King Charles III and the Queen Consort are visiting Dunfermline to mark the former Fife town becoming a city.
It is the couple’s first joint public engagement since royal mourning ended following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Dunfermline, which used to be Scotland’s capital, won city status as part of celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee earlier this year.
That status was formally conferred by King Charles on Monday and means Dunfermline is Scotland’s eighth city, joining Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Stirling and Perth.
Large crowds gathered in Dunfermline on Monday morning to welcome the King and Queen Consort, who were greeted by a party including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and local Provost Jim Leishman.
Charles and Camilla were welcomed to the city by community groups including a local pipe band and schoolchildren.
They also attended an official council meeting at the City Chambers where the King formally marked the conferral of city status on Dunfermline and made a short speech.
He said: “There could be no more fitting way to mark my beloved mother’s extraordinary life of service than by granting this honour to a place made famous by its own long and distinguished history, and by the indispensable role it has played in the life of our country.
“Now, of course, we gather to celebrate this great occasion but also to commemorate the life of Her late Majesty, whose deep love for Scotland was one of the foundations of her life.”
After the ceremony, Charles and Camilla visited Dunfermline Abbey to mark its 950th anniversary, and met with representatives from Historic Scotland to learn about the history of the local area and conservation of the site.
They also saw the resting place of Robert the Bruce.
Where is Dunfermline and how big is it?
Dunfermline is located in the west of the Kingdom of Fife, around three miles inland from the Firth of Forth. Our church sits on Dunfermlines East port linking directly to the high street.
It has a population estimated to be around 58,508. However many of the closely located towns and villages make this to be a much higher number with a huge expansion of Dunfermline over the last 20 years linking many of these communities.
The former town’s bid pointed out that its annual fireworks display attracts over 30,000 local people, while the Christmas light event packs the town centre with more than 10,000 people.
One of the fastest-growing urban areas in Scotland, many new arrivals have been attracted by its central location, busy city centre with more and more restaurants and a bustling night life and its short commute time to other Scottish cities such as Edinburgh.
Royal connection
During the Middle Ages, Dunfermline was one of the seats of the kings of Scotland, and ruins of the royal residence of that time survive in Pittencrieff Park.
Dunfermline Abbey is the final resting place of 11 Scottish kings and queens, including Robert The Bruce.
The surviving nave of the abbey church, an example of massive Norman architecture, served as a parish church until 1821.
Virtually destroyed by fire in 1624, Dunfermline later developed as a centre for the manufacture of linen and damask, with the associated industries of bleaching and dyeing.
Today its economy is based primarily on retail and financial services.
Any famous residents?
Dunfermline’s most famous son is Andrew Carnegie, whose steel industry helped build America.
His philanthropy started the world’s public library system and he gave away the equivalent of £52bn dollars in today’s money.
The millionaire industrialist and philanthropist was born in Dunfermline in 1835 and he was especially generous to his hometown, which remains the headquarters of all the Carnegie Trusts.
More recently, singer Barbara Dickson and critically-acclaimed author Iain Banks were born in Dunfermline, as was former Celtic and Scotland captain Scott Brown.
In terms of music, new wave and punk rock band The Skids formed in Dunfermline in the late 70s, as were rock group Big Country in the early 80s.
Big Country’s lead singer Stuart Adamson moved there from the nearby village of Crossgates.
Going further back, Nazareth formed in Dunfermline in the late 60s and have an impressive discography that spans the last four decades.
Ancient capital of Scotland
From the reign of King Malcolm III and Queen Margaret in the mid-11th century, Dunfermline became the seat of power and capital of Scotland.
The town remained the nation’s capital until the brutal murder of James I in Perth in 1437, when administrative power was passed to Edinburgh.
What’s there for visitors?
Apart from our wonderful Holy Trinity Dunfermline, Engines play a large part in several Dunfermline visitor attractions, including The Vintage Bus Museum, Lathalmond Railway Museum and Knockhill Racing Circuit, which regularly hosts national motorsports events.
Dunfermline has a rich music and arts heritage with multiple venues, two large theatres attracting the best in entertainment and a large cinema.
Any joy on the football pitch?
Dunfermline Athletic, or the Pars, endured a disastrous season in 2021/22. They finished second bottom of the Championship and then lost to Queen’s Park in the play-offs and were relegated to League One. However a better start this season has Pars fans hopeful with more and more now passing the church before and after the games.
Historically, Dunfermline have fared better – winning the Scottish Cup in 1961 and 1968. They also reached the semi-final of the European Cup Winners Cup in the 1968-69 season.
Economic boost beckons
With huge local employers such as the Banks, Rosyth Dockyard and Amazon all doing well and talks of the return of the Ferry link to Europe returning, Provost of Fife, Councillor Jim Leishman, said the award would help Dunfermline to grow economically.
He said: “The official title of city will give Dunfermline the wider recognition that it deserves as one of the fastest-growing, urban areas in Scotland, offering all the amenities that any modern city could hope for.
“City status will help us grow economically and as a tourist destination and will have a positive impact on Dunfermline and the surroundings.
“Of course, the people of Dunfermline have always known that Dunfermline is a city, that’s why we have the City Car Park, the City Hotel and City Cabs but it’s great to finally get official recognition of this.”
Meanwhile, speaking as the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was celebrated, Scottish secretary Alister Jack said it was “fitting” that Dunfermline.
“Warmest congratulations to Dunfermline on gaining city status,” he said. “Businesses and communities alike will enjoy the benefits of this prestigious new title.
“Being awarded city status can give places a real boost, from helping grow the local economy, to raising its profile, to instilling civic pride.
“For a place with such rich royal history, it is fitting that Dunfermline is becoming a city as we celebrate our longest-serving monarch’s Platinum Jubilee.”
And finally… the new Doctor Who went to Dunfermline High School
Scottish Bafta award winner Ncuti Gatwa was named as the new Doctor Who earlier this year.
