Macduff’s castle (East Wemyss Castle)

Getting there

Take the A92 to Kirkcaldy then head towards East Wemyss. There is a small car park by the beach however the castle is up LOTS and lots of stairs and is not accessible for wheelchairs and prams. There is a small flatter path around the back of the cemetery but no parking on the street.

Entry costs and Services

This castle is free to visit as it is a ruin. The castle is classed as a hazardous site due to bad erosion of the bricks “visitors enter at their own RISK!”. There are some nice caves in the area, most are off limits.

Review

The castle has two names its proper name “Macduff’s castle” and its nickname “East Wemyss Castle”. Both names can be linked to the Macduff family Earls of Fife the most powerful family in Fife in the Middle Ages. The castle is thought to have been built by the Macduffs in the 11th century.

The East Wemyss name comes from the local town which along with some of the other local towns is named after the Wemyss family descendants of the Macduffs. The Wemyss family also lived in the castle in the 14th century.

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Although there’s not much to see this is still a beautiful place to go on a good day. The state of the building is sad to see but still good to look at.