Archaeology Notes

Event ID 686452

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/686452

NO31SW 1.00 31622 14783

(NO 3162 1476) Fernie Castle (NR)

OS 6" map, (1959).

NO31SW 1.01 NO 31874 14884 Stables, SE Block; Kennels

NO31SW 1.02 NO 31616 14809 Ice-house

NO31SW 1.03 NO 31909 14800 Walled Garden

NO31SW 1.04 NO 31477 14682 Bridge (Main Drive; Fernie Burn)

NO31SW 1.05 NO 31791 14959 Stables, NW Block

For associated dovecot (NO 31770 15004), see NO31NW 15.

Formerly entered under classification Castle.

Fernie Castle comprises a tall 16th century L-plan tower, unusually developed, to which considerable additions have been made in the late 17th century and later, the walls harled and yellow-washed.

The lands originally belonged to MacDuff, Earl of Fife, who traditionally had a castle on this site (A H Millar 1895) but by the 15th century were owned by the Fernies, who sold them to an Arnot in 1580. The style of architecture may indicate him to be the builder, but the little cross which very unusually crowns the gable of the stair-wing might well indicate a pre-Reformation date of erection in the early 16th century.

N Tranter 1962-70; A H Millar 1895; RCAHMS 1933.

Fernie Castle, still occupied, is as described above. Two incised crosses may be seen on the wall of the later addition built against the S wing, and there are two further crosses on the gables possibly suggesting its use as a religious establishment at some time.

Visited by OS (D S) 2 November 1956.

As described. Now a hotel.

Visited by OS (W D J) 18 May 1970.