Methil

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Methil (Gaelic:Maothcoille, Boundary Wood) 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 stands on the site of a bloody battle in the early medieval period, between King Constantine I's Scottish army, and a marauding Danish Viking invasion force.(877 A.D.)

The town itself has an ancient history going back to the 12th century, and it became a barony in 1572.

The town of Methil forms the core of the once industrial communities of Leven, Aberhill, Methilhill, Denbeath, Muiredge and Buckhaven, which had a combined population of 24,000 in the 1991 census. However the coalesced urban conurbation known as Levenmouth has a combined population in excess of 33,000.

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 in 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. It was recently debated in Scottish Parliament whether reopening the Leven - Thornton rail link would be worthwhile.

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 oil rig construction yard dominate much of the shoreline.

Levenmouth has been rather neglected and bypassed over the past two decades, due to lack of political influence and poor transport links, despite its central location - it does not receive the same priority as other towns even in Fife, let alone Scotland. Its industrial decline is reflected in its urban landscape.

Levenmouth is one of four areas in Fife which have regeneration status although this has led to no visible investment in the area. Scottish Enterprise has plans to create 'Fife Energy Park' at the former Kvaerner site. As a centre for the renewable energy sector, it is a promising initiative and part of a major redevelopment of the extensive Forth waterfront. Commercial development of Methil Dock No 3 is already proceeding. Diageo's extensive distillery and bottling plant is also expanding. The unsightly Methil power Station has been mothballed for several years. Adam Smith College opened a campus in Leven in 2007.

Methil is home to a football team, East Fife F.C., (nicknamed "The Fifers") who play their home games at the recently built Bayview Stadium. For a small club formed in 1903, 'The Fifers' have a proud and glorious history, winning the Scottish Cup in 1937/1938, and the League Cup in 1947/48, 1949/50 and 1953/54 seasons. East Fife are the 2007/08 champions of the Third Division of the Scottish Football League.

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

Lower Methil Heritage Centre (opened in 1995) features a changing programme of exhibitions focusing on the town's local industrial history. It is housed in a red sandstone building in the High Street, which was previously Methil's Post Office.