Leuchars Castle

Leuchars Castle stood near the village of Leuchars in Fife, Scotland. A motte and bailey castle was built there in the 12th century. The site became a barony during the reign of King William the Lion. In the 13th century the castle was rebuilt in stone. English forces attacked and slighted the castle in 1327. In 1337 Sir Andrew Murray besieged the castle and the English garrison surrendered. The castle was rebuilt again in the 16th century. By the 20th century it had been demolished. Nearby stands a category A listed doocot, now on Scotland’s Buildings at Risk Register. Archival records show that James V and Mary, Queen of Scots, often stayed at Pitlethie to the north. They hunted and flew falcons in the nearby Tentsmuir Forest. An armorial stone of the royal arms was found in the 18th century. The stone may relate to Archbishop Alexander Stewart, a son of James IV. James V issued sixteen great seal charters at Pitlethie between August 1537 and May 1542. Household books record visits in May, July and August 1539. The estate may have been managed by Arthur Forbes of Reres and his wife Margaret Beaton. Their son John Forbes also lived there, as did Mary’s half-brother, James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray.