Lumphinnans (Scottish Gaelic: Lann Fhìonain) is a small, former mining village along the B981 road, from west to east between the towns of

Cowdenbeath Cowdenbeath (; sco, Coudenbeith) is a town and burgh in west Fife, Scotland. It is north-east of Dunfermline and north of the capital, Edinburgh. The town grew up around the extensive coalfields of the area and became a police burgh in 189 ...

and

Lochgelly Lochgelly ( ; gd, Loch Gheallaidh, IPA: �ɫ̪ɔxˈʝaɫ̪ai is a town in Fife, Scotland. It is located between Loch Ore, Lochs Ore and Gelly to the north-west and south-east respectively. It is separated from Cowdenbeath by the village of ...

, in central Fife. Lumphinnans Primary and Community School is the local

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...

, its facilities available under a community use programme in the evenings. Sporting facilities are also available at Lumphinnans Sports Hub and Lumphinnans Bowling Club, founded in 1909. Lumphinnans United A.F.C. play in the amateur football Kingdom of Fife AFA at Ochilview park. The name Lumphinnans is derived from the

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well ...

''lann'', 'church', of (Saint) ''Fhìonain'' or ''Fillan'', with early sources indicating both as possibilities. The -s suffix denotes a division of the lands into northern and southern parts. Historically, the village had nearby collieries, an ironworks and a brickworks. Lumphinnans was nicknamed as "Little Moscow" in the 1920s and 1930s for the area's support of

communism Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a ...

. The local left-wing council named a road Gagarin Way in the Russian cosmonaut's honour, which inspired a play of the same name by Scots playwright Gregory Burke.

Notable people

Abe Moffat Abraham Moffat (24 September 1896 – 28 March 1975) was a Scottish trade unionist and communist activist. He was elected repeatedly to high office in the trade unions and represented the union on government coal boards. He held major union offic ...

(1896–1975), trade unionist, communist activist and union president * Alex Moffat trade unionist, communist activist and union president * Jock Rattray, footballer *

Jimmy Philp James Morgan Philp (20 November 1913 – March 1998) was a Scottish footballer, who played for St Bernards, Heart of Midlothian, East Fife and Brechin City. Career Philp was born in Lumphinnans. His first club was Edinburgh side St Bernards ...

, footballer * Lawrence Storione (1867–1922), founder of the Fife Communist Anarchist League

References

Villages in Fife Mining communities in Fife {{Fife-geo-stub

Notable people

See also

References