Balmerino

Balmerino is a small village and former monastic centre in Fife, Scotland. It is the home of Balmerino Abbey and the former abbots of Balmerino who were great regional landlords. It became a secular lordship (see Lord Balmerino) at the beginning of the 17th century and fell into ruin. The Abbey ruins and grounds are managed by the National Trust for Scotland and are famed for the ancient sweet chestnut tree and the display of aconites which flower in February. The village is now an official Conservation Area.

For the racehorse, see Balmerino (horse).

Balmerino
Balmerino Location within Fife
OS grid reference	NO3624
Council area	Fife
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NEWPORT-ON-TAY
Postcode district	DD6
Dialling code	01382
Police	Scotland
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
UK Parliament	North East Fife
Scottish Parliament	North East Fife

Looking north across the Tay from above Balmerino

The 450-year-old Spanish Chestnut tree at Balmerino in Fife

The name Balmerino derives from Scottish Gaelic. The first element, bal-, is from baile, meaning a farmstead, or in modern Gaelic, a town. The second element is more obscure. It may refer to Saint Merinach[1] or it may derive from muranach meaning 'of sea-grass', yielding: "[the] farm where sea-bent or sea-grass grows."[2]

Balmerino is also "celebrated" by a poem by William McGonagall – widely recognised to be the English language's worst poet: "Beautiful Balmerino".

See also

• List of places in Fife

External links

• Balmerino on geo.ed.ac.uk
• Balmerino - History of the Parish
• Fife Place-name Data :: Balmerino

References

1. Taylor, Iain (2011). Place-names of Scotland (PDF). Birlinn.
2. "Balmerino". Fife Place-name Data.