Auchtertool facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Auchtertool
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 Main Street, Auchtertool |
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 Auchtertool
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| Population | 635 |
| OS grid reference | NT207902 |
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| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Kirkcaldy |
| Postcode district | KY2 |
| Police | Fife |
| Fire | Fife |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament |
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| Scottish Parliament |
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Auchtertool is a small village in Fife, Scotland. It is about 4 miles west of Kirkcaldy. The name comes from the Gaelic words uachdar and tuil. Uachdar means 'upland' or 'heights'. Tuil means 'torrent' and refers to the Tiel burn, a small stream. This stream flows just south of the village and its church. The area was once known as Milton of Auchtertool. In the 1100s, King David I gave this parish to Bishop Gregory. Later, the church was given to the priory of Inchcolm.
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History of Auchtertool
The Kirk (Church)
The church in Auchtertool is called the kirk. It is located about 1 kilometer west of the main village. This church existed before the Reformation, a big change in religious practices. Most of the building was rebuilt in 1833. It became a simple, box-shaped chapel. Before this, it was managed by Inchcolm Abbey.
The kirk has two small, castle-like porches on its south side. On the west end, there is an octagonal (eight-sided) bell tower. A north section was added to the church in 1905–1906. The churchyard, or graveyard, has old gravestones from the 1600s. One stone remembers David Martin, a minister who died in 1636. It shows a carving of him in his clothes, with his feet on a skull. The minister's house, called the manse, was built in 1812. It was designed in a style called Gothic Revival architecture. Auchtertool House is a large house from the early 1800s.
Hallyards Castle
Hallyards Castle used to stand north-west of the village. People believed it was once a hunting lodge for Malcolm Canmore, an old Scottish king. Later, it became the home of the Bishops of Dunkeld until 1539.
King James V visited the castle in November 1542. This was after he lost the Battle of Solway Moss. A story says that the lady of the house tried to comfort the king. But he told her he would die in fifteen days. His servant later asked where James would spend Christmas. The king replied that he would be "masterless" and Scotland would be "without a King" by Christmas. He then went back to Falkland. There, he learned his daughter Mary was born on December 8. King James V died on December 14. Most of the castle was pulled down in 1847. You can still find some small parts of it on farmland today.
The Jacobite Rising
During the Jacobite rising of 1715, a rebel leader named John Erskine, Earl of Mar was in Perth. He heard that a ship full of weapons for the king's supporters was at Burntisland. He decided to capture it. He sent 500 Highland soldiers into Auchtertool to wait. However, the soldiers caused trouble and took things from the village, including the manse.
Walter Scott's Story
There is a local story about the famous writer Walter Scott. It is said that he attended a funeral at the kirk. This funeral was held using Roman Catholic traditions. This was against the law at the time. The ceremony happened late at night to avoid being caught by the Protestant authorities. Legend says that on an August night, you can still see the funeral procession heading towards the kirk from Hallyards Castle.
A Famous Duel
In 1822, Alexander Boswell was badly hurt in a duel in Auchtertool. He died nearby in Balmuto House. This duel was one of the last ones ever fought in Scotland.
Brewery and Distillery
From 1650, Auchtertool had a brewery. It was known for making good ale, porter, and table beer. These drinks were popular in Fife and even shipped to London. In 1845, the brewery was changed into a malt whisky distillery. It started making whisky in 1851 and also became famous for its quality.
Whisky making stopped in 1927. However, the maltings (where grain is prepared) and bonded warehouse (where whisky is stored) kept working until 1973. During the Second World War, Polish soldiers used the warehouses as a place to eat. Most of these old buildings are now gone. Only a small brick office remains.
Education
Auchtertool has one school, Auchtertool Primary School. Older students who go to high school travel to Balwearie High School in Kirkcaldy.
Images for kids
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The present kirk in Auchtertool replaced an earlier building said to date to 1178
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The village from the east, on the public footpath from Kirkcaldy
