How a Kirkcaldy town centre eyesore was removed 20 years ago

The corner of Kirk Wynd, which was once home to Drysdale Electric’s store, had been in a derelict state for a decade before work finally started to bring it back to life.

Conservationists and developers locked horns in the mid 1980s, and the stalemate continued through until 1998.

Heritage campaigners argued that the site represented some of the last remaining example of the 17th and early 18th century expansion of the burgh

They urged planners that there should be no demolition or architecture which would have been familiar to Kirkcaldy’s most famous sons, Adam Smith and Robert Adam.

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In 1989, councillors approved plans for it to come down, and then … nothing.

The plans lay dormant for years, and only managed to get off the drawing board when Morrisons entered into a partnership with Kingdom Housing to build a replica structure containing flats and two shops.

Bulldozers finally moved in on May 1998 and razed the dilapidated building

Work began almost immediately and tenants moved in to the flats in 1999, followed by the opening of a jewellery workshop on Kirk Wynd.

The start of 2000 saw the opening of Travel Choice which operated there for many years.

The building was then home to the Yes hub during the 2014 independence campaign, and is now occupied by award-winning restauarant Japanese street food and sushi restaurant, Koku Shi.