RAVENSCRAIG CASTLE, KIRKCALDY, SCOTLAND
The origins of Ravenscraig Castle date back to March 1460 when James II took over the estate here for his queen, Mary of Gueldres. He immediately commissioned work on building a castle, but did not live to see it completed. James had a passion for artillery, which proved his downfall in August of that year. He was killed when a Scottish cannon exploded during the siege of Roxburgh: see our Historical Timeline.
Mary of Gueldres ordered work on the castle to continue, and by 1461 some £600 had been spent and enough of the east tower was complete to allow the queen and her retainers to spend the better part of a month here. Mary died in 1463 and in 1470 her son, James III, awarded the castle to William Sinclair, Earl of Caithness as part of a deal that saw the Earl's titles and estates in Orkney and Shetland transfer to the Crown. The castle remained an important and powerful residence, and was visited by James V in 1540 and James VI in 1598.
Ravenscraig Castle is a structure whose landward face incorporates two massive, and massively thick, D-shaped towers linked by a range containing the main gate. This is set in the wall high above the deep ditch cut directly into the rock of the headland and from where you can really appreciate just how magnificent and brutally powerful it must have seemed in its heyday. The landward-facing walls are 3.5m thick and come with a plentiful supply of gun holes, but today's visitor can't help wondering how effective it would really have been if seriously challenged, given the way the ground rises on the landward side.
Access was (and is) by means of a bridge that passes high over the defensive ditch to a stone gateway. Inside the main gate was a guardroom, while stone-vaulted storage cellars made up much of the rest of the lower floor. The west tower, mainly built from 1470 by the Sinclairs, is rounded for defence on its outer face but resembles a traditional four storey tower house when seen from within the castle itself. This provided family accommodation and was accessed by means of a stair leading externally to the first floor.
The east tower, of which less remains today, housed the castle's well, plus accommodation for members of the royal (or, later, noble) household. The irregularly shaped courtyard on the promontory behind housed the kitchen, the bakehouse and other service buildings, all contained within a wall that ran along the edge of the promontory. These days a fair part of the two main towers and range connecting them remains, but access to the interior and higher levels is very restricted. Much less remains of the buildings on the promontory, or of its surrounding wall.
To Ravenscraig Castle's east side is a curving bay with a shingle beach. This seems to have been regarded as part of the defended area of the castle, for a defensive wall projects from the east (far) end of the bay out to a point below the high water mark.
Above the beach is the beehive shape of a dovecot, still used today by pigeons as a nesting site, and probably ideal for the purpose as its ground level entrance has been sealed up leaving just the access hole in the top. The dovecot can be reached from the bay or from Ravenscraig Park, and it provides a fascinating insight into castle life in the 1400s and 1500s. Presumably, given its coastal location, the castle residents dined on fish as well as birds.
Ravencriage Castle In Kirkcaldy Scotland.The first castle in UK.???????? built withstand artillery fire.
Hi everyone thank you for being here and here is about
Ravenscraig Castle,
Ravenscraig Castle may be the first castle in Britain specifically designed to withstand cannon fire. It was to be part of a series of new fortresses that would be capable of withstanding and returning artillery fire.
Ravenscraig was started in 1460 by King James II of Scotland. James was an active king and he took a keen interest in the new science of cannons and gunpowder artillery.
A Defensive Fortress:
The exact reason for a castle here is unclear. It may have been to guard the Firth of Forth from English invasion. Nevertheless, Ravenscraig Castle is certainly well defended.
It was built on a rocky promontory which juts into the Firth. Three sides of the castle have steep cliffs down to the water and on the fourth a wide, natural gully was extended to become a considerable ditch. The front wall is 3.5 metres thick and sports an array of gun holes.
James II never saw his plans completed. Shortly after construction began he was killed during a siege at Roxburgh Castle.
James had taken a large number of cannon with him to attack Roxburgh Castle. ‘The Lion’ was one that he had used successfully in a number of sieges. Unfortunately, however, early cannon could be as dangerous to the men behind them as the men in front. ‘The Lion’ exploded killing James in a shower of metal and wooden shrapnel.
James’ widow Mary of Guelders acted as regent for three years after his death. She used the castle as a dower house, though it’s doubtful that she lived there for any considerable time, and oversaw the continuing construction work until she too died in 1463.
