Dunnikier Country Park
- Park
Dunnikier Country Park is one of the largest public parks in Fife. With views to the Firth of Forth, acres of woodland, miles of paths and lots of community facilities, the park is a great asset for the people of Kirkcaldy. Fife Council are working to improve the park and make it a high quality destination for the people of Kirkcaldy and Fife.
Park Facilities
Dunnikier Country Park has a range of facilities, including: a play area, a skate park, paths, and three miles of paths.
Medal Routes
Fife Council has recently created three medal routes in the park. This is a Ramblers’ Association project. http://www.ramblers.org.uk/medalroutes
Woodland
There are thirty-three hectares of woodland.
Pitches
Synthetic turf pitches can be hired through Kirkcaldy High School community use pitches.
Cricket Pitch
This is leased to Dunnikier Cricket Club.
Golf Course
This is managed by Fife Golf Trust on behalf of Fife Council. For more information, please go to http://www.fifegolftrust.co.uk/our-courses/dunnikier-park
Hotel
Dunnikier House Hotel is a private hotel within the park, and serves food and drink between 12pm and 9pm daily.
Information about the Park
Dunnikier Country Park is a fine example of an 18th Country Estate. The Oswalds were major landowners in the area. They had a house down at Pathhead, but must have fancied having a country house inland which would have views down to the Firth of Forth.
Dunnikier house was built in 1793, and is now a private hotel.
For over 150 years, Dunnikier Country Park was the Oswalds’ Country Estate. A walled garden would have produced vegetables for the house. There was an icehouse to store food.
James Townsend Oswald, master of Dunnikier house in 1857, agreed to the use of the land south of the house for the playing of Cricket. Dunnikier Cricket Club was born, and still play on the grass to the south east of the house. The Club is the oldest in Scotland.
The Oswalds became wealthy from coal extraction on their land; coal was mined on the edge of the park.
The Royal Burgh of Kirkcaldy acquired the park in 1945 from the trustees of Col. St. Clair Oswald. Through various local government re-organisations, the park is now owned by Fife Council.
Dunnikier Country Park has thirty-three hectares of natural woodland. Fife Council is working to restore the woods, which have been colonized by rhododendron bushes. These bushes make it hard for native trees to grow.
The park is a good place to watch wildlife; roe deer can be seen wandering around the park.
Fife Council is active in working with Kirkcaldy groups in improving the park. Dunnikier Country Development Group was set up in 2013 to help improve the park. They have organised a country fair in May, 2014, and are organising the second one for May, 2015. Dunnikier Country Park Development Group facebook page
Greener Kirkcaldy are working to create a forest garden in the southern part of the park. In February, 2014, eighty fruit trees were planted. Sixty apple trees were planted, including many Scottish varieties; also planted were pear, quince, and cherry trees.