Dunfermline has a fascinating history, style and an air of timeless tradition; a small but pleasant town centre where you can amble from shop to amenity without feet ache. Yes, there are signs of decline, but many new shops are taking over the empty ones and the place is beginning to buzz again. Dunfermline was, in fact, the first town we ‘lived’ in in Fife. Initially the area was a temporary home for my husband when he was commuting from Bedfordshire to Edinburgh each week. I know, people usually do that the other way around but we like to be different 🙂 We came to know the Premier Inn on Duloch Park pretty well!
It was whilst alone at the Premier Inn that the idea for ‘The Healing Paths of Fife’ was born. My initial inspiration was ~ St Margaret’s Cave, which will have its own tribute post when it reopens in the spring. In fantasy I can thank St Margaret for her guidance! (after all it is a fantasy / memoir)
On a recent visit I was excited to spend some time in The Carnegie Library and Museum. This remarkable building has been restored, blending ancient and modern, now enjoying floor to ceiling views overlooking Dunfermline Abbey, The Abbot’s House and as far as the Forth. We whiled away a couple of hours, including a welcome coffee, and one of the librarians was pleased with my donation of a copy of my book. (I hope they buy a few too. Fingers crossed.)
There was a touch of green eyed envy though, as I looked down on the Reading Room, with its wood panelling and quiet reflective study areas, when here at Kinghorn we are struggling to pay our huge electricity bill for out Community Library.
Still, Carnegie would be proud of his legacy in Dunfermline, and I look forward to visiting the town’s other tourist sites including the palace, abbey and Pittencrieff Park, also donated to the town by Andrew Carnegie, his place of birth.
(Author Diana Jackson enjoys researching social history and this inspires her writing. Her latest release ‘The Healing Paths of Fife’, a fantasy / memoir, reflects her growing love for the Kingdom of Fife.)
Diana Jackson 