Dunimarle Castle
Dunimarle Castle is located 1 km west of the centre of the village of Culross in Fife, Scotland. The name 'Dunimarle' means 'castle by the sea', although the original name of the estate was 'Castlehill'.[1] The mansion house is a Category A listed building[2] and the ruins of the medieval castle are Category B listed.[3] The grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.[4]
![](../I/Dunimarle_Castle_(geograph_4396321).jpg.webp)
History
The original castle is now a ruin, but adjacent to it stands an 18th-century building, borrowing its name, constructed by the Erskine family. The house was rebuilt by R & R Dickson in 1839.[5] It has a good library. Until recently it had some fine art which is now found on temporary loan to the National Galleries museum at Duff House, near Banff, North East Scotland.
From 1575, Dunimarle Castle had a coal mine in operation run by Sir George Bruce.[1] The mine had a tunnel that led down to the nearby River Forth, which is some 30 meters below, this was so that the coal could be loaded onto ships. The mine was abandoned in the early 17th century and the tunnel filled in.
Film location
The exterior of the castle was used as a location in the 2000 movie, The Little Vampire. The interior scenes were filmed at a property in Edinburgh.[6]
References
- "History of Castle Hill Pit, Culross". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 6 December 2006.
- Historic Environment Scotland. "Dunimarle Castle (Category A Listed Building) (LB3349)". Retrieved 12 April 2019.
- Historic Environment Scotland. "Old Dunimarle Castle (Category B Listed Building) (LB3348)". Retrieved 12 April 2019.
- Historic Environment Scotland. "Dunimarle Castle (GDL00155)". Retrieved 12 April 2019.
- Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Dickson
- "Scotland's starring role in 100 films" Scotland on Sunday, 21 May 2006