869.

The "landward" part of the parish, namely the area outside of the burgh of Leven, achieved local self government under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1894 when Scoonie Parish Council was established, with John Wilkie elected as first Chairman on 20 May 1895. [12] The Parish Council was dissolved when Civil parishes in Scotland ceased to be units of local government after 1930, [13] its functions being transferred to Fife County Council. The civil parish continues as a non-administrative unit for census and other purposes. The ecclesiastic parish is now named Leven [14]

However for the population within the burgh of Leven, their affairs were still governed locally after 1930 by the burgh council, which now had the competencies of a Small burgh. But, by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the burgh of Leven was abolished in 1975 and, along with the rest of the parish, was subsumed in Kirkcaldy District of Fife Region.

Notable People

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Leven, Fife Human settlement in Scotland

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Markinch Human settlement in Scotland

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Strathmiglo

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Saline, Fife Human settlement in Scotland

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Dunino Human settlement in Scotland

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Leslie, Fife Human settlement in Scotland

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Kingskettle

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Cockpen Human settlement in Scotland

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Moonzie Human settlement in Scotland

Moonzie is a small parish in Fife, Scotland, about 3 miles north-west of Cupar. It is bounded on the west by Creich, on the north by Kilmany, on the south-east by Cupar and on the south-west by Monimail.

Abdie Human settlement in Scotland

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Cameron, Fife Human settlement in Scotland

Cameron is a parish in east Fife, Scotland, 3½ miles south-west of St Andrews.

Logie is a parish and village in east Fife, Scotland, 5 miles north-east of Cupar.

Wemyss, Fife

Wemyss is a civil parish on the south coast of Fife, Scotland, lying on the Firth of Forth. It is bounded on the north-east by the parish of Scoonie and the south-west by the parish of Kirkcaldy and Dysart and its length from south-west to north-east is about 6 miles. Inland it is bounded by Markinch and its greatest breadth is 2+1⁄4 miles.

Kirkcaldy and Dysart is a civil parish on the south coast of Fife, Scotland, lying on the Firth of Forth, containing the towns of Kirkcaldy and Dysart and their hinterland. The civil parish was formed in December 1901 by an amalgamation of the parishes of Kirkcaldy, Dysart and Abbotshall, along with the portion of the parish of Kinghorn which lay within the burgh of Kirkcaldy. However the parish of Abbotshall was originally part of the parish of Kirkcaldy and had only been disjoined from it in 1650.

Largoward Human settlement in Scotland

Largoward is a village in East Fife, Scotland, lying on the road from Leven to St Andrews in the Riggin o Fife, 4½ miles north-east of Lower Largo and 6½ miles south-west of St Andrews. It is an agricultural and former mining village, one of the three main villages of the civil parish of Kilconquhar, along with Colinsburgh and the village of Kilconquhar. Coal must have been worked for a considerable length of time in the district, as it is recorded that coal was driven annually from Falfield, just north-west of the village, to Falkland Palace for the use of King James VI.

Manor, Scottish Borders Human settlement in Scotland

Manor is a parish in Peeblesshire in the Scottish Borders, whose church lies on the west bank of Manor Water 3 miles south-west of Peebles.

References

Citations
  1. 1 2 Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS101SC – Usually Resident Population, publ. by National Records of Scotland. Web site http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/ retrieved March 2016. See “Standard Outputs”, Table KS101SC, Area type: Civil Parish 1930
  2. 1 2 3 Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, by Francis Groome, 1882-4
  3. ↑ Gazetteer of Scotland, publ, by W & AK Johnston, Edinburgh, 1937. Article on Scoonie. Places are presented alphabetically
  4. ↑ Vision of Britain web site http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10017208/cube/TOT_POP accessed 21 April 2015
  5. ↑ (First) Statistical Account of Scotland, by Sir John Sinclair, Vol. 5, publ By William Creech, Edinburgh, 1793; article on Scoonie, p. 106
  6. ↑ Census of Scotland
  7. ↑ Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS101SC – Usually Resident Population, publ. by National Records of Scotland. Web site http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/ retrieved March 2016. See “Standard Outputs”, Table KS101SC, Area type: SNS Data Zone 2011
  8. ↑ Places of Worship in Scotland http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/places/region/Fife/parish/Scoonie extracted 21 April 2014
  9. ↑ Place-Names of Fife, Vol.2, by Simon Taylor with Gilbert Márkus, publ. 2008 Shaun Tyas
  10. ↑ See Historic Scotland's web site http://portal.historic-scotland.gov.uk/hes/web/f?p=PORTAL:DESIGNATION:::::DES:LB16699 retrieved Feb 2016
  11. ↑ Rambles in Parishes of Scoonie and Wemyss, by A.S. Cunningham, publ.1905, pp.116-121
  12. ↑ Rambles in Parishes of Scoonie and Wemyss, by A.S. Cunningham, publ.1905, pp.40 and 82
  13. ↑ Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929
  14. ↑ Presbytery of Kirkcaldy http://www.presbyteryofkirkcaldy.org.uk/ extract 21 April 2014
  15. ↑ Cunningham 1905.
  16. ↑ Seton 1890.
  17. ↑ Scott 1925.
Sources
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