Pitcruvie Castle

Pitcruvie Castle, Fife
Photo © Jim Bain, 6 April 2008

Pitcruvie Castle, Largo, East Neuk of Fife, Scotland. Built in the early 16th Century by Sir John Lindsay of Pitcruvie.

Pitcruvie Castle is picturesquely situated on the verge of the upper portion of Kiel's Den. It is sometimes called Balcruvie. The most direct way to reach it, and the easiest way to find it., is to take the road which leads from Largo to Ceres. It. is so conspicuous, with the romantic den on the one side and a prosaic farm-steading on the other, that it cannot be missed. The walls are wonderfully entire, but the stones are very weather-worn. It has been a great massive keep, much the same as Scotstarvit Tower, near Ceres. Two of the flats have had vaulted floors, and the remains of the circular tower, which contained. the stair-case, can still be seen at one of the corners. This tower seems originally to have been corbelled out, and to have been afterwards supported from the ground. Near another corner the foundation of the stair can be seen which led to the first flat. The two vaulted chambers, on the ground floor, must have been used as dungeons, or store - houses, as the only entrance was by a trap-door from the room over-head. It is said that the castle belonged in ancient times to the Ramsays, and that a daughter of that family married David, second Lord Lindsay of the Byres, who was distinguished for his bravery in foreign wars, and for his devotion to James the Third.

According to Pitscottie, Lindsay gave that monarch his "great gray courser," which, "if he had ado in his extremity, either to flee or follow," was able to "war all. the horse of Scotland, at his pleasure, if he would sit well." The King, however, was not able to "sit well;" and so, in his flight from Sauchie Burn, he fell off the great gray courser at the fatal Beaton's Mill. Pitscottie also tells how Lindsay and the others, who had assisted James the Third, were summoned to appear at Edinburgh, and records the bold but informal speech of Lord David, who was "a rash man, of small ingyne and rude language, although he was stout and hardy in the fields." The Chancellor craftily advised him to submit to the will of the King; but David's. brother, Patrick, who was versed in the law, tramped on his foot as a hint that he should not. Unfortunately, he had a sore toe, and "the pain thereof was very dolorous," and so he angrily exclaimed:- "Thou art over peart, lown, to stramp on my foot, were thou out of the King's presence, I should take thee on the mouth!" Patrick, seeing that the case was desperate, fell on his knees and craved leave to plead for his brother. When his desire was granted, he managed, by pointing out first one informality and then another, to remove the King from the bench, and to induce the Lords to "cast the summons."

Lord David was so delighted now with his brother, that his gratitude thus burst forth:- "Verily, brother, you have fine pyet words, I would not have trowed that you had such words. By St Mary, you shall have the Mains of Kirforther for it!" The Mains of Kirkforthar was a poor recompense; for the King was so displeased at Patrick, that he declared, "He should gar him sit where he should not see his feet for a year;" and he kept his word. Lord David died in 1492, and was succeeded by his brother John, who died without male issue in 1497. .At the latter date, Patrick, of the "fine pyet words," became fourth Lord Lindsay of the Byres. He accompanied James the Fourth to Flodden, and advised that the King should not hazard himself in the battle, at which James was so furious that he vowed, he would "cause hang him on his own gate," when he returned to Scotland. As one of Lord Patrick's sons, who died before him, was styled Sir John Lindsay of Pitcruvie, it has been inferred that the estate had passed into the hands of the Lindsays by the marriage of Lord David. In his History of Fife, Leighton expresses the opinion, that it was Sir John, who acquired the lands of Pitcruvie by marriage, and built the castle. Leighton also states that Pitcruvie was sold to "James Watson, Provost of St Andrews, whose grandson, James Watson, was served heir to him in the lands of Pitcruvie, Auchindownie, and Brissemyre, on the 8th of March 1664."

Reference

Guide to the East Neuk of Fife, by D Hay Fleming (1886)