Duloch

Duloch (or Duloch Park) (pronounced DOO-loch /ˈduːˌlɒx/) is a residential suburb of Dunfermline, in Fife, Scotland. Duloch and the surrounding area is a dormitory suburb of Edinburgh.

The closest railway stations are Rosyth, Dunfermline Queen Margaret, Dunfermline Town, Dalgety Bay and Inverkeithing.

The lower price of large homes compared to homes across the Forth, as well as its proximity to the M90 motorway, has attracted many Edinburgh commuters.

Local amenities include two large supermarkets (Tesco and Aldi) and a small shopping area. The nearby 'Fife Leisure Park' contains a cinema, gym, bowling alley, other leisure facilities and restaurants. Three primary schools serve the area - Masterton, Duloch and Carnegie Primaries. The campus of Duloch Primary school contains a large public library, café, gym, several halls used for sports and community classes and Calaiswood, a special needs school.

Duloch Park and Calais Muir Wood form the heart of the Duloch suburb, the latter being an ancient woodland owned by Fife Council and maintained by the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust. Duloch Park is mainly open grassland with a large pond to the north, a flooded former quarry. Its flat terrain is one reason for the large number of sustainable urban drainage system ponds in the area.

Name

Historically, Duloch was spelled Dow Loch, as can be seen in the Blaeu Atlas of Scotland, published in 1654 by Joan Blaeu (1596–1673),^[1] and the Roy Military Survey, 1747-1755.^[2] Duloch is from Scottish Gaelic dubh loch, 'black loch'.^[3]

The name Calais (pronounced Kay-liss /ˈkeɪlɪs/) is derived from the Gaelic coille with the suffix -us, meaning 'place of woodland'.^[4] It has no connection to the town in France, hence the different pronunciation.

Attractions

Historic buildings include Category A listed Old Duloch House, described as "an ancient mansion".^[5] To the south is Pitreavie Castle and doocot and to the east, across the M90 motorway is the privately owned Fordell Castle, the Fordell Estate and the Fordell Firs National Scout Camp.

Development

The modern estate was developed as part of the 'Dunfermline and the Coast Local Plan' as developed by Fife Council in the late 1990s.^[6] The land was mainly farmland until that point, with few old stone quarries, some of which remain and are now flooded.

References

1. "National Library of Scotland - Blaeu". Archived from the original on 2007-06-07. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
2. "National Library of Scotland". Archived from the original on 2007-06-07. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
3. Taylor, Simon; Gilbert Márkus (2010). The Place-Names of Fife, Volume 1. Donington, Lincs.: Shaun Tyas. p. 377. ISBN 9781907730061.
4. Taylor, Simon; Gilbert Márkus (2010). The Place-Names of Fife, Volume 1. Donington, Lincs.: Shaun Tyas. pp. 299–300. ISBN 9781907730061.
5. ""Ibris - Issay", A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, (1846), pp. 555-84". Retrieved 2007-05-16.
6. "Don't Worry". Fifedirect.org.uk. Retrieved 2013-05-16.

Coordinates: 56°03′45″N 3°24′07″W / 56.0625°N 3.4019°W