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Historic Buildings of Fifeshire
Historic County of Scotland
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Image right - Birkhill Castle
If you have information about any of the Buildings mentioned below please share it here. If you have ancestors linked to any of the places please add them to the project.
The object of this project is to provide information about historic buildings in the county of Fifeshire, with links to sub-projects for specific buildings as appropriate. GENi profiles of people associated with those establishments can be linked to this project and/or to individual projects where they have been set up.
Historic Buildings of Fifeshire
... in alphabetical order
Including Castles, Abbeys, Manor Houses, Mansions, Stately Homes, Country houses, Estate houses, Courts, Halls, Parks and other listed buildings of historic interest
Full sizes of the thumbnail images can be seen in the Gallery attached to the project or by clicking the thumbnail image ‘’’TIP’’’ - Use ctrl+the link to open the image in a separate tab, or use "back" to return to this project page) Sources for the images can be found in the image details as seen in the gallery.
Names with Bold links are to Geni profiles or projects. Other links take you to external biographical web pages. Please copy and paste the bullet used - ● - instead of * when adding items to the list.
A
● Abbot House
● Aberdour Castle
● Airdit House
● Airdrie
● Aithernie Castle
● Ardross Castle
● Ayton
B
● Balbie
● Balcanquhal
● Balcarres House
● Balcaskie House
● Balcomie Castle
● Balcormo
● Balfour
● Balgarvie
● Balgonie Castle
● Ballfield Castle
● Ballinbreich Castle
● Balmule
● Balmuto Castle
● Balwearie Castle
● Bandone Tower
● 
Birkhill Castle on the coast in North East Fife, built in 1780. Primarily a family home of the Earl and Countess of Dundee and their family. Today offers a wide range of facilities for corporate and private groups. The castle is also a venue for weddings.
Lord Dundee is the Hereditary Royal Standard Bearer for Scotland, his ancestors carried the Scottish Banner for William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Bruce later appointed the Standard Bearer and his successors as custodians of the City of Dundee which lies just across the Tay.
Lt. Col. Henry Scrymgeour-Wedderburn of Wedderburn and Birkhill
Lt-Col David Scrymgeour-Wedderburn, MC
● Blair Castle
● Bordie Castle
C
● Cairneyflappet Castle
● Capelochy Castle
● Carden Tower
● Cash Tower
● Castle of Tacis
● Clatto Castle
● Collairnie Castle
● Colluthie House
● Corston Tower
● Couston Castle
● Craighall Castle
● Crail Castle
● Creich Castle
● Cruivie Castle
● Cupar Castle
D
● Dairsie Castle
● Denmylne Castle
● Donibristle Castle
● Downfield
● Draffan Castle
● Dreel Castle
● Dunimarle Castle
● Dunnikier House
E
● Earlshall
● Elie House
F
● Falkland Castle
● Falkland Palace
● Fernie Castle
● Fordell Castle
● Forthar
G
● Glamis Tower
● Grange
● Grange
H
● Hallyards Castle
● Hill House
● Hillside
I
● Inchrye motte
● Innergellie House
K
● 
Kellie Castle - Mansion of the 5th Lord Oliphant - bearing the date of 1606. T planned, 3 towers. The northern tower was originally an early 16th Century tower house.. The eastern was an L-plan tower dated 1573 with the initials of Margaret Hay, wife of Laurence, 4th Lord Oliphant. In 1613 the castle was bought by Sir Thomas Erskine of Grogar, who was high in the favour of James VI for assisting the King at the Gowrie Conspiracy of 1600. He was created Earl of Kellie in 1619. After the death of the 10th Earl the castle became ruinous but was restored by James Lorimer, Professor of Public Law at Edinburgh University, in the 1870's.
