Short History of Blairhall

Blairhall is a small village lying just south of the A907 Dunfermline to Alloa road, about 7 miles west of Dunfermline, Fife.  Blairhall is in the parish of Culross.

In 1540 the Lands of Blairhall were passed on to Edward Bruce by John Colville one of the joint commendators and abbott of the convent in Culross. 

The old 'mansion house' of the area, Comrie Castle, was built in 1557.

The Carron Iron Company became involved in the production of coal and iron in the area in 1870 but sold out to the Lochgelly Iron Company in 1878 and 25 years later the company was sold to the Coltness Iron Company Ltd who in 1906 began deep coal mining.  Two pit shafts were sunk becoming known as the Lord Bruce and Lady Veronica shafts.  Mining continued at the Blairhall Colliery until it was closed in 1969...... only 15 years previously it was termed the largest coal mine of the NCB in Scotland working 5 rich coal seems.

In 1906 the Coltness company built the village of Blairhall to the north of the Colliery which initially consisted of two rows of houses;  one for the workers and one for the oversmen and managers.  Workers were brought in from Lanarkshire and initially the village had a population of 1200 (today it is about 1500).

The castle itself was converted to become the house for the manager when it was sold in 1913 by the Smith-Sligo family.  The Church of Scotland leased accommodation and held regular services in it as an outreach from Culross Abbey.

Of the 11 mining villages in West Fife, Christian Brethren Assemblies gave testimony in 4..... only the one at Blairhall remains.  This testimony was first established in 1937 when further building in the village attracted mining families from Kelty, Valleyfield and again Lanarkshire.  The present hall used by the Assembly was built in 1938 on land leased by the Smith-Sligo family and sited adjacent to the then lodge at the north entrance to the estate and to the village.