Raith, Fife

Raith (Scottish Gaelic: ràth, "fort" or "fortified residence"), as an area of Fife, once stretched from the lands of Little Raith (earlier Wester Raith[1]), south of Loch Gelly, as far as Kirkcaldy[2] and the Battle of Raith was once theorised to have been fought here in 596 AD.[3] Raith Hill, west of Auchtertool and immediately to the east of the Mossmorran fractionation plant, may also be in reference to this wider area or may refer to an actual fort on this hill, distinct to the one naming the area.[4]

A track on the Raith Estate
Raith Tower

The name is found in Kirkcaldy's professional football team, Raith Rovers. This name was earlier borne by an entirely distinct team, probably named for the Little Raith colliery, east of Cowdenbeath,[5][6] which merged with Cowdenbeath Rangers to form Cowdenbeath F. C..[7][8]

Raith House[9] and the 19th-century folly Raith Tower sit on Cormie Hill to the west of Kirkcaldy[10][11][12][13] and several parts of the town are built on land formerly of the Raith Estate. Robert Lorimer remodelled the library and garden of Raith House in 1899.[14][15] The modern housing estate bearing the Raith name dates from long after the origins of the football team.

See also

References
  1. Taylor, Simon; Gilbert Markus (2006). The Place-Names of Fife, Volume One. Shaun Tyas. p. 108. ISBN 1-900289-77-6.
  2. Taylor, Simon; Gilbert Markus (2006). The Place-Names of Fife, Volume One. Shaun Tyas. p. 496. ISBN 1-900289-77-6.
  3. Kirkcaldy Civic Society (2007). Kirkcaldy Remembered, 2nd edition. ISBN 978-1-84588-386-7.
  4. Taylor, Simon; Gilbert Markus (2006). The Place-Names of Fife, Volume One. Shaun Tyas. p. 129. ISBN 1-900289-77-6.
  5. "Scottish Mining Website 1944 List of Mines". Scottishmining.co.uk. 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
  6. http://www.scottishmining.co.uk/Indexes/FIF-CLK-1944.jpg
  7. "Cowdenbeath - Historical Football Kits". Historicalkits.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
  8. Scottish Mining Website (2016-01-15). "Auchtertool - Scottish Mining Website". Scottishmining.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
  9. "Raith (Raith House)". Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical. Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  10. "Raith Estate, Cormie Hill, Raith Tower | Canmore". canmore.org.uk.
  11. Stuff, Good. "Raith Estate, Raith Tower, Cormie Hill, Burntisland, Kinghorn and Western Kirkcaldy, Fife". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk.
  12. "Raith House | Canmore". canmore.org.uk.
  13. "Fife Place-name Data :: Cormie Hill". fife-placenames.glasgow.ac.uk.
  14. Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Robert Lorimer
  15. Kirkcaldy's Famous Folk, Volume 3. Kirkcaldy Civic Society. 2000. p. 13.
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