This doesn't top my list in terms of castle, but nonetheless fun to see if you happen to be in…read moreKirkcaldy. I parked down buy the beach then had to do some searching to figure out just how on earth to actually access the castle. Giant stair walk, then residential walk, then park walk later I was able to locate this castle. The park is quite big with access to a playground for kids so that's a bonus of you want to stretch out the day. It's nice, by the beach and free to access, but after the likes of St Bridget's Kirk and Arbedour castle this place pales in comparison.

Ravenscraig castle is a ruin build on a cliff top outside of Kirkcardy…read more I nearly missed the main entrance whilst driving out of town towards the East. LOOK out for the sign that says "Ravenscraig Park". Drive through the "gate" and you will notice a car park with limited spaces. You might even have the luxury of an ice cream van. I was not so lucky, but was able to find a car parking space up the main road. The park seems massive. Playgrounds everywhere. Lots of families with children. I walked along a path following the sign post "castle" and even passed some toilets and changing rooms. It felt like my surroundings started looking more dense with trees and other plants. AND there it was - in all its glory. I crossed a supposed to be drawbridge, well, a small wood bridge, to get to the ruin. Sadly, I was not able to explore any rooms as all entrances to the east and west towers were gated. However, the view from the castle towards the sea and the beach was amazing. There is no doubt that I had to use a lot of my imagination to block out the grey looking high storey towers of Kirkcaldy in the background and also ignore all the derelict rubbish on either side of the cliff. But still, the spirit remains and its walls tell you a story of a stormy and adventurous past. The castle started being build in 1460 by Mary, wife of James II, but was never finished until it exchanged hands and came into possession of the famous Sinclare family in Roslin. Its structure and walls were constructed to fend off rough artillery. If you look closer you might even see a secret passage leading from the coast into the...... A small pathway leads down to the beach and to the closeby dovecot. Nowadays the castle is maintained by Historic Scotland, but unmanned with restricted access. Still, it is a joy to all castle lovers!

I recently came across MacDuff Castle whilst exploring the coastal area of FIFE. There is no clear…read morevisible sign post and I had to find the hidden path just beside the MacDuff Cemetery outside of East Wemyss in FIFE. I drove along the A955 until I saw the cemetery on my right when coming from Wemyss and parked my car on the road. There is no car park, except the one at the cemetery. Walking along a small path i entered an area which was overgrown by plants and trees. Maybe its the fact that the ruins lie just beside a graveyard or because it is very quiet or lonely or the tale about the "grey lady" who haunts this place that I felt a bit uncomfortable at first, but after walking down towards the coast and the "beach" I felt a certain relieve and noticed a couple. Was I glad to encounter civilization :-) There is not much left of the castle (one or two ruined towers to which access is denied), which was supposedly built by the Clan MacDuff in the 11th century around the time of King Macbeth of Scotland. According to records or just profound wishful thinking, this castle was once a vast powerful place and changed hands often enough during the centuries. After King Edward I of England resided there he ordered the castle to be destroyed and it was rebuild by the Livingstones and Wemyss families. The most interesting part of the castle are the caves beneath. Sadly, they are either gated (The Well Cave) or have collapsed over the years. These caves are part of the Wemyss Cave tour, which shows you caves with markings of old times past (prehistoric - Pictish, Viking or Christians). I think they found a bone like marking in the Well cave. I might be back for the Wemyss Cave tour to find out more about this area and exciting past!

The Adam Smith theatre is one of the best used buildings in the town of Kirkcaldy. Young and old…read morecome to this place to see films, theatre productions and children's plays. Yes, this place offers so much too so many! Inside, the building is warmly decorated making its enormity seem meagre. It has a cafe and the theatre can hold a couple of thousand people. The theatre is like all other traditional theatres but has been updated over the years so more events can be put on. My main memory of this place was when I went to see the Singing Kettle when I was younger! It was sold out, very noisy and I did not particularly enjoy it! Well, maybe theatre would have been better!

The adam smith theatre is avery good thetre but unfortunately the show put on there have gone down…read morehill over the years. I can remember going to the adam smith centre to watch live shows of Rab C Nesbitt and Roy chubby Brown whereas now a days it is more kids and local performances. It still has very good pantomimes at christmas and does show movies from time to time to which tend to be re-runs of classics which I think is a good idea, giving kids and adults alike a chance to see great movies once again on the big screen.

Loch Leven Castle lies tucked away from the world. A hidden jewel!…read moreHowever, I would guess that Mary, Queen of Scots would have thought differently during her imprisonment there for a year and loosing her twins in the progress of events outside her reach. The view towards the castle from the restaurant and coffee shop as well as Historic Scotland membership cottage is breath taking. There is no walkway to the castle and you need to book a boat/ferry trip in advance. A small ferry goes every hour and if you miss a time slot you can use the time to either eat in the restaurant or go for a walk. Presumably the castle was build during the 13th century and played its part during the Wars of Independence. It changed hands between the Bruce and the Douglas families. Nowadays it is a ruin and you can walk around the island to your own merit. I will definitely be back.

