Dunfermline, burgh, administrative center of Dunfermline District, Fife Region, central Scotland, near the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The town is located on a height overlooking the firth and is cut from north to south by Pittencrieff Glen, a deep ravine at the bottom of which flows the Lyne Burn (stream). Manufactures include linen and damask, and bleaching and dyeing industries are major employers. Of note here is the Abbey Church, which has a fine Norman (1150) nave. Dunfermline is the birthplace of the American industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who donated a library, public baths, theater, and Pittencrieff Park here. The town also is headquarters for the Carnegie Trusts. Dunfermline grew around a Benedictine abbey founded in the 11th century by Queen Margaret. In 1624 the town was nearly destroyed by fire. It became a linen-weaving center in the 18th century. Population (1991) 55,083.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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