Methil

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Methil (Gaelic:Maothcoille) is a town in the East of Fife, Scotland, situated near the mouth of the River Leven on the Firth of Forth between Buckhaven and Leven. Methil has an ancient history going back to the 12th century, and the town became a barony in 1572.

The town forms the core of the industrial communities of Leven, Aberhill, Methilhill, Denbeath, Muiredge and Buckhaven, which had a combined population of 24,000 in the 1991 census.

It owes its modern development to the docks which were established in the 1870s for the export of Fife coal. "Levenmouth" as the area is now known, is a virtual backwater and in desperate need of regeneration, suffering from poor connections to the rail and main road networks of central Scotland, particularly since the closure of the last railway link in 1969, which came at the same time as the collapse of coal mining and sealed the fate of Methil Docks as a major port on the East of Scotland. There has been a number of unsuccessful attempts to restore a passenger rail connection to Methil, and once again recently this proposal has been aired, giving the town a hope of being reconnected to the Fife Circle Line. The main road through Fife, the A92, bypasses this area of Fife, the fourth largest conurbation, whereas Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes each have good road and rail connections.

In addition to its three docks, Methil is the site of a power station (now disused) and an industrial estate with industries producing machinery, clothing, bricks, plastic piping, animal feed and fertilisers. The huge refitting shed and cranes of an oilrig construction yard dominate much of the shoreline.

The local football team is East Fife F.C., (nickname "The Fifers") who play their home games at the recently built New Bayview Stadium. The club currently plays in the Third Division of the Scottish Football League. For a tiny club formed in 1903, The Fifers have a glorious history, winning the Scottish Cup in 1937/1938, and the League Cup in 1947/48, 1949/50 and 1953/54 seasons.

Methil's location by Largo Bay by is a major site for wintering sea-ducks, notably Common Eider, Common Scoter and Long-tailed Ducks. A few rare American Surf Scoters are also in the area.

Lower Methil Heritage Centre (1995) features a changing programme of exhibitions focusing on the town's local industrial history.