📌 Culross, Fife
★★★
On the edge of bustling, touristy Culross, a visit to Dunimarle Castle (Castle by the Sea) is a recent addition to western Fife’s visitor attractions. This rather unusual building overlooks the Firth of Forth from a grassy terrace, with its heavily embellished front tower visible from the coast road. The building dates from the 18th century, replacing an earlier castle on almost the same site, and was constructed for the Erskine family with its own coal mine and sea jetty. A period of disrepair was fortunately halted by several years of restoration, culminating in the house reopening to the public in 2019. Refurbishment has been thorough – new heavily dominates old – so tours here have a different feel to those in many other historic buildings, with more emphasis given to the last decade than to the few centuries preceding it. A sparkling orangery and wide rooftop views are key draws, as is the beautiful chapel dedicated to St Serf lower down in the castle grounds.
🌍 Location
📌 Off minor road 0.5 mi west of Culross
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 977859
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.055047,-3.643648
🚌 Bus stops on coast road immediately to east
🚗 Street parking
📝 Key info
⌚ House open by prebooked guided tour only – see official website for times. Grounds: Wednesday to Sunday
🎫 House: £10 adult / free for children. Grounds: free
