Ardross Castle, Fife, United Kingdom

The ruins of Ardross Castle, dating back to at least the 15th century, occupy a fine defensive coastal position standing high on sandstone cliffs overlooking a sandy beach below.

In 1068 a Northumbrian knight named Merleswain came to Scotland, and was granted lands in Fife. The first mention of Ardross seems to occur in the mid-12th century. It is believed that a castle was first built on this spot by Sir William Dishington, Sheriff of Fife, who had arranged the building of St Monans Church for David II in the mid-1300s. Ardross Castle remained the seat of the Dishington family until it was sold to Sir William Scott of Elie in 1607. It seems likely that during this time the Dishingtons would have improved on and extended the original castle and, though it is hard to say for sure given the state of the ruins, it seems likely that much of what is left today dates back to the 1400s or 1500s.

In the late 1600s the castle was sold again, this time to Sir William Anstruther. It is unclear how it reached its current condition, but it looks like the castle was found to be less valuable than the stone it was made of, with the result that it was used as a quarry and recycled into nearby buildings in what is now the hamlet of Ardross.

References:

Undiscovered Scotland

Church of St Donatus

The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.

The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.

The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.

Shona Norman (5 years ago)
Not much to see but remains of a domed room and many arches. Would have loved to see it when it was complete, so sad we lose these bits of our history.

James Kennedy (5 years ago)
This place was ruined! Top castle, get it visited.

James McEwan (5 years ago)
Just a few partial walls left of Ardross Castle from the 15th century, on the Fife Coastal path and on sandstone cliffs overlooking a sandy beach below.

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Church of St Donatus