First this morning you will visit Dunfermline Abbey, founded in the 12th century by David I. The Abbey was destroyed by Edward I of England during the Wars of Independence and its subsequent rebuilding was funded and supported by King Robert the Bruce who was buried in the Abbey in 1329 although his heart was taken on a crusade to the Holy Lands and later buried in Melrose Abbey.
Join your coach for the short transfer to the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum where you will see the humble cottage where this weaver’s son spent his early years. After the family moved to the United States, Carnegie went on to found a steel empire that would make him the world’s richest man. When he sold the company he turned to philanthropy and he never forgot his links with his birthplace. Local legend has it that when Carnegie was a boy, the owner of the expansive Pittencrieff Park opened it up to the townsfolk every New Year’s Day. In later life, Carnegie bought the park and gifted it to the town and the first of over 3,000 public libraries he funded was opened in Dunfermline in 1881.
