Toponymy The area is named after the
mouth of the River Leven. The word 'Leven' comes from the Pictish word for 'flood' and was originally given to
Loch Leven, the 'flood lake' at the head of the river.
Early history The first mention of the town of 'Leven' was made in two separate records in the mid-15th century, with urgent need for repair work at the monastery at 'levynnis-mouth' and George Durie – an estate owner – became the keeper of the harbour at 'levynnismouth'.
19th century Until 1821, the only bridge across the river was the Cameron Brig on the main Kirkcaldy - Cupar road. In that year a pedestrian
suspension bridge was built at Leven, which was replaced by a three-arched stone bridge in 1840. The toll to cross this bridge was a Scottish halfpenny, or
bawbee. Even though the stone bridge was replaced by a single-span bridge in 1957, it is still known locally as the '
Bawbee Brig'. In 1854 the Leven Railway opened, linking the town with Thornton Junction on the
Edinburgh -
Aberdeen main line. This helped it to become a tourist resort popular with visitors from the west of Scotland, and particularly
Glasgow. Later in the 19th century the Leven Railway became part of a loop line of the
North British Railway linking Thornton Junction and
Leuchars Junction via
St Andrews. The railway between Leven and St Andrews closed in 1964/65. The railway between Leven and Thornton Junction closed to freight in 1966 and passengers in 1969. On 8 August 2019, the Scottish Government announced that the line between Thornton Junction and Leven would reopen within five years. With the growth of coal mining and activity at Methil docks, the two towns of Buckhaven and Methil expanded until they were merged into a single
burgh in 1891. ==Administration==