In 1266 Newburgh was granted burgh status by
King Alexander III, as a burgh belonging to the Abbot of
Lindores. In 1600, Newburgh was given to
Patrick Leslie, 1st Lord Lindores, son of the
Earl of Rothes. In 1631, Newburgh was made a Royal Burgh by King
Charles I. Since the Second World War many new houses have been built in Newburgh but the population has only increased by about 10%, partly due to lower average occupancy rates. For some time, Newburgh's industries chiefly consisted of the making of linen, linoleum floorcloth, oilskin fabric and quarrying. There was for many years a net and coble fishery on the Firth Of Tay, mainly for salmon and sea trout. The harbour area was used originally for boatbuilding and the
transshipment of cargoes to
Perth for vessels of over 200 tons. Raw materials for making linoleum such as cork and linseed oil were also imported at the "Factory Pier". Aggregates from the Whin Stone quarry were also shipped from Bell's Pier. The main employer from the early 1920s was the
linoleum factory known locally as the "Tayside", operated by the Tayside Floorcloth Company. In the subsequent decades, Newburgh was a prosperous industrial town pulling in workers for the factories from surrounding towns and villages. As linoleum fell out of fashion in the late 1960s and 1970s, attempts were made to produce
vinyl flooring and tiles but the factory was no longer profitable. After several changes in ownership it finally closed in 1980 after a large fire destroyed much of the building. Situated to the East of the linoleum factory was another factory known locally as "The Oilskin". Since before the First World War, its mostly female workers produced
oilskin fabric for waterproof clothing such as fishermen's suits and
Sou'westers. The factory was taken over by textiles giant
Courtaulds in the 1960s but it also closed some years later as demand for the product declined. As of 2020, most industries in Newburgh have closed except for quarrying, which is now the town's biggest single employer. It is mainly a dormitory town with many of those of working age commuting for work to
Perth,
Dundee, and
Glenrothes. Local trades and services include a health centre, nursing home, and supermarket on the site of the former
Ship Inn. In 2017 a new whisky distillery opened on the site of Lindores Abbey at the east end of Newburgh. This produces Lindores Abbey
whisky on the site where "
Aqua vitae"—an early form of whisky—was produced by the monks. The distillery incorporates an event venue and offers catering and tours of the distillery and Abbey ruins. After many years of lying derelict, the linoleum factory was demolished and cleared and its site is now a recreational waterfront linked to the Mugdrum Park and the
Fife Coastal Path. ==Local structures==