Ladybank

Ladybank is a town and former burgh of Fife, Scotland, 8 kilometres (5 miles) southwest of Cupar, and a mile from the River Eden. Its population was estimated in 2005 to be 1,540.Fact|date=February 2007

Prior to the 18th century, this area was mostly marshland. In the late 12th century, the monks of Lindores Abbey were granted the right to cut peat here. They gave it the name 'Our Lady's Bog' (the southern part of the village is still called "Monkstown"). The village became a burgh in 1878, and became an industrial centre, with linen weaving, coal mining, and malting the principal industries.

When the Edinburgh and Northern Railway was constructed in the 1840s, a junction was built here with lines heading towards Perth and Dundee. An engine depot (of which only the disused locomotive shed survives) and a railway station were constructed at the junction: 'Our Lady's Bog Station' was deemed an inappropriate name, so it was named 'Ladybank Station'. The village that developed around the station took the name "Ladybank". The Fife and Kinross Railway, which opened in 1857, used Ladybank as its eastern terminus further increasing the importance of the station. Ladybank railway station remains largely unaltered, and may be the oldest unaltered station in Scotland.

Ladybank golf course was founded in 1879 and a six-hole course designed by Old Tom Morris. The course was expanded to 18 holes in 1961 and has been used as a qualifier for The Open Championship.

References

* [http://www.geo.edinburgh.ac.uk/scotgaz/towns/townfirst100.html Ladybank.] "Gazetteer for Scotland." (Accessed 22 November 2005)
* [http://www.golfing-scotland.com/courses/ladybank.asp Ladybank Golf Club.] "Golf Travel Scotland." (Accessed 21 November 2005)
* [http://www.railscot.co.uk/ RAILSCOT.] (Accessed 21 November 2005)
*1911