Crowsteps, a crenellated entrance tower and carved inscriptions gave Kinross’s Carnegie library an emphatic public identity.
Quick facts
- Date
- 1905; later restored within the former civic group
- Architect / designer
- Peter L Henderson with Mr Brown, inspector of works
- Type
- Baronial former public library, museum and recreation building
- Designation
- Listed building, Category C (LB48649)
- OS grid reference
- NO 11916 02051
Architecture, archaeology and continuing use
The two-storey, three-bay front combines smooth sandstone with rubble side walls. A battlemented entrance bay bears the library name, flanked by crowstepped gables, transomed windows and a commemorative panel for the Polish Tank Training Centre.
Its story
Kinross adopted the public libraries legislation and secured an £1,800 Carnegie grant for a library, museum and recreation room. The memorial stone was laid in 1905. After closure and deterioration, the building joined the wider municipal group’s residential redevelopment.
Why it is included
Category C listing recognises strong early twentieth-century civic design, the history of public learning and recreation, and later Polish wartime commemoration.
What to notice
- Relief lettering beneath the crenellated entrance parapet.
- Crowstepped gables closing the municipal terrace.
- Panel thanking the Polish Tank Training Centre of 1942–48.
Reading the surroundings
This is not the operating town library. View from public space and respect the residential setting; use the current community-campus listing for public library services.
Timeline
- 1825 An earlier tradesmen’s collection established a local library tradition.
- 1905 A Carnegie-funded library, museum and recreation scheme was launched.
- 1942–48 Polish tank trainees formed a remembered part of local wartime life.
- 2010s Restoration incorporated the former library into the adapted civic group.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The current library operates elsewhere; no claim is made about access to, or the detailed layout of, the converted former building.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Former Carnegie Public Library, LB48649 — Current designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Trove designation: LB48649 — Parallel national record identity and archival context.
- Culture Perth and Kinross: Loch Leven Community Library — Current location and services of the public library serving Kinross.
Location
OS grid reference NO 11916 02051 · Location confidence: High: the current national designation supplies an exact mapped National Grid Reference; public text separately states access and current-use uncertainty. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
Suggest a marker correction
Suggest a more accurate position
The teal marker is the current published position. The orange marker starts slightly to its right so both remain visible; this is only a visual starting position. Tap the correct place on the map or drag the orange marker. Sending this form creates a private review entry only; it does not move the published marker.
Check this area in Google Maps Choose the Satellite layer there if useful.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors. You can also enter checked coordinates below.