Culross
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 Discover
the picturesque town of Culross (pronounced kooriss) on the south-west
coast of Fife. Culross has been a Royal burgh since 1588; and with
its striking buildings and winding cobbled streets, a visit to the
area will transport you straight back in time to 16th and 17th century
Scotland. Culross was then a thriving community trading with other
Forth ports and the Low Countries in salt and coal. The stunning
buildings in the town are a permanent reminder of the architectural
influence Europe had on the area.
Thanks to
a local merchant and mine owner of the time, Sir George Bruce,
the town flourished. Sir George was the first to introduce machinery
to drain coal pits and dig deep beneath the sea bed; as a result
he helped turn Culross into one of the busiest trade ports on
the east coast.
Culross
Factsheet
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The
Palace
 Sir
George built a mansion in the town between 1597 and 1611 to
reflect his wealth and status. As his wealth continued to
grow, so did the building , to such an extent that the modest
mansion became known as the ‘palace’. He lavishly
decorated the palace and you can still see the stunning painted
ceiling, ornate features and panelling. Culross Palace is
now under the care of the National Trust and has been restored
to its 17th century splendour. The palace building, which
had faded to a white wash has been restored to its original
yellow-orange exterior. The courtyard path and the garden
have also been remodelled, with the garden now full of vegetables,
herbs and plants, growing as they would have done in the 17th
century.
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The
Abbey
The Cistercian Monks, who were the first to mine the coal
along the shores of the River Forth, founded an abbey in Culross,
c1217, on land gifted by Malcolm 7th Earl of Fife. The remains
of the abbey can still be seen in the town, although there
is very little left of the main building. When the Earl died
in 1229 his tomb was built into the church of the Abbey, although
even today, nobody knows where his remains are situated. After
the Reformation, Culross Abbey fell into the hands of the
Colville Family of Culross. The original tower of the abbey
is now the site of the Parish church which in its current
form dates back to around 1632.
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The narrow
cobbled streets of Culross were designed functionally to make
walking through the town a clean affair. The raised area in
the centre of the cobbles was for the wealthy townsfolk to
walk on, to ensure they did not get their shoes or feet dirty.
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 King
James VI, on a royal visit by to Culross, was invited by his
host, Sir George Bruce, the wealthy merchant and mine owner,
to visit one of his mines which tunnelled down beneath the
sea bed. The King ventured into the tunnel which went far
out into the Firth of Forth and found himself at a shaft point
where the coal was loaded onto the ships. Alarmed to find
himself surrounded by water at the top of the shaft, his Highness
accused Sir George of an attempt on his life and declared
that the whole affair was an act of treason! It was only when
Sir George pointed out the rowing boat and explained that
one could either use that or return by the tunnel
from whence they came that the King relaxed again - and took
the option of the boat journey.
Culross
is also home to a remarkable story concerning one of Scotland’s
most famous Dark Age saints. Thenew, the daughter of Loth,
a Pictish king, was disowned by her father over her choice
of lover, by whom she was expecting a baby. She was cast away
to sea in a boat from Aberlady, and made it as far as Culross
where she was rescued by the monks of the abbey there. Her
baby boy, Kentigern, was born not long after her arrival in
the town and remained under the care of the monks before entering
the brotherhood himself. Kentigern later became known as St
Mungo, the patron saint of Glasgow and one of Scotland’s
best loved saints.
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