Castles · Central Scotland
Ravenscraig Castle
Ravenscraig Castle — castle in Fife, Scotland, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Kirkcaldy · 1.8 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Ravenscraig Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Records date its origin to 1460. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Owned by Mary of Guelders. Wikidata describes it as: "castle in Fife, Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 56.1196°, -3.1413°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Ravenscraig Castle is a ruined castle located in Kirkcaldy which dates from around 1460. The castle is an early example of artillery defence in Scotland.
From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.
From Historic Environment Scotland
Get a brief history of Ravenscraig Castle, begun for Queen Mary of Gueldres and completed by the Sinclair family. Visit the site today or contact Historic Environment Scotland for more information.
Read more on the official property page.
From the Wikipedia article
Ravenscraig Castle is a ruined castle located in Kirkcaldy which dates from around 1460. The castle is an early example of artillery defence in Scotland.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The construction of Ravenscraig Castle by the mason Henry Merlion and the master carpenter Friar Andres Lesouris was ordered by King James II (reigned 1437–1460) as a home for his wife, Mary of Guelders. The castle is considered one of the first—perhaps the very first—in Scotland to be built to withstand cannon fire and provide for artillery defence. Construction was commenced around 1460 by his widow, Mary of Guelders, as a memorial to him and as a dower house. She continued the construction work until her death in December 1463, when the east tower and the basement of the central section was probably built for her by the master mason Henry Merlioun. The site was supervised by the master…
Description
Ravenscraig is a small castle, built on a narrow rocky promontory in the Firth of Forth. It is naturally defended on three sides by steep cliffs dropping to the sea, and the main part of the castle forms the northern, landward, defence. This comprises two D-plan towers, with outer walls 4.25 m thick, designed to withstand cannon fire. Battlements between the towers formed an artillery platform, with gun holes pointing to landward. The whole is defended by a deep, rock-cut ditch, and is accessed via a bridge.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 56.1196, -3.1413
- District
- Fife
- Postcode
- KY1 2QG
- Parliamentary constituency
- Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy
- Established
- 1460
- Nearest railway station
- Kirkcaldy — 1.8 km
Sources
- wikidata: Q3994788 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Ravenscraig Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Ravenscraig Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1159565.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Ravenscraig Castle?
- Ravenscraig Castle is in central Scotland, United Kingdom (postcode KY1 2QG).
- When was Ravenscraig Castle built?
- Built or established in 1460.
- Who owns Ravenscraig Castle?
- Ravenscraig Castle is owned by Mary of Guelders.
- Is Ravenscraig Castle a listed building?
- Ravenscraig Castle is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Does Ravenscraig Castle charge admission?
- Ravenscraig Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Ravenscraig Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Kirkcaldy, about 1.8 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode KY1 2QG.