Pitlessie is a small village in
Cults
In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This s ...
,
Fife, Scotland. It is roughly southwest of the nearest large town,
Cupar
Cupar ( ; gd, Cùbar) is a town, former royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland. It lies between Dundee and Glenrothes. According to a 2011 population estimate, Cupar had a population around 9,000, making it the ninth-largest settlement in Fi ...
, and north of Edinburgh. It had an estimated population of 325 in 2010.
Situated in the heart of the
Howe of Fife
The Howe of Fife is the broad, low-lying valley of the River Eden, lying between the Ochil Hills and the Lomond Hills in Fife, Scotland. ''Howe'', in Scots means a hollow or a plain bounded by hills. The alternative terms ''Laich of Fife'' and ...
, the village was mainly concerned with the linen industry and agriculture - the primary employers in many villages in the along the
River Eden. Pitlessie's roots can be traced back at least as far as the
13th century, with it being created twice a free
burgh of barony
A burgh of barony was a type of Scottish town ( burgh).
Burghs of barony were distinct from royal burghs, as the title was granted to a landowner who, as a tenant-in-chief, held his estates directly from the crown. (In some cases, they might also ...
. Other industries such as
mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic ...
and
malting also employed many in the village, though these, along with the
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional ser ...
and
village shop, have since ceased.
Now, based along the
A914, the village primarily serves commuters employed in the surrounding towns and cities, with a
village inn the sole notable amenity of Pitlessie, attracting tourists and locals alike.
History
There are references to Pitlessie dating back to the
13th century, though the clarity of these are poor until the land comes into the ownership of Ramornie of that ilk, proprietors of Pitlessie and surrounding lands until 1439 when it was sold by Alexander Ramornie to
John, 1st Lord Lindsay.
The legacy of the Ramornie estate is still present and can be found to the west of the village, in the form of Ramornie Mains and Ramornie Mill.
On 2 January 1541, Pitlessie was created a free
burgh of barony
A burgh of barony was a type of Scottish town ( burgh).
Burghs of barony were distinct from royal burghs, as the title was granted to a landowner who, as a tenant-in-chief, held his estates directly from the crown. (In some cases, they might also ...
in favour of John, 4th Lord Lindsay by
James V. The land was then passed through down his descendants until it was later sold to Crawford of Montquhanie.
On 17 September 1681, Pitlessie was once again erected as the free burgh of barony of Forret in favour of Sir David Balfour of Forret by
Charles II.
In 1736, George Heggie was given
sasine
Sasine in Scots law is the delivery of feudal property, typically land.
Feudal property means immovable property, and includes everything that naturally goes with the property. For land, that would include such things as buildings, trees, and unde ...
to Pitlessie. His influences on the village include the nearby Heggie's Muir wood, which is likely to have taken his family name,
and a now category B
listed
Listed may refer to:
* Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm
* Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic
* Endangered species in biology
* Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...
Georgian manor at the entrance of the village built by Heggie in 1737, known as Pitlessie House.
From its beginnings, the linen industry of the
River Eden, along with the surrounding arable farmland, served as primary employers for the village's small populous. Additionally,
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
quarries on Cults hill, and
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
quarries closer to the Eden proved successful and provided additional employment for others.
Further population growth occurred in 1890 with the arrival of the new Priestfield Maltings. Founded by James Martin of
Priestfield, the maltings were acquired by the Bonthrone family in 1937 who operated similar facilities in
Newton of Falkland,
Ladybank
Ladybank () is a village and former burgh of Fife, Scotland. It is about north of Edinburgh, southwest of Cupar, close to the River Eden. Its 2006 population was estimated at 1,582.
History
Before the 18th century, this area was mostly marshl ...
,
Stratheden, and
Auchtermuchty. It once produced over 2,000 tonnes of malt and employed 14 men. Production remained in action until 1968 when the owners at that time, Scottish Malt Distillers, changed strategies. The category B listed building was converted into housing in 1996. There were previously much smaller maltings behind Pitlessie house, operated at an unknown time.
Toponymy
Pitlessie is thought to mean either 'place of the farm,' 'pett of the burn,' or 'place of the green pett' - with the former being the most likely. The aforementioned burn would point to the Pitlessie Burn, which runs through the village into the River Eden. The latter name would suggest that there was good grazing land in the area.
Governance
Pitlessie is in the
North East Fife UK Parliament and
North East Fife Scottish Parliament constituencies, as well as the
Cupar ward of
Fife Council
Fife Council is the local authority for the Fife area of Scotland and is the third largest Scottish council, with 75 elected council members.
Councillors are generally elected every five years. At the 2012 election there were 78 councillors ele ...
. Local issues in the village and wider parish are managed by the Cults Community Council, which meets on the first Monday of every second month in the Wilkie Memorial Hall.
Culture
The Pitlessie
Flower Show Flower shows are horticultural exhibitions with an emphasis on flowers.
For flower festival
A garden festival is a festival and exposition held to celebrate the arts of gardening, garden design, landscaping and landscape architecture. There ...
is a yearly event which takes place in the late summer. Originally an evening show ran by the Highland Games Committee, the show hosts many competitions for locals and those from afar of all ages, and is funded through the support of those in the local community.
Landmarks
The Sir David Wilkie Memorial Hall was constructed in 1897 in the style of a Georgian Chapel. Outside it is a war memorial to the men in the parish who were killed in the world wars. The Pitlessie Public Park was opened in 1900, on land gifted to the Parish Council by the Laird of
Priestfield.
Education
Pitlessie Primary School, founded in 1860, serves Pitlessie, the parish of Cults and a portion of the
Howe of Fife
The Howe of Fife is the broad, low-lying valley of the River Eden, lying between the Ochil Hills and the Lomond Hills in Fife, Scotland. ''Howe'', in Scots means a hollow or a plain bounded by hills. The alternative terms ''Laich of Fife'' and ...
. The school, along with Craigrothie Primary, is led by Tamsin Frost and is attended by a single class of under 20 pupils. Secondary school aged pupils attend the nearby
Bell Baxter High School
Bell Baxter High School is a non-denominational comprehensive school for 11 to 18-year-olds in Cupar, Fife, Scotland. Founded in 1889, it educates over 1,500 pupils mainly from the surrounding villages.
The school is one of 18 secondary sc ...
in
Cupar
Cupar ( ; gd, Cùbar) is a town, former royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland. It lies between Dundee and Glenrothes. According to a 2011 population estimate, Cupar had a population around 9,000, making it the ninth-largest settlement in Fi ...
.
Notable residents
The village was the birthplace of artist
Sir David Wilkie who also attended school in the village, son to the parish minister. After returning from the
Trustees' Academy in 1804, in one of his earliest works, he depicted the scenes of Pitlessie Fair which included many of his family members and neighbours. A large reproduction of this painting now hangs above the stage in the Sir David Wilkie Memorial Hall, which was built in his memory.
References
External links
Google Earth view of PitlessieGoogle Earth view of Cults
Villages in Fife
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