Stroll along Maygate in Dunfermline and you can't miss Abbot House in its resplendent pink limewash (applied in the 1990s). The oldest dwelling in the city has a history stretching back to the 16th century and it has survived wars, religious unrest and the Great Fire of 1624. Sitting in the shadow of the mighty abbey, Abbot House functioned as a heritage centre in recent years until a funding dispute led to closure in 2015.
Now happily back in business, a café and giftshop are firmly established on the ground floor. The middle level contains rooms available for hire and recent workshops include origami, herbal wellbeing and chocolate truffle making (yes please!). The upper floor is divided into units for creative small businesses. Major renovation work began in 2019, with help from the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust, Fife Council, the Architectural Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and the Common Good Fund. Grants totalling over £600,000 were awarded with the expectation that the project will be self-sustaining in the years to come. The venue was included on this year's Doors Open Day schedule for Dunfermline and I headed along to view the progress. I am already familiar with the ground floor layout and I proceeded directly upstairs. Like any major building of this age, several extensions and upgrades have been added over the centuries. Likewise, a colourful array of occupants have resided in Abbot House, including merchants and tailors, along with a naval captain, glass stainer and pharmacist. Other uses for the place have been an art school and a doctor's surgery. The Dunfermline Carnegie Trust acquired the whole property in 1948. It is now category-A listed. The principal room on the first floor features a frescoed wall painting (dated to 1571) and part of a tracery window. Upstairs, I viewed the spectacular ceiling mural, painted in 1995 by Glaswegian artist Alasdair Gray (1934-2019), who also found fame as a writer. His debut novel Lanark (1981) is regarded as a Scottish fiction classic. His artwork in Abbot House depicts the history of Dunfermline and its people. The traditional trades were listed and were learn that the Burgh of Dunfermline was in favour of the Covenant (1650) but opposed the union with England in 1707. Meanwhile, serfdom was abolished in Scottish mines at the turn of the 19th century. Weaving was an important local industry and in 1869, a club was formed to help weavers buy their own homes. The scheme grew into the Dunfermline Building Society - the largest lender of this type in Scotland. It merged with Nationwide in 2009. Town or city, the place is always changing.
I wandered by the various craft studios in the attic space - noting that business cards are very much still thing, although they now promote an Instagram page. Old and new promotional tools seamlessly working together. Abbot House has gone through many guises and now seems settled in its role as a long-term community asset. The café has a cloistered feel and there is also outdoor seating in the walled garden. the layout was created in 1995 for a BBC broadcast of Beechgrove Garden - the hit squad, an offshoot of the long-running series where dilapidated formal gardens were given a much needed makeover. The revised design incorporates a herb corner dedicated to Lady Anne Halkett, who resided in Abbot House in the late 1600s. She was a practising apothecary and people flocked from near and far to ease their ailments. Unfortunately the adjacent microbrewery was a victim of the recent closure and no longer trades. Overall, Dunfermline has certainly upped its game since being awarded city status two years ago and there are plenty of events and attractions for locals and visitors alike. Abbot House sits in the shadow of the famous abbey and is a true historic gem.
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