Mary spent a considerable sum of money at Ravenscraig. She employed David Boys as master of works and Henry Merlzioun, the first of three generations of Merlzioun master masons. By the time of her death the east tower was three storeys high and the basement level of the central section was complete.
Construction work stopped until 1471 when James III of Scotland gave the castle to William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness in exchange for the Earldom of Orkney. Sinclair also had an interest in artillery fortification and he continued the construction.
Sinclair Family
The Sinclair family used Ravenscraig as a home. This is reflected in the west tower, which they constructed, having more of a tower house plan. The east tower was completed with makeshift crenellations at the top.
The two D-plan towers were connected by a central block which has the main gate and entrance, a two-storey curtain wall and stone-vaulted cellars. The family’s main living area was in the west tower which has four storeys each with a single room.
The east tower provided residences for the owners senior officials. It also housed the castle’s main well on its ground floor.
In the secure courtyard to the rear were the castle’s main domestic buildings, including the kitchen, bakehouse and domestic offices.
The Sinclair earls were important and powerful and Ravenscraig saw King James V visit in 1540 and hosted James VI in 1598.
The Cromwellian invasion of Scotland in 1650 saw Ravenscraig attacked and damaged. It was garrisoned by Cromwell’s troops in 1651.
The Sinclairs held on to the castle until 1896 when it was sold to Sir Michael Nairn, the Scottish industrialist. During the First World War Ravenscraig was used as an ammunition store and it was passed in to the care of the state in 1955.
Today the castle is looked after by Historic Scotland. There is no custodian at the site, so it is not possible to get in to the towers. However the site is open to the public and it is possible to get into the courtyard.
The castle sits on the edge of Ravenscraig Park in Kirkcaldy. There are various information boards dotted around the site and there are public toilets and car parking available in the park. The centre of Kirkcaldy is a short walk away.
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Winter Drive On A921 Road To Ravenscraig Castle Kirkcaldy Fife Scotland
Tour Scotland travel video of a sunny Winter road trip drive, with Scottish bagpipes and drums music, East on the A921 coast road through Kinghorn, Burntisland to Ravenscraig Castle on ancestry visit to Kirkcaldy in Fife. The A921 is the coast road from the Queensferry Crossing Forth Road Bridge to Kirkcaldy. Ravenscraig Castle is an early example of artillery defence in Scotland. The castle was built around 1460 for the wife of King James II, Mary of Gueldres. In 1470, King James III decided to exchange the castle for Kirkwall Castle which had been owned by William Sinclair in Orkney. It thus became the property of the Sinclair Earls of Roslin who completed its construction
Scotland's Backyard Castles - Ravenscraig Castle in Fife | Dig It! TV
Exploding canons, revolutionary architecture and a queenly patron; this backyard castle has it all! Join Dig It! TV and The Castle Hunter as they advance upon the formidable entrance to Ravenscraig Castle near Kirkcaldy, Fife. A design of epic proportions, this impressive royal residence turned imposing fortress has defended its inhabitants from deadly sieges, and even features in Walter Scott’s epic poem, ‘Lay of the Last Minstrel’.
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Credits:
Host – David Weinczok
Director of Photography – Doug Rocks-Macqueen
Production Assistant – Jeff Sanders
Edited by Chris Mackinnon
Music - ‘Draw Them to the Water’ by Hawksilver
Supported by the Castle Studies Trust and Archaeology Scotland
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**EDIT** The credits roll for this video features a special thanks to East Lothian Council - this is an error. This video was supported by Archaeology Scotland and Castle Studies Trust.
???? They ATE PIGEONS at RAVENSCRAIG CASTLE! ???? | Kirkcaldy, Scotland Vlog
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music: Aero Chord & Anuka - Incomplete - NCS
Steve and I visit Kirkcaldy in Fife, Scotland to check out Ravenscraig castle and its interesting history! Ravenscraig castle and park are FREE to visit!
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Old Corsehill (Ravenscraig) Castle, Stewarton, Ayrshire
Corsehill Castle, sometimes erroneously called Ravenscraig Castle was first held by the De Ross family fro Dunlop Castle, later by the Cunninghame family linked to the Earl of Glencairn. A new Corsehill House was built to the east of the old castle and this was in turn abandoned when the Montgomery-Cunninghames moved to Doura Hall near Kilwinning. Francis Grose included the castle in his book of Scottish antiquities but the railway demolished most of it for use in a railway embankment they built nearby.
