Page "Aberdour" Paragraph 6

Virtually between the two former settlements, though actually part of Easter Aberdour, lies Aberdour Castle.

This started life as a modest ' hall house ' on a site overlooking the Dour Burn in the 13th century.

The oldest part of the present semi-ruin constitutes one of the earliest surviving stone castles in mainland Scotland.

Over the next four hundred years the Castle was successively developed according to contemporary architectural ideas.

Notable are the parts, still largely roofed, built by the Earls of Morton, with refined Renaissance detail, in the second half of the 16th century.

A fire in the late 17th century was followed by some repairs, but in 1725 the family purchased 17th century Aberdour House, on the west side of the burn and in Wester Aberdour, and the medieval Castle was allowed to fall into relative decay.

Aberdour Castle is now in the care of Historic Scotland and open to the public ( entrance charge ).

After a period of dereliction Aberdour House was developed for residential use in the early 1990s.