Blackness Castle

Blackness castle once guarded the village of Blackness when it was the seaport of Linlithgow. This is a 15th century keep and courtyard castle . In 1537 work began to thicken the exposed walls with provision for defending guns which transformed Blackness into one of the most effective artillery fortifications in Scotland. It was besieged and damaged by Cromwell but repaired by Charles II. In the 17th century the keep was used as a prison for some of the distinguished Covenanters until 1707. From 1870 -74 it was converted into an ammunition depot.

NH 984 576

Pictish Cross-Slab: Ogam-Inscribed

A Class II upright cross-slab of grey sandstone – this was found in 1781 during excavations for foundations for Dyke Church which was constructed behind its pre-Reformation predecessor.

The stone was erected in Dyke village in commemoration of Rodney’ss victory over the Count de Grasse (Battle of the Saints – 1782) from which it received the name”Rodney”s Cross.”

It was removed to the Park of Brodie a few years before 1842.

The stone now erected on a modern base and held upright by wrought iron struts, is rectangular in shape, 6”4″ high by 3”5″ wide at the bottom and 3”2″ wide at the top. It is sculptured in relief, with Ogham inscriptions down each of the four angles.

The front bears a cross with interlacing, and the back bears symbols including fish monsters, the elephant, double disc and z-rod

The excavations undertaken by Fife Council at Holly Road, Leven, have resulted in the identification and preservation (by record) of one of the most important Bronze Age archaeological sites in Scotland. Indeed, the results of this excavation will considerably extend our understanding of life in Bronze Age Scotland.

As Dr Alison Sheridan (Keeper of Archaeology, National Museums of Scotland) recently said in a lecture announcing the discoveries made at Holly Road, this site will “mark Leven as one of the most significant centres of prehistoric archaeology in Scotland”.

It is hoped that upon completion of the post-excavation analysis, the artefacts and materials excavated at this site will be awarded to Kirkcaldy Museum. However, all finds will be subject to the standard disposal procedures operated on behalf of the Crown in Scotland by the Queen’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer. That is to say that subject to the Scots laws of Trove and bona vacantia, the Queen’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer will allocate the artefacts recovered from the excavations to an appropriate museum after seeking advice from the Treasure Trove Advisory Panel.

The Archaeological Unit has already begun lobbying the Treasure Trove Advisory Panel for the finds from this site to be awarded to Fife Museums Central (Kirkcaldy Museum) and it is hoped that the first of a series of exhibitions in Central Fife on this site will be held shortly.

Discussions between Fife Council Planning Officers and Boyack Homes Ltd are continuing regarding ways to record or commemorate the site of this important site. Suggestions so far discussed include the erection of a monument or commemorative plaque on the excavation site. Plans are also being considered for interpretation boards for the site.

The excavations revealed a previously unrecorded Early Bronze Age cemetery (c. 4,000 years old) enclosed within a ditch. The cemetery contained 11 cist burials (stone graves) and at least one unaccompanied cremation burial of possible Neolithic date (c.5,000 years old).

The acidity of the soil resulted in poor preservation of human skeletal material, however, significant partial skeletal collections were still recovered. 

Local members of the community were invited to watch the excavations in progress and many local people actually assisted the excavations on-site, particularly after the departure of the Time Team.

Educational visits and parties of young people were invited to the site to learn first-hand about the techniques of archaeological investigation, and more importantly, to learn about the rich archaeological heritage of the Levenmouth area.

click here to see the visit to the site by the Young Archaeologists Club

Balvaird Castle

Balvaird Castle was built in the late 15th century by Sir Andrew Murray . It is a stepped L plan tower house with a corbelled parapet and a square stair tower in the re-entrant angle.The Murray and Barclay arms can be seen above the doorway in the stair tower. The tower house is complete but the walled courtyard and gatehouse are much more ruinous.

Balgonie Castle

Sir John Sibbald first built Balgonie. This is a 15th-century tower house of ashlar rising to 4 storeys with a crenellated parapet and a garret. It sits in a 17th century enclosure which contains ruined buildings of grandeur – one of which was the home of the Covenanting General Alexander Leslie who died there in 1661. The main tower ground and first floors are vaulted. The rood was probably original of stone slabs and the parapet walk is drained by cannon spouts.

Images of Blackstone Edge Roman Road, Littleborough OS grid ref: SD9651
This section of a Roman road belongs to an artery which ran from the fort and settlement of Manchester (Mamucium) in the south to a small fort at Ilkley (Verbeia) in the north. This preserved surface is in outstanding condition and is well worth a visit. Accurately cut cobbles are set close to each other in a tight and regimented fashion. Unusually the road surface incorporates a carved stone drainage gulley in its surface, together with the common practice of cambering the road to run water into drainage ditches at the sides. The road is up to 6 metres across and can be traced in the landscape for some 2 miles.

Middlebie Church
A village in Dumfries and Galloway, Middlebie lies on the Middlebie Burn, nearly 2 miles (3 km) east of Ecclefechan. Immediately south of Middlebie, on the banks of the Mein Water, are the remains of Birrens Roman Fort which was originally known as Blatobulgium

Kirkpatrick Fleming Parish Church
This church was substantially rebuilt in 1775 but incorporates earlier masonry including the bellcote of 1733. Further alterations were made in 1892-3 by JB Leslie. The graveyard here is very interesting and includes two burial enclosures – one late 17th century. Kirkpatrick Fleming is in Dumfries and Galloway