Dysart, Fife

Dysart
A view of Dysart harbour with Harbourmaster's House and the remains of St Serf's Church being visible to the north-east
Dysart is located in Fife
Dysart
Dysart
Location within Fife
OS grid referenceNT305935
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townKIRKCALDY
Postcode districtKY1
Dialling code01592
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
56°08′N 3°07′W / 56.13°N 3.11°W / 56.13; -3.11
Dysart Harbour in 1854 by Sam Bough RSA

Dysart (/ˈdzərt/ listen; Scottish Gaelic: Dìseart) is a town and former royal burgh located on the south-east coast between Kirkcaldy and West Wemyss in Fife, Scotland. Dysart was once part of a wider estate owned by the St Clair or Sinclair family. They were responsible for gaining burgh of barony status for the town towards the end of the 15th century.

The first record of the town was made in the early 13th century, its initial role being to settle civil matters between the church and landowners. During the middle of the 15th century, trade with the Low Countries began for salt and coal exportation. In the 16th and 17th centuries, trade expanded to the Baltic Countries. Dysart acquired two nicknames: "Salt Burgh" and "Little Holland" as a result.

Following the sudden decline of the town's harbour caused by the closure of the Lady Blanche Pit, the town was amalgamated into the royal burgh of Kirkcaldy under an act of parliament in 1930. Urban clearance during the 1950s and 1960s saw large parts of the historic town demolished for new housing. Demand from the town's residents meant that part of the historic town — most notably the 16th-century and the 18th-century houses of Pan Ha' opposite the harbour — were salvaged and preserved for future generations.

  1. ^ "Scottish Parliament Gaelic Placenames C-E" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 March 2007. Retrieved on 3 August 2008