Glenrothes is a town in Fife, Scotland, located 30 miles from Edinburgh and 30 miles from Dundee. It lies in east-central Scotland, close to the settlements Leslie, Markinch, Thornton and Coaltown of Balgonie. Its prime location makes it a great destination for business travel. The town has a population of over 39,000, making it the third biggest settlement in Fife, and the 18th most densely populated settlement in Scotland, with a great offering of serviced apartments.
Glenrothes is twinned with Böblingen in Germany. The main language spoken is English, and the predominant currency used is the British pound. The town has a moderate climate, characterised by cool summers and mild winters, meaning it’s well suited to business travel types who are on the go a lot.
The name “Roths” refers to the Earl of Rothes – a prominent Lord in Scotland. The word “Glen” translates to valley in Gaelic, and was added to avoid confusion with Rothes in Moray. The Rothes family owned a considerable proportion of the land on which Glenrothes was developed.
In 1948, Glenrothes was made a post-war new town under the New Towns Act 1946. The Glenrothes Development Corporation had the responsibility of planning, developing and promoting the town, which included the provision of new accommodation, including serviced apartments. Prior to its redevelopment, the main industries in Glenrothes were coal mining, farming and papermaking. Its prominent paper manufacturers at the time include Dixons Mills and Tullis Russell.
Today, Glenrothes is a charming agricultural town brimming with parks, shops, historic sites and serviced apartments. It serves as the main service hub for Fife, home to the headquarters of Fife Council and Police Scotland’s Fife division. It’s also a centre for manufacturing and hi-tech electronics. Collectively, these various industries draw their fair share of industries.
Points of interest include Riverside Park, Balfarg Henge, and Bull Stone. Other sites worth seeing are the Glenrothes Area Heritage museum, and the Kirkcaldy Galleries - located six miles away in Kirkcaldy.
The town is linked by the M90 motorway, via the A92 trunk road which runs from Dundee to Glenrothes. It’s also joined by the A911 road which passes east-west through Glenrothes. The town’s main bus station offers regular services to Edinburgh, Perth, Glasgow and various other neighbouring areas. There are two train stations in the town – Markinch and Glenrothes. The nearest airport to Glenrothes is Dundee Airport, at 27 miles away.
Complete your trip to Glenrothes with a stay in a SilverDoor serviced apartment.
