Newburgh () is a royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland, at the south shore of the Firth of Tay. The town has a population of 2,171 (in 2011), which constitutes a 10% increase since 1901 when the population was counted at 1,904 persons.
The town has a long history of fishing and industrial heritage. Lindores Abbey lies at the eastern edge of the town.
History
thumb|left|Newburgh's high street in the 19th century. The North British Hotel (later the Tayview Bar; today's number 230) is on the left. Built around 1840, the building is now considered at-risk
In 1266 Newburgh was granted burgh status by King Alexander III, as a burgh belonging to the Abbot of Lindores. In 1600, Newburgh was given to Patrick Leslie, 1st Lord Lindores, son of the Earl of Rothes. In 1631, Newburgh was made a Royal Burgh by King Charles I.
Since the Second World War many new houses have been built in Newburgh but the population has only increased by about 10%, partly due to lower average occupancy rates.
For some time, Newburgh's industries chiefly consisted of the making of linen, linoleum floorcloth, oilskin fabric and quarrying. There was for many years a net and coble fishery on the Firth Of Tay, mainly for salmon and sea trout.
The harbour area was used originally for boatbuilding and the transshipment of cargoes to Perth for vessels of over 200 tons. Raw materials for making linoleum such as cork and linseed oil were also imported at the "Factory Pier". Aggregates from the Whin Stone quarry were also shipped from Bell's Pier.
The main employer from the early 1920s was the linoleum factory known locally as the "Tayside", operated by the Tayside Floorcloth Company. In the subsequent decades, Newburgh was a prosperous industrial town pulling in workers for the factories from surrounding towns and villages. As linoleum fell out of fashion in the late 1960s and 1970s, attempts were made to produce vinyl flooring and tiles but the factory was no longer profitable. After several changes in ownership it finally closed in 1980 after a large fire destroyed much of the building.
Situated to the East of the linoleum factory was another factory known locally as "The Oilskin". Since before the First World War, its mostly female workers produced oilskin fabric for waterproof clothing such as fishermen's suits and Sou'westers. The factory was taken over by textiles giant Courtaulds in the 1960s but it also closed some years later as demand for the product declined.
As of 2020, most industries in Newburgh have closed except for quarrying, which is now the town's biggest single employer. It is mainly a dormitory town with many of those of working age commuting for work to Perth, Dundee, and Glenrothes. Local trades and services include a health centre, nursing home, and supermarket on the site of the former Ship Inn.
In 2017 a new whisky distillery opened on the site of Lindores Abbey at the east end of Newburgh. This produces Lindores Abbey whisky on the site where "Aqua vitae"—an early form of whisky—was produced by the monks. The distillery incorporates an event venue and offers catering and tours of the distillery and Abbey ruins.
After many years of lying derelict, the linoleum factory was demolished and cleared and its site is now a recreational waterfront linked to the Mugdrum Park and the Fife Coastal Path.
Local structures
thumb|left|upright|[[Newburgh Town House]]
Town house
Newburgh Town House was designed in the Italianate style, with a central tower and spire, and built on the south side of the High Street in 1808. It forms a continuous block with the other houses. The Laing Museum and Library was added to the north side of the street in 1894-96.
Macduff's Cross
On high ground, about southwest of the town (at ) stand the remains of Macduff's Cross, of which only the pedestal survives. In legend, it marks the spot where clan Macduff was granted rights of sanctuary and composition for murder, in return for its chief's services against Macbeth. about south-east of Newburgh on the Cupar road, was the home for more than 250 years of the Balfour of Denmylne family, of which the brother, James and Andrew were the most distinguished members.
Lindores Abbey
left|thumb|[[Lindores Abbey]]
Lindores Abbey is situated near the Tay, on the East side of the town. Only fragments remain of the Tironensian (reformed Benedictine) abbey, founded about 1190 by David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon, brother of William I the Lion. Nonetheless, the ground plan of the whole structure can still be traced.
The monks were noted agriculturists and oversaw famous orchards. Archeological excavations have shown that the fort was occupied between the sixth and eighth centuries AD, as a site of high status.
Natural areas nearby
thumb|left|Lochmill Loch
Nearby Lochmill Loch has been dammed to provide the town with a water supply and fishing.
At Blackearnside, a forest of alders, to the east of the village, William Wallace defeated Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke in 1298.