аЯрЁБс>ўџ 46ўџџџ3џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС#` №ПAbjbjmЅmЅ 4 ЯЯAџџџџџџЄЊЊЊЊЊЊЊОffff r ОЖŠŠŠŠŠŠŠŠ›$вh:^СЊy ŠŠy y СЊЊŠŠжWWWy тЊŠЊŠ›Wy ›WWЊЊWŠ~ рРЅA!Шf[.W›ь0W˜‰ԘWW˜Њk0ŠVр єWд Ԙ сŠŠŠССM ŠŠŠy y y y ОООфЂФОООЂОООЊЊЊЊЊЊџџџџ A history of Kilconquhar King James VI of Scotland described Fife as a “beggars mantle with a fringe of gold”, the centre of the region at that time being forest, bog and moorland, while the coastal areas had good farmland with small burghs rich from fishing and commerce. It is within this fringe of gold that Kilconquhar lies. The inhabitants of Fife are known to be ‘fly’ and even their hens are supposedly so cunning that they do not cackle when they lay an egg. Their ancestors were Celts whose descendants now occupy only the Highlands of Scotland and parts of Ireland, Wales, Cornwall and France, where they speak modern forms of the original Gaelic language. This language lives on in Fife only in place names and in the names of rivers and other natural features. Druids, at the time of the occupation, often marked their places of worship with standing stones, some of which can still be seen at Lundin Links, not far from Kilconquhar. They were converted in the course of the Fifth and Sixth centuries to the type of Christianity practiced by St. Columba on Iona and spread by his missionaries. These missionaries were known as Culdees, one such being Conquhar or Connacher who founded a cell or church which thereafter became known as the cell or church of Conquhar, that is Kil-conquhar, pronounced in local parlance as Conneuchar. The site of this cell is where the present church stands. Modern Kilconquhar clusters around its church, which was bestowed on the convent of North Berwick in the year 1200. It is mentioned as existing as early as 1177 and is dedicated to St. Monan. The nuns of North Berwick made regular visits to their church at Kilconquhar, travelling via the village of Earlsferry (of which more later ) and the ruins lying to the East of the present church at one time formed part of a church used and built by them in the 15th century. When the existing Gothic church was being built in 1821 and the old one removed, the foundations were found to be twelve to fifteen feet below the surface and immense quantities of human bones were uncovered, both from within and without the building. The site had evidently been used for a long time for burials, and although there is no proof that the Druids used it for this purpose, it is supposed that they did as we shall see later. The loch, which lies adjacent to the church, was originally called Red or Reidmyre and is fresh water fed by springs. Before 1625 it drained Westwards to Largo Bay, but in that year blown sand filled the stream and the loch now drains Southward into Elie harbour. It abounds with wild duck, which are to be seen walking across the main road with their brood during the summer months. A bird sanctuary, it was once a favourite haunt of swans, now not so plentiful, perhaps because it was a place used for ducking witches. An old rhyme concerning one of the witches of Pittenweem illustrates this point:- “They tied her arms behind her back, And twisted them with a pin, And they dragged her to Kilconquhar Loch And threw the limmer in, And all the swans took to the hills, Scar’d with the unhaely din.” In winter when conditions are right, the loch is used for skating and curling and there has been many a good bonspiel on it. Intemperate curlers have even been known to fall through the ice, the heat generated by the whisky causing it to melt ! Kilconquhar Castle, in its walled estate nearby, was the fortified house of the local laird from the year 1200 onwards. In 1266 this was Adam of Kilconquhar, Earl of Carrick, who had acquired that Earldom by marrying Marjory, daughter and heiress of the late Earl. Adam went off to the Crusades with his friend Robert Bruce in the train of Prince Edward of England and died in Palestine in 1270 in Bruce’s arms, imparting to him his last messages to be taken home to his wife. Bruce took two years to return to Scotland, but then went directly to Turnberry Castle to pass these last messages on to the Countess of Carrick. The Countess, however, was by no means a disconsolate widow, her experience of wedded life having been so brief. She was so struck by the noble appearance of Robert Bruce that, after only fifteen days residence at the Castle, they were married. The Countess’s possessions passed to Bruce, who became Earl of Carrick and Lord of Kilconquhar. The son of this union was the great Robert the Bruce, restorer of Scottish liberty. е з  ?@AьпепепепФЗh<гhѓ)кOJQJ^J h<гh<гOJQJ^JmH sH h<гOJQJ^Jh<гh<гOJQJ^J&h<гh<г5CJOJQJ\^JaJ J K ж з  hiŽЋдэ01'(@Aіэээээээээээііііііээээх$a$gd<г $1$a$gd<г $1$a$gd<гA§21h:p<гАа/ Ар=!А4"А4#S$S%ААХАХ Ф†œF`ёџF <гNormalB*KH_HmH phsH tH DA@ђџЁD Default Paragraph FontRi@ѓџГR  Table Normalі4ж l4жaі (k@єџС(No ListA џџџџJKжз   h i Ž Ћ д э  0 1 ' ( @C˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€J h Ž Ћ д э  0 ' @Cъа00Аъа00Аъа00Аъа00Аъа00Аъа00Аъа00Аъа00Аъа00Аъа00Аъа00€ъа00€ъа00€ 00PA AAџџЙNўКмЛМxМ Œ Н\ЯОмkПtє§Р4IўСќ? 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