Newark Castle - St Monans, Fife.
Posted by: 
creg-ny-baa
N 56° 12.064 W 002° 46.678
30V E 513775 N 6228480
Ruined castle on a clifftop overlooking the Firth of Forth in the kingdom of Fife.
Waymark Code: WMW3EV
Location: Northern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/05/2017
Views: 1
Newark means new castle and this is one of many in the UK bearing this name.However it has been known in the past as Inverie, St Monans and St Monance Castle.
The first structure recorded on this site was a fortified residence built by Sir Alan Durward in the 13th century with King Alexander II known to have spent some time here. The first known castle came in the 15th century owned by the Kinloch family, with buildings set around a courtyard.
In the following century the east side was extended northwards with a circular tower built onto it. In 1545 it was known as Newark of St Monans and was owned by Sir James Sandilands of Cruivie who had a dovecote built to the east.
In 1649 it was sold to David Leslie, a prominent figure in the English and Scottish Civil Wars. By this time the castle had been heightened and Dutch Gables added.
The Anstruther family took over ownership around 1740 and sold it on to the Baird family in the 19th century. Modifications continued and the castle was still occupied well into the 1800s, but was abandoned eventually, with the modifications causing erosion and the north wall of the tower collapsing in the early 20th century. Coastal erosion caused the entire west side to collapse and with further deterioration the castle ended up used for farm storage. The Thompson family took over ownership but no attempt was made to save any further damage to the building.
Today it stands out on the cliff edge as a stark ruin near the Fife Coastal Path just east of the village of St Monans. The ruins can be easily accessed but care needs to be taken due to the nearness of the precarious cliffs.