Aberdour, Fife, KY3

An outstanding fairytale castle with lochside setting, maintained to the highest standard, close to Edinburgh.

In the late 12th century, Robert de London, an illegitimate son of King William the Lion, granted Couston and other lands in Fife to Roger Frebern. By the 16th century, Couston was a fortified castle protected by artillery. In the 17th century, James V granted a charter to James Logan of Couston, and the castle was remodelled into a layout similar to its current form. In the 1660s, Reverend Robert Blair, a professor at Glasgow University, resided at the castle after being banished from St Andrews for his covenanting views; he died there in 1666. The castle fell into disrepair in the early 19th century and was dismantled in the 1840s for farm building materials. For over a century, only fragments remained, including a 17th-century doorway and stair base. In the 1980s, businessman Alastair Harper bought the ruins and, with architect Ian Begg, rebuilt the castle using original stone from Otterston Loch and leftover rubble, preserving the original layout. Their work earned a Saltire Society Award in 1988. The current owners have further upgraded the property, adding a modern kitchen, bathrooms, and high-quality finishes.

Couston Castle is a unique, multi-level residence set in 5.37 acres by Otterston Loch, blending historical features with high-end modern amenities. The ground floor includes a vaulted sitting room with a rescued fireplace, a glass-walled dining/living area with Caithness stone flooring, a Gaggenau-equipped kitchen with dual islands, an office, and a gym suite with sauna and wet room. Upstairs, the first floor has a cinema room and oak-panelled drawing room, while the second and third floors contain the principal suite with copper bath, additional bedrooms, en suites, and a bunk room. Outside, the stone and gravel courtyard leads to a triple garage and a fully equipped guest/staff flat above. The landscaped grounds feature lawns, an orchard, outdoor kitchen, play area, dog kennels, gardener's compound, and a two-storey barn with modern utilities.

Couston Castle has a private rural setting in mature grounds overlooking Otterston Loch, close to the Fife coastline. The property is surrounded by rolling green countryside but is only 15 miles from Edinburgh Airport, 56 miles from Glasgow Airport and 18 miles from Edinburgh city centre. The property benefits from strong 5G cellular coverage. Dalgety Bay train station, which has a commuter service to Edinburgh and trains to Dundee, St Andrews and beyond, is 2.5 miles away. Inverkeithing is a Mainline train station (3.2 miles), with frequent trains to Edinburgh and elsewhere. This includes easy access to London, with several daily LNER Azuma trains providing direct service to King's Cross in under five hours. The Caledonian Sleeper offers daily, overnight, direct service between Inverkeithing and London Euston. Aberdour (1.6 miles) is an attractive village and former Britain in Bloom Gold Award winner, with two beaches including the popular Silver Sands, which is a Blue Flag beach. Dalgety Bay has primary schools, supermarkets, restaurants and pubs. Dunfermline provides a wider range of retail, business and leisure facilities. The private schools of Stewart's Melville College and Mary Erskine in Edinburgh and Dollar Academy operate their own bus services from Dalgety Bay.

The Fife coastal path is on the doorstep providing a spectacular 117 mile trail around the coastline stretching from Culross to Tay Bridge. The surrounding Fife countryside offers an unrivalled range of recreational sporting activities including hill walking, cycling, riding and sailing. For the golfer there are many highly regarded courses in the area including Aberdour, Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy, Burntisland, Lundin Links and round to the Old Course at St Andrews. Day trips include the stunning sandy beaches of Elie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews, whilst the attractive fishing villages of St Monans, Anstruther, Crail and Pittenweem are all within an hour's drive.

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