~ History ~

1368 ~ Ardross is granted to Sir William Dishington, Sheriff of Fife and husband to Elizabeth Bruce, sister of King Robert the Bruce. He builds himself a fortified tower house upon a low cliff overlooking the Firth of Forth. He is charged with construction of the nearby St Monans church by King David II, who had been wounded by two barbed arrows at the Battle of Nevills's Cross some twenty years earlier. One could not be extracted, but miraculously it removed itself from his wound after King David had made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St Monans. To give thanks he orders Sir William to later build the church on the site of St Monans shrine.

1402 ~ Sir William dies. His son Thomas inherits Ardross Castle, whilst Sir William's daughter Elspath, has married Hoppringle of Smailholm Castle.

1607 ~ The Dishington family sells the castle to Sir William Scott of Elie.

1661 ~ Sir William Scott II, is a witness at the trial of Archibald Campbell, Marquis of Argyll. He gives an account of the Marquis attack on Menstrie Castle. The Marquis is subsequently convicted and executed.

1690 ~ Ardross Castle is sold to Sir William Anstruther. Rather than occupy the old fortification, he builds a new manor house nearby using stone plundered from Ardross Castle. The ruined castle is abandoned and never rebuilt. The remains of the castle for the following centuries serves the local population as a place to obtain free building material, including the nearby farm.