Best Attractions and Places to See in Kirkcaldy, United Kingdom UK
Kirkcaldy Travel Guide. MUST WATCH. Top things you have to do in Kirkcaldy. We have sorted Tourist Attractions in Kirkcaldy for You. Discover Kirkcaldy as per the Traveler Resources given by our Travel Specialists. You will not miss any fun thing to do in Kirkcaldy.
This Video has covered Best Attractions and Things to do in Kirkcaldy.
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List of Best Things to do in Kirkcaldy, United Kingdom (UK)
Kirkcaldy Galleries
Adam Smith Theatre
Dysart Harbour & Harbourmaster's House
Ravenscraig Park
Ravenscraig Castle
Beveridge Park
Fife Ice Arena
Pathead Sands
Stark's Park
Wemyss Caves
14 Maryhall Street, Kirkcaldy (05/07/17)
14 Maryhall Street, Kirkcaldy, KY1 1BH
2 bed mid terrace house with private garden and off street parking.
Places to see in ( Kirkcaldy - UK )
Places to see in ( Kirkcaldy - UK )
Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. Kirkcaldy is about 11.6 miles north of Edinburgh and 27.6 miles south-southwest of Dundee. The area around Kirkcaldy has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. The first document to refer to the town is from 1075, when Malcolm III granted the settlement to the church of Dunfermline.
Kirkcaldy has long been nicknamed the Lang Toun in reference to the early town's 0.9-mile (1.4 km) main street, as indicated on maps from the 16th and 17th centuries. The street later reached a length of nearly 4 miles (6.4 km), connecting the burgh to the neighbouring settlements of Linktown, Pathhead, Sinclairtown and Gallatown, which became part of the town in 1876. The formerly separate burgh of Dysart was merged into Kirkcaldy in 1930.
Kirkcaldy was a world producer until well into the mid-1960s. The town expanded considerably in the 1950s and 1960s, though the decline of the linoleum industry and other manufacturing restricted its growth thereafter. The town of Kirkcaldy is a major service centre for the central Fife area. It has a swimming pool, theatre, museum and art gallery, three public parks and an ice rink. Kirkcaldy is also known as the birthplace of social philosopher and economist Adam Smith.
Kirkcaldy curves around a sandy cove between the Tiel (West) Burn to the south and the East Burn to the north, on a bay facing southeast onto the Firth of Forth. Historians are not sure where the medieval centre of Kirkcaldy was located, but it may have been at the corner of Kirk Wynd and the High Street.
Kirkcaldy Galleries is home to the town's museum and art gallery and central library. The building opened in 1925 under its former name of Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery and was extended to provide a main library in 1928. The oldest church in Kirkcaldy is the Old Kirk, the old parish church, on Kirk Wynd.
Kirkcaldy Town House on Wemyssfield is the centrepiece of the town's civic square. Kirkcaldy War Memorial in War Memorial Gardens unveiled in 1923 was gifted to the town by John Nairn, linoleum manufacturer and grandson of Michael Nairn. In the north-east are two homes of early wealthy merchants and shipowners connected with Kirkcaldy's harbour.
Two large stately homes also exist within the town. To the north of Kirkcaldy is Dunnikier House, built in the late eighteenth century as a seat for the Oswald family, replacing their previous residence at Path House. To the east of the town are the ruins of Ravenscraig Castle on a rocky spit of land extending into the Firth of Forth.
The A92, which connects Dunfermline to the west with Glenrothes and Dundee to the north, passes immediately north of Kirkcaldy. The Kirkcaldy railway station is to the north-west of the town centre and is on the route for the Fife Circle Line and the East Coast Main Line.
( Kirkcaldy - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting the city of Kirkcaldy . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Kirkcaldy - UK
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BALWEARIE CASTLE KIRKCALDY, SCOTLAND
Balwearie is 2.5 miles west of Kirkcaldy in Fife. Michael Scott's son Sir Duncan Scot, married Margaret of Balwearie and the Scotts settled down on the estate in the early 13th century. The building that remains was built after 1463, however.
The castle was owned by the Scotts of Balwearie until the end of the 17th century when it passed to the Earl of Melville when this Scottish soldier and statesman was made Lord Raith, Monymaill and Balwearie and Viscount of Kirkcaldy at the same time in the Peerage of Scotland.
