Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Leuchars Castle, motte and associated remains
Medieval · Motte and associated remains

Leuchars Castle, motte and associated remains

Scotland
HES SM857
Period
Medieval
Site type
Motte and associated remains
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Leuchars Castle is a medieval motte and bailey castle situated in Fife, Scotland, representing a form of fortification characteristic of the Norman period in Britain. The site comprises an earthen mound, or motte, which would have originally supported a timber or stone structure, alongside the flattened bailey platform typical of such defensive settlements. The castle dates to the medieval period, when such fortifications served as centres of military power and territorial control in Scotland. The surviving earthworks remain an important archaeological record of medieval military architecture and settlement patterns in the region.

Leuchars Castle, motte and associated remains is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM857. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Leuchars Castle, motte and associated remains?

Leuchars Castle is a medieval motte and bailey castle situated in Fife, Scotland, representing a form of fortification characteristic of the Norman period in Britain. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM857.

What period does Leuchars Castle, motte and associated remains date from?

Leuchars Castle, motte and associated remains dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte and associated remains. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Leuchars Castle, motte and associated remains?

Leuchars Castle, motte and associated remains is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM857.

What other scheduled monuments are near Leuchars Castle, motte and associated remains?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Earlshall, enclosures and settlements NNW of (1.1 km), Southfield, cropmarks E and SE of (1.1 km), Pusk Farm Cottages, ring-ditch & enclosures 250m NE of (1.5 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Leuchars Castle, motte and associated remains

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Leuchars Castle, motte and associated remains's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Earlshall, enclosures and settlements NNW of
Post-Medieval · Enclosures and settlements1.1 km
Southfield, cropmarks E and SE of
Cropmarks e and1.1 km
Pusk Farm Cottages, ring-ditch & enclosures 250m NE of
Post-Medieval · Ring-ditch & enclosures1.5 km
Southfield, unenclosed settlement W of
Unenclosed settlement1.7 km
Pusk, enclosure 300m SSE of
Post-Medieval · Enclosure2 km
St Andrews,West Port
West port7.4 km
Dominican Friary, 25m S of Blackfriars' Chapel, St Andrews
Medieval · 25m s of blackfriars' chapel, st andrews7.6 km
Kemback School,church 155m WNW of
Medieval · Church7.6 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Leuchars Castle, motte and associated remains

Leuchars Castle, motte and associated remains stands on Arbuthnott-Garvock Group, bedrock that formed in the Pragian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone.

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