INVERKEITHING

inverkeithing, a royal and police burgh of fifeshire, scotland. pop. (1901) 1676. it is situated on an inner bay of the shore of the firth of forth, 3(1/2) m. s.e. of dunfermline and 13(1/4) m. n.w. of edinburgh by the north british railway, via the forth bridge. the chief industries are tanning, shipbuilding, milling, paper-making, rope-making and brick-making. with stirling, dunfermline, culross and queensferry, inverkeithing returns one member to parliament (the stirling district burghs). it received its charter from david i. st peter's, the parish church, dates from the 12th century, but having been nearly destroyed by fire was rebuilt in 1826 in the gothic style, the ancient tower, however, being preserved. sir samuel greig, the father of the russian navy and designer of the fortifications at cronstadt, was born at inverkeithing in 1735. about half-way towards dunfermline the battle of inverkeithing or pitreavie took place on the 20th of july 1650, when cromwell's forces defeated the royalists. a mile and a half to the south lies north queensferry (pop. 594), the first railway station on the north side of the forth bridge. a little to the west lies the bay of st