Why visit Leslie
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 19 parks and trails, 27 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include The River Leven Suspension Bridge, Balbirnie Stone Circle, Riverside Park, Glenrothes and Lomond Hills Regional Park.
Weather in Leslie
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Leslie
Leslie (Scottish Gaelic: Fiodh Chill) is a large village and parish on the northern tip of the River Leven Valley, to the west of Glenrothes in Fife. According to the population estimates (2006), the village has a population of 3,092. The village was granted burgh of barony status by James II in 1458 for George Leslie who became the first Earl of Rothes. Later, this was upgraded to a police burgh in 1865.
From the Wikipedia article Leslie, Fife (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photos of Leslie
Things to do2
The River Leven Suspension Bridge
Bridge · 0.9 mi
Bridge in Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland
Museums and landmarks5
Balbirnie Stone Circle
Monument and historic site · 2.6 mi
Archaeological site in Fife, Scotland
Parks, trails and playgrounds19
7 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes27
Mee Kee
Restaurant · Chinese · 0.4 mi
121 High Street, Glenrothes
Mo,We-Sa 16:00-22:30; Tu off
Reya Tandoori
Restaurant · Indian · 0.4 mi
95 High Street, Glenrothes
Mo-Th 12:00-14:00,17:00-22:30; Fr,Sa 12:00-15:00,17:00-23:00; Su...
Paul's Fish & Chicken Bar
Cafe · Fish And Chips · 1.5 mi
380 South Street, Glenrothes
15 more on the map.
History
Little is known about the history of Leslie before 1300. The original name of the village was Fiodh Chill, Scottish Gaelic for "Wooden Church". The village currently bears the name of the Leslie family descended from Bartolf or Bartholomew who was a Hungarian or maybe Flemish tradesman, who according to legend arrived in Scotland with Queen Margaret, the sister of Edgar the Ætheling in 1057. Finding favour with Queen Margaret's husband, Malcolm III, Bartolf became the governor of Edinburgh Castle and was knighted and granted with lands in the Garioch in Aberdeenshire, making his residence at Leslie Castle. A charter by William the Lion between 1172 and 1190, granted the lands in Aberdeenshire which were owned by Bartholomew to be passed down to his descendant. In 1283, Norman de Leslie (the fourth descendant of Bartholomew) was granted the lands 'Fettykill' or 'Fythkill' from Alexander III. A settlement also known as 'Fettykill' began to develop around these lands. In 1455, the settlement was renamed '"Leslie"' after Sir George Leslie. Burgh of Barony status followed in 1458 being awarded by James II
after Sir George Leslie who became 1st Earl of Rothes (a title which came from the family owning land at Rothes, near Elgin). During this time, the family started to become
Read more of the history
prominent in Scottish affairs. John Leslie, the then Earl of Rothes, was awarded the title of Lord High Chancellor to Charles II in 1667 and then became known as the Duke of Rothes in 1680. Leslie House was built for the Duke of Rothes between 1667 and 1674 and this became the seat of his heirs, and is still today the seat of the Lordship of Leslie in the Baronage of Scotland.
The main industry was paper making, in the form of what was known as Fettykil Paper Mill, operated by Smith Anderson, which continued into the 21st century. Transport of raw materials was largely by rail, as the factory was rail-linked by the Leslie Railway. Raw materials were brought in and finished product dispatched - even as late as the mid-1960s - by steam-hauled branch goods services.
The town is a key destination on the Fife Pilgrim Way, a historic walking route for pilgrims making their way to St Andrews.
From the History section of Leslie, Fife on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Leslie
James DeasNew Zealand politicianPhoto: Unknown photographer, Public domain- Ken HutchisonBritish actor (1948–2021)
- Jack DavidsonScottish footballer (born 1925)
- James GlenieScottish military engineer and mathematician
- Henry LeslieScottish Bishop of Meath
- Colin HillScotland international rugby union player (1887-1953)
Born in Leslie, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship7
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries11
Healthcare1
Map of Leslie
82 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Perth Airport (PSL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 miles away.
- Glenrothes 2 mi east, about 3 min by car
- Markinch 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Thornton 3 mi southeast, about 6 min by car
- Falkland 4 mi north, about 6 min by car
- Kirkcaldy 6 mi south, about 10 min by car
- Lochgelly 6 mi southwest, about 10 min by car
- Ladybank 6 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- Methil 8 mi east, about 12 min by car
- Cowdenbeath 8 mi southwest, about 13 min by car
- Leven 8 mi east, about 13 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Leslie
Keep exploring
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Duchess Lodge, Leslie, Fife - c. 1960, Georgemiller381, CC0
- Old Greenside Inn; Leslie, Fife, Scotland c. 1875, Georgemiller381, CC0
- Balbirnie Stone Circle, Kilnburn ( talk ) 18:49, 18 June 2009 (UTC), Attribution
- Park at Glenrothes, User:Victuallers, CC BY-SA 1.0
- Glenrothes High School, Mcwesty at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Falkland Hill 01, Immanuel Giel, Public domain
- Glenwood High School, Glenrothes, Scotland (2004), Mcwesty ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Riverside Park, Glenrothes, Michael Westwater ( Mcwesty ) at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- James VI of Scotland in 1610, George Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kenny with his bike, 2018, Kenny Taylor 121, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, smsm1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, hobgoblin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, smsm1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, smsm1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, communitylinks, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, smsm1, CC BY-SA 4.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Page built November 10, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.