It was a town once fit for a monarch and now residents of Kinghorn have launched a bid to have royal recognition returned to their community.
Campaigners have presented a 600-signature petition to the chairman of Kirkcaldy area committee in a bid to have royal burgh status reinstated to Kinghorn.
Organised by residents and community groups, it was handed over to Councillor Neil Crooks, as locals look to have the status reinstated, 37 years after it was removed due to changes in local government.
Kinghorn Community Council is one of the groups behind the petition and chairman Chris Mitchell said that having the title returned would significantly bolster local pride.
”This shows the town has come to unite in our claim on the royal burgh title,” he said. ”We are a strong and vibrant community with deep roots in our history, pride in our future and keen to promote an identity that resonates with all.
”We want people entering Kinghorn, using our facilities and dealing with the community council to recognise our heritage as one of the features that make our town such a great and interesting place.
”It affects the heritage of the town and that can be reflected in bringing tourists to the area.
”The title should be a part of our future as much as our past.”
Kinghorn was made a royal burgh by King William the Lion prior to 1172, making it one of the earliest royal burghs in Scotland. The title of royal burgh was abolished in 1975 under local government reorganisation and this has remained a source of contention among many of those towns and villages which lost the honour.
The issue has been gathering a groundswell of support in recent times, with a small group of Kinghorn residents starting the petition before approaching local bodies to spread word of the campaign.
One of the petition founders, Catherine Melvin, said: ”We feel very strongly that Kinghorn should have its ancient title restored. We are very proud of our town and this is an important part of our history that should be allowed to live on.”
Jim Allison from Kinghorn Historical Society said: ”We were honoured to be asked to help and to endorse and support the petition with the wholehearted backing of our members.
”Local businesses and the community centre have helped us achieve 600 signatures within a short space of time. Hopefully this move by local people, very strongly felt, will encourage Fife Council to act.”
Yesterday, the local authority said that there was very little it could do to reinstate royal burgh status to Kinghorn, although a process was available to allow the community council to reflect the town’s heritage.
Mike Melville of the council’s democratic services department said: ”Royal burghs were abolished under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and replaced by the District and Regional Councils from 1975.
”These were subsequently abolished in 1996 and Fife Council became the successor authority to the former burghs, including Kinghorn.
”Whilst royal burgh status cannot be reinstated, if a community council formally agrees to change its name it will be considered by officers and, unless controversial, would be adopted in the next revision of the scheme which is carried out every few years.”