Glenrothes Heritage Centre re-opens after three-year closure

Glenrothes Heritage Centre is moving into Rothes Halls after its previous base nearby in the Kingdom Centre closed before lockdown. The move comes as the town celebrates its 75th anniversary. The centre has been at the forefront of preserving its history, and its new home in the theatre will see it host a series of displays showcasing artefacts, film footage and photographs dating from 1948 to 1995.

Re-opening of the new-look exhibition coincides with the date – June 30, 948 – when a designation order was signed by Government to establish Glenrothes as a New Town. Items have been donated by members of the public, Glenrothes Development Corporation and Glenrothes Tourist Association, which was the main organiser of town events in the 1980s and 90s.

On display for the first time will be silverware and regalia associated with organisations that no longer exist – among them Glenrothes Flower Show Society and Glenrothes Inner Wheel. Further additions include uniforms and medals produced for the Olympiad – an international sporting contest, held every three years, that originates from Glenrothes’ twin-town arrangement with Boblingen, Germany.

Some familiar objects are making a welcome return. From the Leslie-Rothes family archives, there will be a display of uniforms and regalia together with a priceless Titanic relic linked to Noël, Countess of Rothes, who survived the tragedy. Artefacts associated with the Tullis Russell paper mill are another key part of the display.

The heritage centre was founded in 2009 by its Linda Ballingall, and opened in 2010. It was forced to close in 2020 because of Covid-19. A series of award-winning exhibitions helped win three-star Visitor Attraction Accreditation from VisitScotland, which the centre now hopes to regain.

Linda said: “We are delighted, after such a long period of time, to have this opportunity to re-launch the heritage centre to the public within such an excellent venue, and look forward to the future with great optimism.”