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www.maclean.org - Home to the Worldwide Family of Clan Maclean  

Brief History of Ownership
In 1910, Henry Beveridge sought to redress the balance, and displayed plans for a "garden suburb at Pitreavie". Some 650 houses, shops, two churches, a school and various other public buildings were to be built on 75 acres of land lying south of the railway line and bounded to the west by the main road to Inverkeithing (which follows the same line as the present road from Rosyth station to Rosyth). Each house was to "... have a large garden attached ... [and no] living room should face north; all may face south; and no bedroom need be sunless, while most will have a south aspect. ..."
In 1603, James VI of Scotland acceded to the English throne, and left for London. At that time, the Scottish Court was established in Dunfermline, and the King left his palace in the care of the Queen's Chamberlain, Henry Wardlaw. In 1614, in recognition of services rendered, James VI & I appointed Henry (now Sir Henry) Wardlaw Baron of Pitreavie. A year later, Henry began the building of the 'castle' more accurately a defended family home - in the grounds of his new estate. Queen Anne rewarded her faifthful Chamberlain the following year by giving him the Royal Burying Vault in the "Auld Kirk". Henry inserted an oblong stone above the vault door bearing the inscription:
ANNA . REGINA. MAGNAE . BRITANNIAE . AC. DOMINA. DOMINII. DE. DUNFERMLINE. DOMINO. HENRICO . WARDLAW . DE .PITREAVIE . MILITI . ET. SUIS. POSTERIS . HUNC . LOCUM . IN. SEPULTURUM. DEDIT 1616.
(Anne, Queen of Great Britain, and Lady of the Lordship of Dunfermline gave to Henry Wardlaw of Pitreavie, Esquire, and to his posterity, this place of sepulture, 1616.)
 
There is anecdotal evidence that the Wardlaws sold the house to Lord Primrose, Earl of Rosebery In 1703. It is generally agreed that the house was sold in 1711 to Sir Robert Blackwood, Lord Dean of Guild, Edinburgh, after which the building gradually changed from a fortified keep to an 18th century home.