The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: July thirty-first, understanding the roots of Andrew Carnegie

In 1835, steel magnate and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie was born in the industrial town of Dunfermline, Scotland, across the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh. The "auld grey toun," which grew up around a 10th-century castle and later abbey built on a volcanic plug was capital of Scotland, until the court moved to Edinburgh in 1603.

Son of a linen weaver, Carnegie was born in a tiny cottage on the edge of the estate of the Laird of Pittencrieff, which encompassed the old castle ruins and the tiny glen it commanded. His parents shared a typical "two up two down" cottage with another family, living in the upstairs room and weaving in the downstairs.

Though the Carnegies emigrated to America in 1848, where Andrew built a vast fortune in railroads and steel, he never lost his love for Scotland or the town in which he was born. Its citizens were the beneficiaries of his first public gift, a swimming pool in 1873, followed by the first Carnegie library, the first music hall, and a trust which still funds the town's athletic, artistic, and community facilities.

In 1903, Carnegie bought the entire Pittencrieff estate and gave it to Dunfermline's citizens, along with money to maintain it as a public park in perpetuity. And a magnificent park it is; a cool, airy glen, with peacocks strutting amid medieval ruins and glass houses filled with exotic blooms. And the Carnegies' tiny cottage is still on the park's edge, restored and refurnished to the time when they lived there. An adjacent museum holds a collection of Carnegie treasures, including a glittering array of city keys given by grateful citizens around the world.

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