Fife Castles - Pitcruvie Castle Traditional Cache
Fife Castles - Pitcruvie Castle
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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A micro cache which takes you to Pitcruvie Castle picturesquely situated on the verge of the upper portion of Kiel’s Den to the north of Largo on the Largo to Ceres road. The castle stands within a field close to Pitcruvie Farm.
This is part of a series of caches that we are developing taking you to some of Fife’s old and forgotten castles. Other castles in this series so far that you may like to check out are Aithernie Castle, Struthers Castle, Lundin Tower, and Blagonie Castle.
Unfortunately after visiting the castle I felt that it was not ideal to hid the cache at the actual castle but in a place which affords a beautiful view of the castle over a small loch. The cache is situated by the roadside so great care must be taken however the road is very quiet.
Pitcruvie Castle, sometimes called Balcruvie, was supposedly built by Sir John Lindsay, son of Patrick, 4th Lord Lindsay of the Byers, as a separate residence during his father’s life time, who resided at Struthers castle (see Struthers Castle cache). Sir John acquired the lands of Pitcruvie through marriage.
Another historical version said that the castle belonged to the Ramsay’s, and that a daughter of that family married David, 2nd Lord Lindsay of the Byres, who was distinguished for his bravery in foreign wars, and for his devotion to James III. David died in 1492, and was succeeded by his brother John, who died without male issue in 1497. At the latter date it then passed to another brother Patrick, who became fourth Lord Lindsay of the Byres. Patrick accompanied James IV to Flodden.
Pitcruvie was sold to James Watson, Provost of St Andrews, whose grandson, James Watson, was served heir to him in the lands of Pitcruvie, Auchindownie, and Brissemyre, on the 8th of March 1664.
The walls are wonderfully entire, but the stones are very weather-worn. It has been a great massive keep, much the same as Scotstarvit Tower, near Ceres. Two of the flats have had vaulted floors, and the remains of the circular tower, which contained the stair-case, can still be seen at one of the corners. This tower seems originally to have been corbelled out, and to have been afterwards supported from the ground. Near another corner the foundation of the stair can be seen which led to the first flat. The two vaulted chambers, on the ground floor, must have been used as dungeons, or store - houses, as the only entrance was by a trap-door from the room over-head.
The cache is a 35mm film canister
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
onfr bs ynetr gerr fghzc
Treasures
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