History of Pitreavie (Part 2)

The Battle of Pitreavie, also known as the Second Battle of Inverkeithing, is significant as the final battle within Scotland during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It brought Scotland within complete control of the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell.

Cromwell invaded Scotland in July 1650; after a period of unproductive manoeuvring, he inflicted a heavy defeat on the Scottish army under David Leslie at Dunbar on September 3, 1650. However, Cromwell was still blocked by Leslie and unable to advance further.

He realised that Fife was the key to outflanking Leslie, and prepared for a sea-borne assault on North Queensferry. On the night of July 16/17, 1651, Colonel Overton led around 2,000 men to a landing on the north shore of the Forth, possibly at Inverkeithing Bay or Port Laing; by July 20, the Parliamentarian force numbered around 4,500 men and was dug in on the Ferry Hills (Inverkeithing) looking north towards roughly the same number of Scots at Castland Hill (Rosyth).

On hearing a report of 500 Maclean reinforcements coming from Stirling, the Parliamentarians attacked. After a cavalry action that saw losses on both sides, the Scottish infantry retreated north towards Pitreavie Castle, with the fighting raging all the way there. At Pitreavie, the infantry made a final stand on the sloping grounds but were overwhelmed by the more experienced Parliamentarians who had the additional advantage of cavalry. The Scots more than 800 losses, including many prisoners.

Sir Hector Maclean of Duart, the 18th chief of Clan Maclean and 2nd Baronet of Morvern, was in command of the Highland soldiers during the battle. He and his father had fought for Montrose in 1645, and Maclean now found himself allied with his former enemies against Cromwell. He was killed in the battle, and one of the two war cries of the Macleans dates from the battle: "Fear eile airson Eachuinn!". This is a reference to seven brothers who are supposed to have shouted this, which translates as “Another for Hector”, as each in turn stepped forward to protect their clan chief. All seven of the brothers were killed, and Hector died with them near Pitreavie Castle.

In 1851, two mass graves of around 50 people were found in the grounds of the castle, which dated to the time of the battle, although few other remains of the conflict have been uncovered.

The Pitreavie estate was once owned by Lady Christina Bruce, sister of Robert the Bruce, in the 14th century, and was purchased by Henry Wardlaw of Balmule, Chamberlain to Queen Anne of Denmark, in 1608.

He was knighted in 1613 and created a baronet of Nova Scotia in 1631. It would appear (especially given the initials over the main entrance of the original block) that the house was built for him. The star motif which appears on finials on the exterior was the crest of the Wardlaw family.

By the early 18th century the house had passed into the possession of the Blackwood family. It had lain empty for many years when it was purchased in 1884 by Henry Beveridge (of St Leonard's Works fame), who had it altered and extended the following year. The grounds were also renovated with a water garden and a narrow-gauge railway, and two entrance lodges erected; the East Lodge and a dovecot survives, but the western one has since been demolished.

In 1938, Pitreavie Castle was purchased by the Air Ministry and became the headquarters of 18 Group Coastal Command as RAF/MHQ Pitreavie. It remained in use by the MoD until 1996 - with its very own underground bunker - following which the estate was sold for development.

The finished castle comprises two principal two-storey homes and four single-storey apartments, two of which are available to rent through Airbnb.

Thanks to Alastair M. Redpath at Project Dunfermline for the information.

South front of Pitreavie Castle, drawn in the 19th century by MacGibbon and Ross, prior to the alterations of the 1880s

Pitreavie Castle in 2019

Photo credit: Wikipedia