City centre walk
As capital of Scotland for several hundred years from the 11th century, Dunfermline forged early links with Europe. Two royal personages of European birth stand out in this: Queen Saint Margaret and Queen Anne of Denmark. The recent upsurge in pilgrimages also reminds us that Margaret started the Queen’s ferry across the Forth to help pilgrims going to St Andrews.
More recently European people influenced Dunfermline’s weaving industry. Damask weaving methods came from Huguenots in the 18th century. Swiss people came here in the 1920s to help revitalize the town’s ailing textile industry by moving to silk production. Following the second world war the Polish population was enhanced as military personnel based here, particularly from Donibristle airfield, made their homes here.
The walk includes the following locations:
- A – Start of walk
- B – Polish shop
- C – Dunfermline Abbey
- D – Dunfermline Palace
- E – St Margaret’s cave
