Kingsbarns facts for kids
Kingsbarns is a lovely village in Scotland. It's found near the eastern coast of Fife, in a special area called the East Neuk. Kingsbarns is about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) southeast of St Andrews and 3.6 miles (5.8 km) north of Crail.
The name Kingsbarns comes from its history. Long ago, this area had barns where grain was stored. This grain was then sent to the King's Palace at Falkland.
The coast near Kingsbarns is also a popular spot for surfing. It's known for its challenging waves!
You can find Pitmilly about 1.5 miles from Kingsbarns. This was once a large estate owned by the Monypenny family for over 700 years. Today, you can still see the ruins of two old mills. There is also a Bronze Age burial mound called Pitmilly Law. Not much is left of Pitmilly House itself.
What's in Kingsbarns?
Kingsbarns has had an inn for hundreds of years. In the past, it offered a safe place for people traveling to St Andrews Cathedral. The old 18th-century coaching inn has recently opened again under new management.
Barns Cottage in the village square is a historic building. It used to be the infants' school.
The village also has a local shop, a church, and a primary school for kids.
Famous People from Kingsbarns
Many interesting people have connections to Kingsbarns:
- Robert Arnot (1744–1808) was a Presbyterian minister. He was a professor at St. Andrews University and lived in Kingsbarns.
- Charlton Monypenny (1867-1947) was a world record-holding sprinter and rugby player. He was also the Laird (owner) of Pitmilly.
- Douglas Monypenny (1878-1900) was a Scottish international rugby player.
- Alexander Peebles (1856–1934) was born in Kingsbarns. He became a successful prospector and mine owner in New Zealand.
- James Yorkston (born 1971) is a musician and writer who grew up in Kingsbarns.
- Vic Galloway (born 1972) is a well-known DJ, radio and TV presenter, and journalist. He also grew up in Kingsbarns.
Golfing Fun
Kingsbarns has a long history with golf, starting in 1793. That's when the Kingsbarns Golfing Society was formed. They had a golf course on land from the Cambo Estate until about 1850.
In 1922, the Kingsbarns Golf Club was started. A nine-hole course was designed by Willie Auchterlonie. However, in 1939, the land was used for defense during the war.
Today, Kingsbarns Golf Links is a famous golf course. It was designed by architect Kyle Phillips and opened in 2000. This course is special because it's a "man-made" links course.
Kingsbarns Golf Links often hosts big golf tournaments. Since 2001, it has been one of the courses for the European Tour's Dunhill Links Championship. It shares this honor with the Old Course at St Andrews and Carnoustie. Kingsbarns also hosted the St Andrews Trophy in 2007, the Jacques Léglise Trophy in 2008, and the Women's British Open in 2017.
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A view of the golf course
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Another look at the beautiful golf course
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The Kingsbarns Golf Club House
Kingsbarns Whisky
A Scotch whisky distillery opened in Kingsbarns in November 2014. They started making whisky in March of the next year. The Kingsbarns distillery was started by a local golf caddie. He had a dream to turn an old, unused farm building into a distillery.
