Lordscarnie Castle once stood on an island in a loch, which seems hard to believe now in this featureless field. The site is quite ancient, having been inhabited before the Iron Age. In the Middle Ages a timber castle was built only to be later rebuilt in stone.

Unfortunately the castle is on private land.

~ History ~

1355 ~ Sir Alexander Lindsay grants some of his lands to Lindores Abbey. Rumours suggests this generous act is for penance for religious offences caused.

1440's ~ Sir Alexander Lindsay, 4th Earl of Crawford, also known as the "Earl tiger" or Earl Beardie from his wild appearance, has two sons David and Alexander. In time David will inherit his father's title and lands as 5th Earl of Crawford. As the younger son, Alexander will be content with being granted land in Fife.

1453 ~ David becomes the 5th Earl Crawford upon his father's death. He in turn has two sons, Alexander and John. The eldest son Alexander later marries Lady Janet Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly.

1489 ~ David's eldest son Alexander dies "strangled in his own bed... not without his wife's knowledge".

Since he has no children, his younger brother John becomes heir to his father's title and estates, despite being charged alongside his sister-in-law Janet, with being directly involved with his brother's death.

1490's ~ Alexander Lindsay, uncle to John Lindsay, builds himself a castle on his inherited lands in Fife, upon the site of an earlier family stronghold. 

1513 ~ John Lindsey is killed at the Battle of Flodden along with King James IV and most of the Scottish nobility. The matter of him being implicated in his own brother's death in order to inherit the title, family lands and fortune, being forgotten as a resut of his death. As he had no children himself, everything passes to his uncle Alexander of Lordcarnie Castle. This unexpected inheritance forces Alexander to leave his favourite residence of Lordscarnie Castle and move to the families primary seat of Finavon Castle. Four years later Alexander dies at Finavon Castle.

1537 ~  Alexander Lindsay's son Sir David Lindsay, 8th Earl of Crawford, is imprisoned in Finavon Castle by his own son, Alexander Lindsay, Lord Crawford. Alexander is subsequently known as the "Wicked Master" and is later disinherited by Sir David. The title of 9th Earl of Crawford later passes instead to to his relative – Sir David Lindsay of Edzell.

1542 ~ Alexander Lindsay, Lord Crawford, is killed in a street brawl by a shoemaker from the city of Dundee.

King James V stops at Lordscairne Castle on his way back from the Battle of Solway Moss to Falkland Palace, where he dies a few weeks later.

1600's ~ Lordscairnie Castle is eventually abandoned as a lord's residence.

1689 ~ For some time after the abolition of the Church of Scotland, the hall of the castle is used by members of the Episcopal congregation.