Balcomie Castle. General View of Gate.

Description Balcomie Castle. General View of Gate.

Date c. 1885

Collection Papers of Erskine Beveridge, antiquarian, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland

Catalogue Number SC 747696

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of F 1896

Scope and Content Gatehouse, Balcomie Castle, Fife Balcomie Castle, a large mansion dating from the late 16th century, stands in a rural setting on Fife Ness about 0.8km from the sea. Although much of the building is ruinous, the south-west tower and the west bay of the main block are complete. A late Georgian farmhouse and steading, rebuilt c.1800 from part of the ruins, is incorporated into the building. This photograph of the gatehouse to the castle was taken c.1885 by Erskine Beveridge. The gatehouse has been altered and only its lower two floors survive. The masonry is ashlar, and above the elliptically arched entrance are three armorial panels within moulded margins. The central panel, which appears to have been inserted at a later date than those on either side, bears the heraldic crest of the Learmonths of Balcomie, and the date '1602'. The panel on the left bears a scroll with the motto 'Sans Feintise', a wreath around a shield, and the initials of James Learmonth. The panel on the right contains the arms and initials of Elizabeth Myrton of Randerston, wife of James Learmonth, and the motto 'Advysedlie'. Above the panels is the inscription: 'The lord bvld the house they labour in vaine that bvild it.' James Learmonth of Clatto was granted the lands of Balcomie in 1526 with the condition that he build a house. The estate passed to the Learmonth family and eventually to Sir John Learmonth of Birkhill, whose arms appear on the panel dated 1602. James Learmonth and Elizabeth Myrton were presumably the owners of the house when it was built. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

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File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap