Early one damp, summer morning almost 200 years ago, two armed men stood 12 paces apart in a field in Fife.
Both took aim, fired and one slumped to the ground, dead. A row over a bank loan had been settled in the gentlemanly fashion.
The tale of the last fatal duel in Scotland is one that has captivated generations of Fifers, and will take centre stage when the revamped Kirkcaldy Galleries open its doors on Saturday.
Both pistols used by Lang Toun linen merchant David Landale and banker George Morgan on August 23 1826 will represent a number of key events in local history in an exhibition entitled Moments in Time.
The quarrel between the men escalated when fiery-tempered former soldier Morgan struck Landale on the head with an umbrella in Kirkcaldy High Street.
According to tradition and codes of honour of the day, Landale had no alternative but to make the ultimate challenge to his bank manager and invited him to meet at Cardenbarns Farm, near Cardenden, the next morning.
It was the novice shot, Landale, who lived to see another day. The pistols have been held by the museum for some time but are being given greater prominence in the refurbished facility.
Fife Cultural Trust interpretation team leader Alice Pearson said: “This fascinates people. It’s the idea of these men meeting at dawn on a damp field outside Kirkcaldy. It appeals to all audiences and has always drawn people in.
“We’ve picked 24 moments in history for the display and by focusing on these we can tell them in a more fascinating way.”
Another absorbing tale from the town’s past to be retold is that of the Viewforth whaler trapped in Arctic ice. The ship left Kirkcaldy in 1835 bound for the whale grounds near Greenland, hoping to return with a bounty of blubber and whalebone.
But disaster struck and it along with several other ships became trapped in spreading ice. Its crew spent a long winter facing the constant threat of frostbite and scurvy or, worse, their vessel being crushed.
By the time the Viewforth escaped and sailed into Stromness in February 1846 she had spent 11 months at sea and lost six of her men.
Other key events spanning 300 million years include the creation of Fife’s coal bed, production of Wemyss Ware pottery and the 1963 visit by the Beatles.
The opening exhibition in the art gallery has been composed by the public. People were asked to pick their favourite artworks and the top 56 are going on show.
Paintings chosen by celebrities Jack Vettriano and Val McDermid will also feature in the People’s Pick exhibition.
Fife Council has invested £2.5 million in refurbishing the building. To celebrate the reopening a series of special events are being held on Saturday and Sunday.
There will be children’s theatre, the Beatles tribute act Just John & Paul, a medieaval realm camp, standup comedy and more.