Pitcullo Castle

Pitcullo Castle stands in Fife, about 1.3 kilometres north of Dairsie and 1.3 kilometres southwest of Balmullo. It is a three-storey tower house built of rubble stone with an L-shaped plan. A stair tower projects from the inside corner, and part of the main block is vaulted below ground. In the 17th century the building was enlarged, giving it a temporary U-shaped outline before later changes restored the L-shape. The initials ‘D.B.’ above the entrance may refer to David Balfour of Petcullo, who died by 1514. The castle probably dates from the late 16th century and was later extended in the 17th century. By the 20th century it had become a ruin until restoration work in 1968 removed the later addition and returned it to use as a private house. Visitors approach across open fields to find the isolated tower rising above farmland. The stair tower’s upper section was refashioned in the 18th century with a catslide roof that blends into the main roof. Inside, the vaulted cellar and the spiral stair within the projecting turret remain visible. The quiet surroundings and the castle’s simple stonework give a clear sense of its long history.