Macduff's Castle

Macduff’s Castle stands in ruins on a low cliff above the Firth of Forth near East Wemyss in Fife. The site once belonged to the MacDuff Earls of Fife, the most powerful family in the county during the Middle Ages. Nothing remains from that early period except the name. The visible ruins belong to the Wemyss family, who built the first tower in the 14th century. Later owners added a second tower and enclosed a courtyard with a gatehouse in the 16th century. Edward I of England stayed here in 1304 before ordering the castle destroyed when its owner changed sides. The castle’s history includes visits by kings and sieges by armies. Robert the Bruce’s supporters took it back, and later the Colvilles added a new tower and defences. Sir John Wemyss reunited the lands in the 17th century and kept the ruins as part of his estate. The eastern tower was pulled down in 1967 after an accident, leaving only the western tower and gatehouse standing today. A dovecote once stood by the shore but fell into the sea during the 1970s. Visitors walk among the remains of two towers connected by a gatehouse range. The older tower rises four storeys, the newer one five, joined by walls with gun loops. The cliff edge offers wide views over the Firth of Forth. The castle is quiet except for the sound of waves below. Local tales speak of a grey lady said to haunt the ruins, adding a quiet mystery to the scene. The site remains in the care of the Wemyss Estate.