● Kilconquhar Castle
● Killernie Castle
● Kinghorn Castle
● Kingsbarns Castle
● Kinkell Castle
● Kinnear Tower
● Kippo
● Kirkforthar House
● Knockdavie Castle
L
● Largo Castle
● Lathrisk House
● Leuchars Castle
● Lindores Castle
● Lochore Castle
● Logie House
● Lordscairnie Castle
● Lundin Tower
M
● Macduff’s Castle
● Maiden Castle
● Malcolm Canmore’s Tower
● Monimail Tower
● Morton of Blebo
● Mountquhanie Castle
● Myres Castle
N
● Naughton Castle
● Newark Castle
● Newhall Tower
O
● Old Lindores
● Old Lochore Castle
● Old Tulliallan Castle
● Otterston Tower
P
● Palace of Leslie
● Parbroath Castle
● Pitcairlie House
● Pitcruvie Castle
● Pitcullo Castle
● Pitfirrane Castle
● Pitlochie
● Pitlour
● Pitmilly House
● Pitreavie Castle
● Pittarthie Castle
● Pitteadie Castle
R
● Raith Tower
● Randerston House
● Randolphstoun Castle
● Rankeilour
● Ravenscraig Castle
● Rires Castle
● Rossend Castle
● Rosyth Castle
● Rumgally House
S
● Scotscraig
● Scotstarvit Tower
● Seafield Tower
● St Andrews Castle
● St David’s Castle
● Strathenry Castle
● Stravithie Castle
● Struthers Castle
T
● Tayport Castle
● Torrie Castle
● Torryburn laird’s house
● Tower of Halhill
W
● 
Wemyss Castle a.k.a. Old Wemyss Castle; 15th century stone rectangular keep and courtyard fortress located by West Wemyss in Fife and was built in 1421 by Sir John Wemyss. 'The Hall of the Wemyss' possibly incorporates or was built on the site of, the earlier fortification that was sacked by the English during the Wars of Independence. In the early 16th century, a vaulted entrance, a round south-east flanking tower and a large round eastern angle tower, were added when the walls of enclosure were rebuilt. A range of buildings and a large L-plan block of 1699, were also added to the courtyard, which was then completely filled with building in the 19th century. In 1930 most of the Victorian additions were demolished, exposing the 17th century façade of this complex mansion.
The castle is the main family seat. It was the administration centre for the quite extensive Wemyss estates. In the 19th and early 20th century they had their own railway. A lot of income was from their coal mines and they built a railway from West Wemyss to Methil docks where they had built a deep water port for coal export. One of the towers built at Wemyss castle is particularly rich in history and has had many uses. At one point being restructured as a windmill and again, much later on, was restructured as a dovecote.
It was at the newly enlarged Wemyss Castle that Mary Queen of Scots first met her future husband, Henry, Lord Darnley in 1565.
During the Jacobite Uprising in 1745 David Wemyss, Lord Elcho, joined Prince Charles Edward Stewart in Edinburgh. He was appointed colonel of a troop of Royal Horse Guards, accompanying the Prince down through England, and was with him until his defeat at Culloden. Lord Elcho managed to escape to France, and took part in the State entry of Prince Charles into Paris the following year. He was convicted of treason in absentia, and his estates were forfeited to the Crown. He continued to live in France, and died childless in 1787 in Paris. As a result of the clans actions the Wemyss name was proscribed (illegal to be used) his second son Francis took over the line changing his name from his grandmother's side - Charteris.
The castle itself has been rebuilt and renovated a few times during its history and although the family now has large farming interests in England and owns comprehensive lands in the Lothians it is still the principle seat of the Chief of Clan Wemyss.
Michael Wemyss of Methil & Wemyss
James Wemyss, of Caskieberran
References
● West Barns
● West Wemyss Castle
● Woodmill House
● Wormistoune House
References and Sources
Fifeshire Specific
General
- http://www.stravaiging.com/history/castles/county/#sthash.ju3IlmSW....
- http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Main/HomePage
- http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk
- http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/
- http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_country_houses_in_the_United_K...
- http://www.britainsfinest.co.uk/historichouses/
- http://www.britainexpress.com/Where_to_go_in_Britain/historic_house...
- http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/
- Historic Houses Association - represents 1,500 houses in the UK
- Hudson's Historic Houses and Gardens - UK - guidebook of over 2,000 houses open to the public
- The DiCamillo Companion to British & Irish Country Houses - database of over 7,000 houses
- Lost Heritage - A Memorial to the Lost Country Houses of England - list of over 1,700 houses
- National Trust for Historic Preservation - online database of historic houses in the United State
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic_Houses_Association - http://www.hha.org.uk/
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Houses_of_England
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Historic Buildings Projects for other Scottish Counties
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Historic Buildings of Ayrshire
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Historic Buildings of Dumfries-shire
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Historic Buildings of Kincardineshire
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Historic Buildings of Lanarkshire
Moray, Morayshire or Elginshire
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