WEST WEMYSS, SCOTLAND

West Wemyss is a village lying on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, in Fife, Scotland. The village was granted burgh of barony status in 1525, bearing the name from the Wemyss family who lived in Wemyss Castle. The village owes its origins to the Wemyss Estates based at Wemyss Castle, just to the east of the village. The Wemyss family have lived in the castle ever since it was first built in the twelfth century.

History
The village of West Wemyss began as a settlement around the site of Wemyss Castle which developed into a centre for the salt industry in the area.

An epidemic of plague arrived in Scotland in July 1584, brought to West Wemyss in a ship called a crayer.

A harbour was later built in 1621 by the Wemyss family for the use of coal exportation from the pits on the lands of their estate for the increased demand of the coal in the 1870s.Towards the latter stages of the 19th century, the village found itself surrounded by several mines - such as the Michael Pit in nearby East Wemyss. The industry, which saw trade with England and The Low Countries, started to struggle once the new docks were opened in Methil further along the Fife coast. Gradually, the demand for the harbour began to fall and it went into decline. The harbour has since been filled in and part of the old village restored, becoming a conservation area with several attractive buildings.

West Wemyss Tolbooth was completed in the early 18th century.

The manse in the village was rebuilt in 1894 to a design by Robert Lorimer