DUNFERMLINE : SCOTLAND-FI

*Location:

   Northwest tower
   Dunfermline Abbey
   St.Margaret Street
   Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland
   OS Ref. NT 090 874
   LL: N 56.0699, W 3.4616

Site locator map via
or or [StreetMapUK/titled] or [StreetMapUK/plain]
City locator maps and gazetteer page (County is wrong; other data are correct.)
Also see our own Map Use Hints.

*Player:

   Wilson Brown
   - and -
   Esther Grant
   - and -
   Jack Macpherson
   - and -
   Elaine Ryan
   - and -
   Helen Walker
   - and -
   Mrs. Dorothy Wilson

*Contact:

   Dunfermline Abbey
   Dunfermline  KY12 7PE
   T: 01383/724586
   E: www@dunfermlineabbey.co.uk

*Schedule:

   (unknown)

*Remarks:

   Frame for 48 bells installed 1984, with
   present electric action; keyboard
   near the organ (audio relay used).
   Previous action was [electro-]pneumatic.
   Also two 18th-c. swinging bells.

*Technical data:

   Electric-keyboard carillon of 25 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is F# in the middle octave
   Transposition is up  6 semitone(s)
   Keyboard range:     C D   /    NONE  
   There are two missing bass semitones
   The instrument was enlarged in 1984
     with 10 bells made by Eijsbouts   
   Prior history:
     In 1972, the instrument was enlarged to 15 bells
       by Whitechapel 
       (1 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
     In 1953, the instrument was enlarged to 14 bells
       by Whitechapel 
       (2 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
     In 1947, the instrument was enlarged to 12 bells
       by Gillett & Johnston
       (2 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
     In 1938, the instrument was begun with 10 bells
       by Gillett & Johnston
   Year of latest technical information source is 1993

Additional information on the technical history of this instrument can be found in a database printout.

*Links:

The Abbey Website has pictures of the building scattered throughout, as well as four illustrated pages about the carillon bells (three under "Interior" and one under "Music").  The two older bells are not mentioned, and it's not clear which of the towers pictured is the "northwest tower".

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Gillett & Johnston bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the second phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Gillett & Johnston bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the third phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Whitechapel bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the fourth phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Whitechapel bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Eijsbouts bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.

Ranking among all British Isles non-traditional carillons by pitch (weight).
Ranking among all British Isles non-traditional carillons by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all British Isles non-traditional carillons by year of completion.

Index to all tower bell instruments in Scotland.

*Status:

   This page was built from the database on 22-Jun-08
   based on textual data last updated on 2008/06/05
   and on technical data last updated on 2008/06/06

Explanations of page format and keyboard range are available.

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