In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Balcomie like this:
Balcomie, an ancient castle, a farm-house now, in Crail parish, Fife, 1 mile W of Fifeness, and 1¾ NNE of Crail. It belonged in 1375 to a John de Balcomie; passed in the time of James IV. to the Learmonths, in 1705 to Sir William Hope, and afterwards to successively Scott of Scotstarvet and the Earl of Kellie. ...
In June 1538 it entertained Mary of Guise on her landing at Fifeness to be married to James V. Originally an edifice of great size and splendour, it was reduced by the Earl of Kellie to only one wing, but it still is of considerable size, and serves as a landmark to mariners. A small cave near is falsely alleged to have been the scene of the beheading of Constantin, King of the Picts (863-77), by Northmen; and a group of islets, ¾ mile NW of Fifeness, is called Balcomie Brigs. See part ii. of Thos Rodger's Kingdom of Fife (Edinb., n. d.).
Balcomie through time
Balcomie is now part of Fife district. Click here for graphs and data of how Fife has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Balcomie itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Balcomie in Fife | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/22331
Date accessed: 25th April 2024
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