A SENIOR Dunfermline councillor has said tourism in the area is going from “strength to strength” a year on from the publication of a £15,000 report aimed at boosting visitor numbers.

Suggestions in the 100-page document commissioned by Fife Council included locating the burial places of Scottish kings, charging up to £10 to visit the Abbey and the introduction of an app to offer self-guide tours.

It also said the town needed to rediscover its pride, end the “outright hostility” among some competing factions and ensure Abbot House was brought back into use as “a matter of urgency”.

Councillor Helen Law, who is convener of the City of Dunfermline area committee, said they had worked tirelessly over the last year to take forward many of the recommendations from the report.

“The new Heritage and Tourism Partnership has brought together the council with other bodies of interest including Fife Cultural Trust, the Carnegie Trust, Fife Pilgrims Way, Dunfermline Abbey Church, Fire Station Creative, Historic Environment Scotland, the Local Tourist Association, Cruise Forth and others to try to overcome the disjointed scene that had operated in Dunfermline in the past,” she explained.

“Together, we have seen an improvement in visitor numbers across the board and I am delighted to see Dunfermline begin to play its rightful part in offering a great experience to locals and visitors alike. There are many successful projects in Dunfermline and a number of new projects in the pipeline.”

Cllr Law said the cruise ship initiative had transported more than 1,600 visitors from 33 ships to Dunfermline in 2016 and a total of 39 ships were visiting Rosyth this year with more than 100 ships in the Forth.

Whilst the local area committee supported the provision of shuttle buses to bring tourists to Dunfermline, the ships also supplemented this with extra buses to Dunfermline.

“The recent decision by the Fred Olsen line to base most of their Scottish operation at the port of Rosyth is a huge endorsement of this area and we intend to capitalise on such positive developments and continue to raise Dunfermline’s profile to an international audience,” she said.

“Other developments over the year saw the opening of the award-winning Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries. This is a phenomenal development for Dunfermline and early visitor numbers are excellent.”

Work to refurbish and reopen Abbott House is ongoing while Fire Station Creative has also hosted many successful events in the last 12 months.

Dunfermline Abbey is also working with Stirling University in its quest to identify the burial places of Scottish Kings and Queens and final decisions are imminent regarding the disabled ramp for the Abbey.

Cllr Law said further key projects were being developed to further enhance the visitor experience which included work to digitalise Dunfermline’s story by developing an app. “I do realise that opening hours around the Heritage Quarter need to be more co-ordinated,” she added. “Some of this work will require additional investment.

“The Heritage and Tourism Partnership has worked tirelessly over the summer months, putting together some significant funding applications which, if successful, will bring in much-needed additional resources that will allow us to build on the already considerable work in promoting Dunfermline as a visitor destination.”