Kirkcaldy’s world-famous Links Market is Europe’s longest street fair and has provided thrills and spills since 1304.
It evolved from a farmers’ and traders’ market to include amusements such as bare knuckle fighting and freak shows to the fairground rides of today.
In the 1950s the big rides, such as rollercoasters, were built on platforms of old beer and lemonade crates, with showmen running cables directly into local residents’ houses and paying £1 a week for the privilege.
Nowadays, the safety of every machine is double checked before opening to the public.
Join us for a trip down memory lane to celebrate Links Market.
Our first image was taken before 1900 and shows some of the stalls being set up at the Links Market including this one which was selling nougat and other goodies.
All the fun of the fair can be seen in our next image from 1914 which featured the ornate rides of showmen such as the Wilmot and Evans families.
A Wilmot fairground attraction is pictured in this undated image from Links Market which now extends to six-days and is a key event for both the showmen and locals.
Links Market pictured at dusk in 1963 after developments in the 1950s saw the demolition of many of the old buildings which were facing the sea.
Rides from the Codona and White families became predominant in the 1950s and 60s and this image from 1968 shows a young man helping out in the pay booth.
Another fantastic aerial image from 1976 of Links Market which now extends along the full length of Kirkcaldy’s famous esplanade.
Thrills and spills in 1991 as ever-increasing high-octane rides started to make their mark and would attract tens of thousands of visitors to Links Market.
A more modern picture from our archives shows Lily Bryant and Logan Leppard enjoying a bus ride on what was a rainy opening day in Kirkcaldy.