Originally a 15th century tower, the north gable, east wall and part of the south wall stand fairly complete to their wallheads, about 45ft above ground, showing the tower to have been 43ft long and at least 28ft broad over walls averaging 6ft thick. The masonry, fairly cubical towards the base, is ashlar in 10 to 12 inch courses.
Tusking up to a height of 11ft on the SE angle suggests that a barmkin (courtyard wall) extended to the south and west.
One half of the building has collapsed
Although the Scott clan/family is strongly associated with the Scottish Borders from the early 13th century, there were Scotts in Fife descended from the earliest recorded Scott (Uchtredus Filius Duncan Scot aka: Uchtredus Filius Scoti). Uchtred's grandson, Richard Scott (whose line eventually became the Dukes of Buccleuch) had a younger brother, Michael Scott who moved to Fife near Kirkcaldy. Younger siblings often had to move out to establish themselves as the eldest son would inherit the father's estate.
This younger son, Sir Michael Scott, built up a considerable estate in Fife in the reign of William the Lion. He married Margaret, daughter of Duncan Syras of Syras, and obtained with her the lands of Ceres. He had a son, Duncan, who succeeded him and who had two sons. His elder son, Sir Michael Scott, was knighted by Alexander II. His son, Sir Michael Scott of Balwearie and Scotscraig is probably the famous wizard. He became famous during his lifetime not only in Scotland but across Europe due to his learning and writing (including Arabic translations of the Greek Philosophers) and eventually became known as Michael Scott the Wizard. He is credited with being Scotland´s first scientist, alchemist, sorcerer and astronomer!
Over the centuries, Ceres has had many families named Scott as is evidenced from local churhyards. It has to be said that his fame as a wizard was helped along by later writers such as Dante and James Hogg (the Ettrick Shepherd), embellishing the few facts known about him and perpetuating the wizard element of his reputation. Never one to pass over a good local legend when he saw one, Sir Walter Scott also picked up on the stories and wrote extensively about him. It was Sir Walter who wrote that Michael cleft the Eildon hills in three and bridled the river Tweed with a curb of stone. That's the Eildon Hills near Melrose on the right.
A later Michael Scott was a member of the group of nobles who went to Norway to bring Princess Margaret, the Maid of Norway, back to Scotland as Queen after the death of King Alexander III in 1296. It was Margaret's death on that journey that precipitated Scotland into the Wars of Independence against England in the following years.
Tunnel underneath Kirkcaldy, Fife.
This tunnel has long since been a source of intrigue for me since I was very young.
The tunnel entrance is just underneath Hayfield Road in Kirkcaldy and appears to run in a south easterly direction.
I am told that this long since locked tunnel leads to the area of the former Seafield Colliery.
If anyone knows different or has any other information let me know.
Apologies for the slight oddity with my commentary at the onset. This was due to me having to having to avoid any mishaps.
DJI Mavic Mini at Ravenscraig Castle - Fastcut Auto Edit
Mavic Mini at Ravenscraig Castle Kirkcaldy Scotland
Kirkcaldy at a Glance
This is a short time lapse video of different locations in Kirkcaldy.
The locations shown are the Ravenscraig Castle, the Beveridge Park, Pathead Sands, St Bryce Kirk, Seafield Beach, Fife Central Retail Park, Seafield Tower, Starks Park (Raith Rovers FC ground), Kirkcaldy Esplanade, Kirkcaldy Town House and the Ravenscraig flats, respectively.
Some of the locations may be more well known than others but I selected to capture the ones I felt were most iconic.
The videos were captured in time lapse mode with an iPhone that was held on a tripod. The videos were then edited with iMovie.
Music: Acoustic Breeze - Bensound.com
I'm planning to bring out more videos of different places in Scotland so be sure to subscribe!
If you have any suggestions for future videos please get in touch in the comments.
A lot of time and effort went into the making of the video so a like would be very much appreciated!
Thanks for watching!
Loubel Nicholle Barber High Street Kirkcaldy Fife 2019
Loubel Nicholle Barber High Street Kirkcaldy Fife 2019
Loubel, Nicholle, Barber, High Street, Kirkcaldy, Fife, 2019,
Loubel Nicholle, Hairdresser, High Street Kirkcaldy, Fife 2019,
#PaulWalkerTribute at #kirkcaldypromenade
Walking with Gran at Ravenscraig Castle, 23rd August
by Paul M. A. Jannetta
2019 General Election Equalities Hustings (Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath Constituency)
Hosted by Fife Centre for Equalities.
