Fordell Castle Fordell Castle is a restored 16th - century tower house , located north - west of Dalgety Bay and east of Dunfermline , in Fife , Scotland . History . The earliest charter in the Henderson of Fordell papers dates from 1217 , when Richard , son of Hugh de Camera , with consent of his wife & son , grants small parts of the lands of Fordal to the Abbey of Inchcolm . By 1240 , William de Hercht had the lands of Fordell , when there was a dispute with Inchcolm over their respective boundaries . No further charters are known to survive until the 15th century . Part of the lands of Fordell were already in the hands of John Henrisoun of Fordell , Sergeant of the Barony , by 1465 , when he was witness to a charter , later confirmed by the crown in 1488 - 9 . A further portion was bought from Alexander Drummond of Ardmore on 6 / 3 / 1510 - 11 , which sasine was confirmed by King James IV in 1511 , and the castle was built in 1567 on the site of an earlier structure . Mary , Queen of Scots , stayed here when Marion Scott , one of her ladies - in - waiting , married George Henderson , the laird . The castle was destroyed by fire , but rebuilt c . 1580 . The castle was damaged again by Oliver Cromwell ' s army in 1651 . In the 19th century , the family built a new mansion nearby , but kept the castle in good repair . In 1866 , the estate passed by marriage to Hew Duncan , second son of the Earl of Camperdown . The mansion was demolished in the 20th century , and there is now little visible evidence of its existence , other than the remains of stonework , foundations and the overgrown detritus of human habitation . Pine woodland has wholly taken over its former location , although a stone bridge over the former railway shows the position of the entrance , from the south - east , and the formal carriage - turning circle is still visible as a clearing . The ruins of Fordell Castle were purchased by the lawyer and Conservative politician Sir Nicholas Fairbairn ( 1933 – 1995 ) for one hundred pounds sterling . The castle was restored and used as a private residence by Sir Nicholas and his wife Lady Sam Fairbairn , who continued to live there until 1997 when it was sold on to a local veterinary surgeon , before being sold on again to multi - millionaire businessman Andrew Berry . In November 2007 , Fordell Castle was sold for £3 , 850 , 000 to an undisclosed buyer , making it the fifth - highest - priced home ever sold in Scotland . The Castle remains a private residence , albeit a second home , and is a category A listed building . Following his death in 1995 , Nicholas Fairbairn was laid to rest in the crypt below the Chapel of St Theriot in the castle grounds . Andrew Berry ' s family initials have been added to the stonework surrounding the Chapel ' s entrance . Grounds . Within the grounds is a chapel dedicated to St . Therotus , or Theriot , which was restored between 1999 and 2007 . The grounds consist of Italianate gardens , which are currently being restored . The entrance to the Castle passes over a bridge , past a weir that formerly held back the waters of the Fordell Burn , and forming a lake that has now all but silted up . Rhododendron s surround the former lake and are a feature of the estate as a whole , lining the avenues through the Estate . The Castle sits in dense woodland , with very little opportunity to view it from anywhere , other than up close , or from a significant distance to the south - west . The former walled garden is now a commercial plant nursery . Other features on the estate . Close to the Castle , the Fordell Day Level surfaces . This is a mine " river " , connecting the foot of numerous former coal mines , from as far afield as Cowdenbeath , and draining the pits . It is now one of Scotland ' s worst pollution issues , issuing iron - polluted water into the nearby watercourse . Ongoing open - cast mining being carried out by ATH Resources promises to solve this issue as part of their reparations . A Planning Application is currently being considered by Fife Council for the first extension to the Muir Dean mine , in an area south of the current mine , towards Vantage Farm . One of Scotland ' s oldest railways runs 400m to the east of the Castle . The Fordell railway route took coal from the Fife coalfields , to the ships in St David ' s Bay , now part of the Dalgety Bay settlement . The original wooden rails are long gone , although the embankments , cuttings and stone bridges remain , and carriages and equipment can be viewed in the Museum of Scotland , Edinburgh . A winding house existed , location unknown , but thought to be in the vicinity of the Vantage Farm Steading , to assist coal down the incline to the coast , or more importantly , the empty wagons back up . The former entrance avenue and gates to the east lead to Vantage Farm , a small steading featuring Scotland ' s only octagon al doocot and ornate farm buildings including clock tower and three storey granary . The steading is largely residential , and conversion works are ongoing . There is a Lodge to the West , known as North Lodge on the Inverkeithing / Crossgates Road , and South Lodge on the Aberdour Road , marking the primary entrances to the former Estate . The chains at the North Lodge stone gates were recently stolen .