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Publication Account
Date 1987
Event ID 1016887
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1016887
Ravenscraig occupies a dramatic cliff-top site on the north shore of the Firth of Forth. From the A 92 Kirkcaldy-Dundee road the castle has the appearance of a somewhat unorthodox tower-house but when viewed from the land to the east or from the beach to the south the true scale and form of the building can be appreciated.
Built as a royal castle for Mary of Gueldres, Queen to James II, the castle was designed by the Royal Master Mason, Henry Merlzioun, assisted by Friar Andrew Lesouris as master carpenter. Work was begun in 1460 and continued despite the death of the king the same year. The work on the main defences, comprising two round-towers linked by a range containing the entrance gate, continued until the death of Mary of Gueldres in December 1463. Although the two towers are of similar plan and height, the nature of the landform gives prominence to the west tower. The massive wall thickness, regularly placed shot-holes and deep rock-cut ditch show Ravenscraig to be one of the earliest castles to attempt to provide for defence by and from artillery.
In 1470, James III granted the castle to William, Lord Sinclair, in exchange for the lands of the Earldom of Orkney. The building work at Ravenscraig was temporarily abandoned to be completed to a modified plan in the 16th century. The Sinclairs occupied the building on a regular basis until the 17th century, when it probably declined in favour, although the building remained in their possession until 1896.
Information from ‘Exploring Scotland’s Heritage: Fife and Tayside’, (1987).
