Tags
Burntisland, Fife, lava, magma, scotland, shipbuilding, virtual journey
Burntisland
Day 16. 114.1 miles
After a wee walk we find ourselves in a town called Burntisland.
We got a long way on the 16th day of our trek. This is the fourth town we have virtually visited today.
Burntisland. What a marvellous name! We expect to find a scorched island like Brigadoon rising not from mist but from smoke produced by a constantly burning fire. Our appetites are further whetted to learn that the town lies close to a volcanic plug called ‘The Binns’. Could the settlement suffer from regular volcanic eruptions? Will we see rivers of fiery magma running through the streets, with apologetic signs warning us of this week’s road diversion?
Alas, not only is the town not on an island, but it doesn’t even look singed. When we learn that the town got its name in 1586 we conclude that the fire probably burned out a few years ago. Curious about the ‘island’ part of the name, we dig deeper and learn that it probably originates from some fishermen’s huts on an adjacent island that did indeed dissappear in a conflagration. The island, by the way, is fully landlocked now since it was built up into part of the town’s docks.
And just to keep you fully informed, none of the volcanoes in the UK are active as far as I know so unfotunately we can dismiss thoughts of magma flowing across the country from now on. What a pity.
The history of Burntisland is one of shipping. Not only was it one of the premier ports in the country way back in the 1600’s but it was important as a shipbuilding centre. In fact one of the barges built here called, ironically, the Blessing of Burntisland sank in 1633 taking King Charles I's treasure with it to its watery grave.
You would think that would stop the shipbuilding trade there but apparently the King didn’t blame bad construction because Burntisland kept building the things no doubt hoping that a wee sinking here and there was just part of everyday life in a shipyard. If we ever walk along the coast of Ireland remind me to find out whether Belfast continued to build ships after the Titanic.
Continuing on the shipping theme Burntisland was the site of the world's first Roll On Roll Off ferry.Thus was back in 1850 so it was horse drawn carts that it carried. No doubt it also carried a bunch of shovels and staff who knew how to use them, and not just for the coal to keep the engines running.
The government did not ignore the local penchant for shipbuilding and Burntisland was used as an emergency shipyard to build cargo ships during World War I. This yard outlived the carnage of that conflict and was producing it's own type of ships dubbed the Burntisland Economy in 1929. Because of its cheap running costs the ships were still built through the depression. Burntisland-Home of the First Attempt to Curb Global Warming could therefore be etched on the gates of the Town Hall.It’s not, of course. Another lost opportunity.
However, the same yard was used to build ships for World War II. A handy place to have if you are a government in conflict.
Shipbuilding is a lost art in much of the UK now and Burntisland’s shipyard no longer builds ships. The good news, though, is that instead it fabricates modules for North Sea oil rigs, so there’s still some marine engineering going on here.
One last shred of information about this town. It was here that the first lobbying to create the King James version of the Bible started-before this only Latin translations were available in a country where almost no-one spoke the long dead language,
Like all the places we visit this is just a wee taste of a town that offers so much more. We have to keep on roving. Today it’s off to Inverkeithing.