Falkland is a village, parish and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland at the foot of the Lomond Hills. According to the 2008 population estimate, it has a population of 1,180.The Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic are named after Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount of Falkland.EtymologyThe earliest forms of this name include Falleland and Falecklen, with the second element being Gaelic lann, but the exact etymology is unclear since the first element could be falach, failc, and falc . The later folk etymologies "falcon land" and "folkland" are not plausible.In the Middle Ages, the name Falkland only applied to the Castle; the burgh and parish were known as Kilgour, which may mean "church/cell of Gabrán".HistoryA settlement is believed to have existed at Falkland prior to the 12th century. However, this was not until the erection of Falkland Castle some time after 1160 which was the crucial factor in the birth of the village. The site of Falkland Castle now lies within the grounds of the present Falkland Palace. The donation of the royal hunting estate of Falkland by King Malcolm to Duncan, Earl of Fife in 1160, may actually have led to any previous hunting lodge being replaced by the castle.Despite being granted royal burgh status in 1458, Falkland had developed as a medieval settlement dependent on Falkland Palace and the Falkland Castle and therefore did not function in the same way as other royal burghs did.