Aberdour Castle and Garden

Aberdour Castle and Garden

Aberdour Castle and Garden
Hewitt Place (near)
Aberdour
Burntisland
Fife
Scotland
KY3 0SL

Tel: 01383 860 519
E-Mail: hs.members@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Web: Aberdour Castle and Garden

About Aberdour Castle and Garden

Five centuries of noble living

Aberdour Castle served as a residence for three noble families over a period of 500 years – the Mortimers, Randolphs and Douglases. The present complex of roofed buildings and ruined structures perfectly illustrates how a medieval castle could be extended and modified over time.

First built to provide its owner with a secure place of strength, it was later enlarged in several stages until it became an extensive, outward-looking residence surrounded by delightful gardens and pleasure-grounds. It tells the visitor a great deal about changes in architectural and domestic fashion, as well as about the developing fortunes of the noble families who owned it.

The oldest standing castle in Scotland?

Aberdour Castle is among the oldest standing masonry castles in Scotland; in fact, it may be the oldest. Hidden away in the extensive complex are the remains of a two-storey hall-house. Its cubed ashlar masonry walls are remarkably similar to those in the nearby parish church of St Fillan’s, dated to the mid 12th century. And the double-light lancet window-head is identical to those in Inchcolm Abbey offshore, dated to around 1200. The splayed base course and clasping angle-buttresses at the corners are further evidence of Norman mason work. It is possible that all three buildings were built by the same stonemasons.

Hitherto the accolade of oldest standing castle in Scotland has gone to Castle Sween, in far-off Argyll, which is dated to the end of the 12th century. However, Aberdour’s hall-house could conceivably have been built around 1150 (along with St Fillan’s church) by Sir Alan Mortimer, the first of that family to hold the barony, which he had acquired through marriage in the 1120s.

An extensive complex

The 12th-century hall-house was heightened and converted into a more typical Scottish tower-house in the 15th century. By this date the castle was owned by the Douglases, earls of Morton and lords of Dalkeith. Succeeding generations of Douglases gradually added further ranges of impressive stone buildings. These augmented, and ultimately replaced, the family rooms in the tower house, and are perhaps the main attraction.

Of particular interest are the central range built by Regent Morton in the later 16th century, and the east range, with its fine gallery, added by the 7th Earl in the early 17th century.

The castle buildings were enhanced to east and south by fine walled and terraced gardens and parkland. Features of interest include an attractive beehive-shaped dovecot.