It will soon be a case of Methil power station no more, with the derelict eyesore set to be razed before too much longer.
Work to dismantle the chimney and main buildings is already under way, and contractors Brown & Mason have begun the process of removing asbestos from the building that was opened in 1965 to run on washings waste coal from the surrounding collieries.
Many will be relieved to see the blot on the landscape erased. However, it has been an inspiration for Methil-born artist Jack Vettriano, who used it as a backdrop for his painting Long Time Gone.
It has also been a useful landmark for navigating football fans to East Fife’s Bayview Stadium.
Scottish Power project manager Dylan Hughes said, “This work will mark the end of an era for the Methil skyline, with the removal of the prominent 300ft chimney stack.
“We understand that the chimney is used as a marker for fans travelling to the nearby Bayview Stadium to take in an East Fife game, so there might be a spike in the sales of sat-nav devices to second division football fans.”
He added, “The aim of our work is to remove all of the buildings and structures associated with the power station and to leave the land in good condition so there will be future development opportunities when it is returned to the landowner, Forth Ports.”
East Fife FC’s associate director Eugene Clarke said the demolition would open up opportunities for the club to make better use of the ground surrounding the stadium, but said there were no firm proposals at this stage.
“When we first moved down there 10 years ago, the power station was still working and people would come out and sit on the gantry to watch the game,” said Mr Clarke.
“Sometimes there were more people on the gantry than in the ground. The power station is something we all moan about, but it’s something we’ve become used to.
“However, I think most people in the area would like something nicer to look at and it will open up that space a lot.”
Before it was shut down in 2000, Methil Power Station produced enough electricity for more than three million homes and employed more than 1000 people.
Forth Ports is set to decide the future use of the land after Scottish Power’s lease runs out in 2012.
The final demolition of the chimney stack is expected to take place in autumn or winter this year.