Wow...just wow...Carberry Tower is absolutely stunning and I was lucky enough to attend a wedding…read morereception here last night. When you turn into Carberry you are met by a long, tree lined drive with cute wee bunnies hopping around the grounds, I couldn't help but let out a huge "awwwwwwe" at the beauty in front of me. Round the side is no less beautiful with well groomed gardens and knee-height maze-like plants (yip I had a wee run round!). Then there's the hotel; full of olde-worldy grandeur (you know, the kind with knights armoury and shields dotted about the place), you can't fail to be impressed by its appearance, and inside is no different. It's a rabbit warren of snugs, stairwells, nooks and crannies and so much fun to explore. The library is utterly charming while the drawing room has a piano tucked away in one corner (cue chopsticks by a slightly inebriated me!). There is a very small bar, which for a wedding wasn't ideal due to the large number of guests (probably fine for regular stays however), and a word of warning, it isn't cheap...2 (single) Hendricks and tonic waters...£14! And sadly not even served with cucumber! Bar prices aside it was a really lovely venue for a wedding, I'm told there is even a Chapel in the grounds - you can't get more romantic really. As an evening guest I haven't tried the food so don't feel I can award the full 5 stars but it's definitely now on my radar to go back for a meal.

I feel that my experience of this gorgeous hotel was tainted slightly by the fact that I was…read morestaying here prior to having Major surgery the next day. The hotel is set in stunning grounds and we found it quite easy to find. We had booked through booking.com and experienced no issues with the booking process. We were allocated room 315 which was right at the top of the hotel with a window that unfortunately was painted shut. It was an unbelievably hot night when we stayed and the room was stiffling hot. It would have been nice to be able to open the window for fresh air. Although our room was compact there was a great use if space and we were very grateful if the free water! Due to my appt we didnt sample breakfast the next morning but I did manage to make great use of the amazing white company toiletries on offer and the shower was brilliant! I would really like to return here and stay when i dont have the stress of such a major life event looming where i can truely relax.

Glamis Castle is a beautiful castle in Angus, Scotland, that is currently lived in by Simon…read moreBowes-Lyon, 19th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, who succeeded to the earldom in 2016. Therefore, no photos of the castle were allowed during the tour. Pictures were allowed in the waiting area prior to the tour as well as in a room at the end of the tour. There was plenty of information provided on the history of the family and castle. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Queen Mother) lived here, and her daughter, Princess Margaret, was born at Glamis Castle. It was also home to Queen Elizabeth II. This castle was the inspiration for William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Overall, the castle, gardens, and grounds were well maintained. When we got to the castle, we had to stand in a line to get in. The weather was on and off drizzly. However, the tour was well worth the wait. There is a gift shop and coffee shop. Glamis Castle has many beautiful gardens accessible to the public and are not a part of the tour. Weddings and other events are held at Glamis Castle.

This was a nice photogenic castle to visit, on the exterior anyway as no photos were allowed…read moreinside. It's located in the countryside about 30 minutes to the north of the town of Dundee. It was the childhood home of the late Queen Elizabeth. The grounds around the castle are open and well maintained as there is nothing else in the vicinity of the castle. Our tour group also had a nice little soup and sandwich lunch here in their on-site restaurant.

The Black Rocks are a set of rocks which sit in the bay of Burntisland and are a popular…read moredestination for walkers. When the tide is out and the Firth of Forth is in full retreat it is possible to walk all the way from the mainland to these rocks! The rocks are a well known land mark as you look out from Burntisland and the local area. Indeed, these rocks are also a firm favourite with geologists, who are fascinated by the minerals on the Black Rocks. Defiantly worth a trip to, however before you go for your walk I would advise you to find out the times of when the tide goes out and then back in! You would not want to be stuck out on them when the tide comes in!

A beautiful old country house with historic charm. This gigantic mansion is home to one of the…read moreworlds finest art collections. The whole place can be rented for events and is truly worth it. Think Wayne Manor just for your group. We had a bbq reception there and it was just breathtaking to stand on the terrace and watch the sunset, and then going inside to listen to the jazz band playing their tunes.

I've been there not so long ago and I'd recommend this place for anyone who wants to get away from…read morethe city rush but not move away from the city itself. Large gardens with lots of footpaths around the castle plus stunning views over the Firth of Forth (especially on a bright and sunny day), quiet with a bit of Victorian atmosphere stil in the air. A trip for a half a day with a picnic basket higly recommended!!