The Blessing

The weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Kirkcaldy was held on Tuesday January 12th at the Dean Park Hotel. President John Kilgour welcomed 29 members of the club and 1 guest.

President John opened up the first meeting of 2016 with positive announcements of marriage and births from within the Rotary membership over the festive period. 

As many are aware, the Rotary Club of Kirkcaldy is committed to developing and improving the local area. Rotarian Alice Soper has been recognised publicly as one of the top 40 influential people in Fife for her achievements and devotion to Kirkcaldy and Fife. The Club hugely value the amount of effort and enthusiasm that Alice dedicates to Fife.

The main speaker for this meeting was Ian Archibald of Burntisland Heritage Trust and Honorary Member of Burntisland Rotary Club. The Club members enjoyed a very interesting presentation delivered by Ian detailing the decades of work that has been faithfully devoted into the search for The Blessing.

The Blessing is a vessel that was recorded as having been lost in a storm on 10 July 1633 during King Charles I's coronation tour of Scotland.

Since 1991 Ian has influenced extensive research and study into an area on the seabed of The River Forth close to Burntisland. The presentation detailed just how complex it is to conduct research under water along with the challenges of funding and support. Over the recent years results are looking more promising with the assistance of modern technology. Still to this day the wreck remains 20 meters under the sediment of the river forth. 

The Club thanked Ian for his time to present to the members, for his services to Rotary and support him as the research and potential excavation of The Blessing continues in years to come. 

The meeting was closed with the club being advised that the next club meeting would be held on January 19th at the Dean Park Hotel.