Fires have blighted history of Viewforth High School in Kirkcaldy

Viewforth High School has been hit by a number of major fires across its long history.

First opened in 1908, it sat at the heart of Loughborough Road for generations until its closure in 2016.

The historic C-listed building is currently lying in ruins after last night’s devastating fire – but it wasn’t the first time it has gone up in flames.

Throughout the 1920s, it continued to expand, and, in December 1925, a new extension was opened. Thirteen years later, in January 1938, it was decimated by a huge with seven classrooms, the commercial department and the home economics areas all destroyed.

In 1977, the school was the subject of a major fire which caused an estimated £100,000 of damage just a week after a fire bomb was thrown through one of its classroom windows.

In Pictures: Devastating fire destroys historic school in Kirkcaldy

It closed for good in 2016 and, just one year later, another major fire broke out - one which could be seen for miles around.

Emergency services raced to the scene in Loughborough Road in Kirkcaldy after reports of a blaze at the historic merchants house known as Eastbank House, which sits next to the former Sinclairtown Library.

The baronial home was an important landmark in the town’s history.

It was built around 1870 by the Earl of Rosslyn, and then bought by Henry Hutchison around 1902 before becoming part of Viewforth in 1929.

It was also used as a base for teaching children with learning difficulties, as well as an overspill for the secondary school until its move into a purpose built campus at Windmill Road.

Three years on and the scars of the blaze remain evident.

Kirkcaldy fire: Eyewitnesses speak of massive blaze at former high...

January 2020 saw firefighters race to tackle a late night blaze in the former classrooms.

Just weeks later, another blaze brought out in the grounds which have been fenced off by developers, Whiteburn Projects, which plans to turn the site into residential homes.

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