KIRKCALDY FIFE SCOTLAND 2018 PHANTOM 4 PRO VIDEO AERIAL VIEW OF SEA SIDE TRACK
Scotland Vlog 2: Skibo Castle, Glen Affric and Christopher Lloyd! // Kayla Limage
Hi guys!
This is my second Scotland Vlog.
A few facts about my Vlog.....
- Skibo Castle used to be the home of Andrew Carnegie
- Chris Lloyd was on the trip with us and treated everyone to a private monologue..... it's absolutely amazing and is in the first few minutes of this Vlog.
- Glen Affric was beautiful. It is the home of Pippa Middleton's husband, James Matthews...... Pippa and James were actually arriving two or three hours after we left.... I was like, can we stay a little longer! hahaha
If you enjoyed this Vlog, don't forget to like it and subscribe to my channel. If you have any questions feel free to comment!
XOXO
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KIRKCALDY, SCOTLAND
Kirkcaldy lies around a broad curve of the north shore of the Firth of Forth. Often know as the Lang Toun (Long Town) it now incorporates a number of once separate surrounding communities like Dysart and Pathhead and has a main street that measures over four miles in length.
The name is an oddity. Beginning with Kirk you'd normally expect it to be named after the presence of a church, and one theory is that it refers to a church of the Culdee sect of early Christians. More likely, however, is that it comes from caer-caled-din meaning fort on the rocky hill. And the most likely location for a dark age fort would have been on the rocky promontory later occupied by Ravenscraig Castle, towards the north east end of Kirkcaldy.
In 1075 Malcolm III granted the lands around Kirkcaldy to Dunfermline Abbey and the monks were quick to exploit the many outcrops of coal which occurred in the area. By the mid 1200s a parish church had been built here. Today's Old Parish Church stands on the same site, but although its tower looks impressively ancient, it only dates back to around 1500 and carries gun loops that suggest it has been used for defence as well as for worship. The rest of the Old Parish Church is rather younger, dating back to the very early 1800s.
If coal provided one reason for Kirkcaldy's early growth, another was its proximity to the sea. Even on a south east facing shore exposed to storms coming in from the mouth of the Firth of Forth, the sheltered cove around the East Burn provided a viable anchorage, and the town developed rapidly as a port. As many as 100 vessels were based here in the mid 1600s, trading as far afield as the Baltic and the Eastern Mediterranean: in 1632 the Kirkcaldy-based ship The Blessing was looted by pirates off Turkey.
By the end of the 1600s Kirkcaldy was one of the most important ports in Scotland, though it declined in relative importance during the 1700s. In 1723 the hugely influential economist Adam Smith, whose father had been Controller of the Customs, was born in Kirkcaldy. By the 1820s it had become a significant centre for whaling, with nine locally based whalers. Whaling declined when town gas began to replace whale oil for lighting.
The railway arrived in Kirkcaldy, and at its harbour, in 1847. With the simultaneous development of Fife's coalfields, Kirkcaldy became a very busy port indeed. The harbour was improved again in the early 1900s to service the linoleum industry with its raw materials, and to ship out the end product as well as coal. But visitors to Kirkcaldy today will find that the harbour area has largely been redeveloped for housing.
Kirkcaldy has also seen other industries come - and go - over the years. The locally available coal meant that salt pans were developed along the shore from the 1100s. The mining industry itself was very significant for many centuries: though no longer. And textiles also came, developed into an economic force of considerable importance, then declined.
But the town was particularly known for one offshoot of its textile industry. In the late 1800s linoleum - lino - started to be produced here. Jute from Dundee was combined with cork from the Mediterranean and processed into a new flooring material that took the world by storm. The industry thrived into the 1960s, when legislation meant that pricing agreements between the town's producers were made illegal, leading to competition they were not able to sustain. And at the same time public preferences were moving away from lino towards the cheap carpets then coming onto the market.
Today's Kirkcaldy is a surprising place. There are many fine buildings in the centre, and parts of the main street now form an attractive pedestrianised shopping area. Meanwhile, although the charms of a traditional harbour are no longer on show, Kirkcaldy's broad Esplanade is a reminder that this is a seaside town. It is also the location of the Links Market, Europe's longest street fair, held here every Easter.