​The word 'Keil' is a very familiar one in Largo. The Keil Burn intersects the Parish, from Pirrwindy (where it forms at the confluence of the Gilston Burn the Boghall Burn), flowing south for a couple of miles before emptying into the sea at Largo Harbour (pictured above). For much of its journey, the burn flows through Keil's Den - the long, narrow glen of ancient woodland that stretches north to south. Several local buildings have had names that reflect their proximity to the burn and den, including Keil Bank Cottage, Keil's Den Cottage and Keilside Bakery. So what might the origins of the word 'Keil' be?

The Fife Place Name database makes a credible suggestion below in its entry for the Keil Burn. Essentially, this states that the name derives from the Scots word 'keel' meaning red ochre (see entry from Dictionary of the Scots Language further below). There are deposits of ochre in several places in the parish of Largo, While much of this is yellow ochre, it can be converted to red ochre by heating.

Old maps show that Keil's Den (shown in the two photographs below) was 'worked' in the past. Three quarries are marked on the 1854 OS Map, as shown further below. Perhaps ochre was extracted from somewhere within or close to the Keil Burn at some point in its history, bringing about the name (which is thought to have been in use since the late eighteenth century). The ochre trade was a notable old industry in neighbouring Scoonie Parish, with considerable quantities exported from Leven Harbour in the early nineteenth century, having been wrought on the Durie and Aithernie estates. Ochre was often used as a pigment in the external painting of buildings, giving them a distinctive yellow or orange appearance. Kennoway Den was also a source of red "keel", used in the marking of sheep (according to the Leven Advertiser, 11 May 1905). 
​

The 1851 advert below for the sale of the estates of Lundin and Aithernie mentions a field of ochre (16 October Edinburgh Evening Courant). A document detailing an 1871 rental rise at Sunnybraes Farm includes an 'ochre rent' as part of the rental. The British Geological Survey notes ochre beds on the shore at Largo at a few different points in their report on economic minerals in Scotland. So ochre was/is certainly around the area. If you have thoughts on the ochre or 'keel' theory of the Keil name, or if you have an alternative theory, please comment!
​

These two Lundin Links street scenes featured on a multi-view postcard. The above (circa 1908) is the junction of Leven Road, Emsdorf Street and Links Road, looking down towards Peacehaven (originally Mr Gerrard's Villas) in the centre distance. It's a busy scene filled with people (not cars like today) plus a horse and cart. An aproned man is pushing some provisions in the direction of the cart - perhaps ready for the daily delivery of grocery orders from one of the shops. A lady with children is walking down near Crescent Road, while some very smartly dressed women are passing by Hogg's Pharmacy. Might they have been heading to the Lundin Links Hotel from the railway station? The Pharmacy and its neighbouring buildings replaced old cottages in 1903. The year 1903 also saw the telephone arrive in Lundin Links - note the huge telegraph pole on the right of the shot.

The second scene takes place at the junction of Crescent Road, Leven Road and Woodielea Road (not a place to linger in the middle of the road these days). Note the contrast between the playful school girls headed in the direction of Lundin Mill School and the prim looking ladies facing the camera, crossing the main road. The house on the corner to the right is Aldersyde (then occupied by the Gullands). There is a notice attached to the railings of this house - maybe advertising the Gullands' business along the street. Next to Aldersyde is Heatherlie. It's fun to imagine who all the people in these images were and what they were all doing on that one day from a bygone era.

The above photograph is part of Historic Environment Scotland's Canmore collection but was originally part of a private collection. It's dated as circa 1890, which tallies with what we can see in the image. Firstly, the image was certainly captured after 1888, as the stone-built "W.C. for the benefit of sailors and fishers" can be seen on the right hand edge below the lamp.  Another clue to the date is the registration 'KY 478' on the sail of the fishing boat on the right. This vessel was sold to Messrs G.R. and W. Jamieson of Shetland in 1901 (see 18 May Shetland Times below) so the image was taken prior to that date.

In the background, under the right hand arch of the viaduct is the old wooden footbridge over the Keil Burn. Different versions of this footbridge existed up until 1914. The photographer has clearly waited for a train to pass over the viaduct before committing to the picture. The engine is a pleasingly old-looking one - reminiscent of a toy train to modern eyes. There a lot of people in the scene, including a group of men taking a rest on the right, a young girl heading for the end of the pier and several men (and possibly boys) congregating around one of the fishing boats. It's not too hard to imagine the smells and sounds that would have accompanied this sight. It's another image that I would love to be able to step right in to!

The image above of 'Victoria House', as it was then styled, dates to around 1907. Described as a "boarding establishment" of the "most modern" kind in the Fifeshire Guide advertisement below. Occupying the "best site in Lundin Links", the features to note were the "Public, Dining and Smoke Rooms. Lounge, Billiard Room and South Verandah". The latter can be seen to the right of the building above on both the first and second floors.

The gardens appear to be fairly newly laid out in fine symmetrical form and neatly lined with young trees on either edge. The building stands quite alone with none of the nearby Victoria Road houses yet in place, nor the south side of Crescent Road. The nearest houses behind Victoria House at the time of this photograph were the 1850s 'cottages' on the north side of Crescent Road. Elphinstone is visible to the left and on the right are the school house and Oldfield (then called Bayview Cottage). The map further below shows the direction from which the image was taken and the absence of neighbouring buildings.

​The location of Victoria House was ideal for a boarding house - close to the station, the golf course and the beach, plus right next to the iron bridge over the railway line. Walter Horne feued this plot and built Victoria House. He continued to own it until selling to Johnston Wright Swan around 1923. Initially, however, the boarding house was let and run by Miss Agnes Brown. Victoria House went through a number of subtle name changes over the decades from Victoria House to Victoria Boarding House to Victoria Private Hotel, before becoming Victoria Court flats in the early 1970s.