The first document to recognize Kirkcady, a town in the Fife Region of eastern Scotland, located on the Firth of Forth about ten miles (sixteen kilometers) north of Edinburgh, was issued in 1075, when the King of Scots, Malcolm III (reigned 1058–93) granted the shire of Kirkcaladunt, among other gifts, to the church at Dunfermline.

The residents were expected to pay dues and taxes for the church's general upkeep.

Two charters, later confirmed by Malcolm's son David I in 1128 and 1130, refer to Kircalethin and Kirkcaladunit respectively, but do not indicate their locations.

In 1304, a weekly market and annual fair for Kirkcaldy was proposed by the Abbot of Dunfermline to King Edward I, during a period of English rule in Scotland from 1296 to 1306.

The town’s status as a burgh dependent on Dunfermline Abbey is confirmed in 1327 by Robert I, King of Scots (reigned 1306–29).