Kennoway
Kennoway is a village in Fife, Scotland, near the larger population centres in the area of Leven and Methil. It is about three miles inland from the Firth of Forth, north of Leven. This position gave it importance in the old days while travelling by coach, for the stage road ran through Kennoway from the ferry at Pettycur, through Ceres, and on to St. Andrews.
Place-name meaning
Kennoway derives from Gaelic ceann achadh "head of the field", ceann "head or headland" and achadh "field". Records of the name as Cenachedne in 1148 prove this. The suggestion that the final element "-way" derives from Old English weg "way, path" is wrong. Another possibility is that the name is derived from St. Kenneth (Cainnech). The earliest Culdee church was erected to his memory in Kennoway and is associated with many of the legends about St. Kenneth. He is believed to have spent many years spreading the Christian faith in Scotland during the 6th century. There have been many spellings of the name Kennoway, including Kennachin, Kennauchyn, Kennaukin, Kennochi and Kennochy. The surrounding towns of Methil, Lower Methil, Buckhaven and Leven along with Kennoway are the main constituents of the area known as Levenmouth. This term is used in socio-economic academics and is regarded as an area that is under "regeneration". It is an area that is economically depressed and receives special funding to invite new industry into the area.
Notable people
- Allan Brown - former professional football player and manager
- George Lillie Craik - writer and literary critic
- Henry McLeish - former Scottish First Minister
External links
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Coordinates: 56°12′N 3°03′W / 56.200°N 3.050°W