DUNFERMLINE WILL RISE

I was pleased to read Barbara Dickson’s comments about Dunfermline in your February issue. I agree with her view that the town is often overlooked and is considered by many to be merely a suburb of Edinburgh. I hope she is right that it will ‘rise again’.

I’ve been a Dunfermline resident nearly all my life and it breaks my heart to see Scotland’s once proud former capital and home to many of our nation’s kings, so neglected. The town looks tired. We have many beautiful old buildings but they are not being treasured or promoted as they should. Fortunately Abbot House, the striking pink building which backs onto the Abbey, is currently being renovated. Barbara mentioned it was currently closed, but hopefully it will receive a new lease of life under the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust who are now in charge of the building. If Abbot House, along with our other historical buildings, such as the Abbey, can be given a higher profile to attract more tourists, perhaps the town’s fortunes can be reversed.

One of my greatest sadnesses was the fate of our town peacocks. Pittencrieff Park has been home to free-range peacocks since the early 1900s but a few years ago only one remained – a male bird named Clive once dubbed ‘Dunfermline’s loneliest bachelor.’ In recent years more birds have been reintroduced into the park and a shelter has been refurbished for them.

Perhaps our peacocks might lead the way? Liz McCall, Dunfermline