Lordscairnie Castle, Tower house in Moonzie, Scotland
Lordscairnie Castle is a tower house in Moonzie, Fife, built as an L-shaped stone structure rising five stories with a barrel-vaulted basement and a stair tower on its north-west side. The building stood within an outer enclosure marked by a round tower at the north-east corner, which would have formed part of the defensive perimeter.
Alexander Lindsay of Auchtermoonzie built this tower around 1500 as a fortified residence in the Scottish Lowlands. King James V visited the castle before his death in 1542, indicating its importance among Scottish noble families.
The castle served as a meeting place for banned Episcopal congregations in the 17th century, showing how religious tensions shaped the use of such fortified homes. People sought refuge here when their faith faced persecution.
The ruins sit roughly 4 kilometers north-east of Cupar near Moonzie village and are visible from the road in the area. The site is relatively accessible, though visitors should be prepared for deteriorated stonework and uneven ground when approaching the structure.
The round tower at the north-east corner likely marked a gatehouse or fortified entrance structure that controlled access to the entire compound. Its placement reveals how medieval defensive layouts were adapted to this particular site in Fife.
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