Fernie Castle

Fernie Castle, Fife
Photo © Simon Johnston, 6 July 2004

Fernie Castle is an enlarged sixteenth century tower house in north-east Fife, Scotland.

Situated just east of the village of Letham, it was originally in an L-plan layout. However, the house has been much altered and extended since, notably additions were made in the Scottish baronial style in the nineteenth century. Fernie Castle is an ancient structure of great strength, and said to have been one of the castles of Macduff.

It currently operates as a hotel.

--FERNIE CASTLE, FIFESHIRE.

A mansion, partly old, with later additions, situated in beautiful grounds about three miles west from Cupar. The house has been erected on a slightly elevated site, which was evidently at one time surrounded and protected by marshy ground. The original structure is the western part, comprising an oblong block 39 feet long by 27 feet wide, with a wing projecting to the south, which contained the entrance doorway and staircase. A round tower has also been erected at the north-west angle, corbelled out to the square at the top and provided with a small staircase turret in the angle. The plan is in general character of the L form; the addition of the above round tower, however, forming a modification of the ordinary design. To the east of the older block lies a large addition of a later date, probably about 1700, containing a new entrance door and hall on the ground floor and complete suite of public rooms on the first floor.

The large round tower at the north-east angle seems to have been introduced in order to keep up the Scottish character of the mansion. The edifice forms a good and picturesque example of its time.

The Castle of Fernie is said to have been a place of great antiquity and strength, and to have formed part of the domain of the Earl of Fife. But there is now nothing to indicate an earlier date than that above mentioned.

THE CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND BY DAVID MACGIBBON AND THOMAS ROSS, 1889--