Scottish fact of the day: Culross Village

Published on 28/06/2012 03:14

THE village of Culross is situated on the coast of Fife, near the Kincardine Bridge. Despite being nestled in a rather industrialised part of Scotland - the village is not far from a power station, a colliery and a petrochemical plant - it is one of Scotland’s most picturesque places.

Moreover, Culross is shrouded in legend and mystery. Thought to have been founded in the 6th century by Saint Serf - a historical figure who is himself no stranger to legend - one of Culross’ founding legends concerns Teneu, who was said to be the daughter of the King of Lothian, Leudonus. After being raped, Teneu was thrown from a cliff as punishment by her father. Saint Serif later found Teneu unharmed in a coracle on the Firth of Forth, and later adopted the child to whom she gave birth, Saint Mungo.

Culross has been protected by the National Trust for Scotland since the 1930s, and perhaps as a result is one of the best preserved medieval villages in the country. Among many of its attractions is Culross Palace, a mustard-yellow building built in the late 16th century by Sir George Bruce, a merchant who profited extensively from Culross’ two main industries - salt panning and coal mining. The palace’s original 16th and 17th century features, such as its garden and shelled paths, remain well preserved.

The village was also once home to the world’s first partially submerged coalmine. which was also built by Bruce, in 1575. Until its destruction in 1625, it was widely hailed as an engineering marvel.

Culross was also once the home of Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, who spent much of his childhood in the village. His exploits in the Napoleanic Wars as a naval officer was said to have inspired the creation of C. S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower. A bust of Cochrane can be found in the centre of Culross.