7 castles in Fife you have to visit

Updated August 2018
​Castles have always fascinated me and being a Scottish travel blogger I visit a lot! I love wandering through the tunnels of castles in Fife, climbing the spiral staircases, searching for engravings on the walls, imagining the stories and the lives of the inhabitants who once waltzed in the great halls, baked bread the kitchens, and played hide and seek in the gardens. I love imagining what the rooms once looked like, the brightly coloured tapestries hanging on the walls, the dark furniture, the smokey kitchens. 

Everyone loves a good castle don't they?
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There are several castles in Fife, some are romantic ruins, some are almost in one piece. Some have recreated rooms to give you an idea of how they once looked, others you just have to use a little imagination...

Balgonie Castle

Near the Milton of Balgonie and 2.2 miles east of Glenrothes in Fife Balgonie Castle is a quirky and unique place to visit. Now owned by the Laird of Balgonie, Raymond Stanley Morris and his son Stuart Morris of Balgonie, this castle has a long and rough history. Building began in the 14th century with the Sibbald family who built the main tower house and fortified courtyard and was added to over the years, like many Scottish castles, by the families who took over the castle. Sir Robert Lundie, Lord High Treasurer of Scotland added a two story building to the east of the main tower. Sir Alexander Leslie (who became Lord Balgonie and Earl of Leven), John Leslie (7th Earl of Rothes) and James Balfour, grandfather of Arthur Balfour who became prime minister in 1902 all owned and lived in the castle but it was the latter who was unable to save it from decay. 
Years passed, the roofs were removed for tax purposes and the vandals got in and it wasn't until 1971 that restoration began. The current owners are painstakingly repairing the castle and the chapel and main tower are now complete. It was used in the filming of the first season of Outlander and also the film, The Fairy Flag. You can now visit the castle and have a tour and you can even get married there! The Laird himself is a gifted artist and his art work is present all around the castle, making it pretty unique. The passion of the owners to restore this beautiful castle to its former glory is inspiring to see. Check the website before you visit to make sure it's open, at the moment (from April 2018) the castle is open Wednesday to Sunday 1pm - 5pm. 

Markinch, 
Glenrothes,
KY7 6HQ
Website here

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