Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth and is the largest settlement between the cities of Dundee and Edinburgh. The name of the town is believed to have derived from the Pictish words and and may translate as "place of the hard fort" or "place of Caled's fort". Kirkcaldy has long been nicknamed the Lang Toun in reference to the 0.9 mile (1.4 km) main street of the early town, depicted so on maps as early as the 16th and 17th centuries. The street would eventually reach a length of four miles (6.4 km). According to an estimate taken in 2008, Kirkcaldy has a population of 48,630, making the town the largest settlement in Fife.Towards the end of the 11th century, Malcolm III purchased the land around the modern town to gift to the monks of the Holy Trinity (now known as Dunfermline Abbey) to fund for the building of their new church. A linear settlement began to form around a harbour on the East Burn. Early industries which soon prospered in the town included the production of textiles, nailmaking and salt panning. The passing of feu-ferme status in the middle of the 15th century meant the town became semi-independent from the monks of Dunfermline Abbey. Full independence was achieved by a charter for royal burgh status granted by Charles II in 1644.

Provided by Wikipedia