"Inverkeithing parish is bounded by Dalgety and Dunfermline and sits on the shore of the Firth of Forth. The parish consists of 2 main parts: one extending north for 4 miles and one mile broad; and one stretching along the shore for nearly 4 miles. Various kinds of stone abound, including limestone which is extensively wrought. Besides the Royal Burgh of Inverkeithing, the only other village is Hillend. The Royal Burgh consists of one principal street with numerous lanes branching off it. A considerable number of the houses have an old antiquated appearance, others have been much improved and modernised in the past forty years. The parish church and a UP Church are both situated on the main street. The town contains a corn exchange, a music hall, a town house and jail. Industry includes a foundry, an iron shipbuilding establishment, fire brick and gas retort works, a distillery, a tan work, a rope and sail manufactory and a shipbuilding yard with a patent slip which affords great facilities for repairing vessels." edited from Westwood's Directory for the counties of Fife & Kinross published 1862.