Torrie Castle (site of)

Torry was a castle belonging to the Wardlaw family however nothing of it now remains and its site may be occupied by the late 18th century Torrie House.

By 1449 Sir Andrew Wardlaw’s widow, Christian or Cristyane, seems to have been married to Sir John Cockburn of Torry and Dalginche.

Late in the 16th century Fife landowners looked to Edinburgh’s emerging elite merchant class for financial help, and in 1604 Andrew Wardlaw of Torry granted to Edward Edgar, senior, a burgess in Edinburgh, and his son, Clement Edgar, the “lands and barony of Inchegaw, with castle, tower, fortalice, &c.” in feu for 12,500 merks.

Between 1605 and 1608 Wardlaw granted Richard Dobie an annual payment of 1000 merks from the same lands, and in 1609 sold them to him, along with the barony of Torry and the lands of Dalginsche and Thomastown for £10,000. The Wardlaws must have repaid whatever debts they owed as in 1613 they seem to have granted the barony of Inchgall to William Turnbull of Airdrie.

Turnbull died in 1614 however and the barony seem to have returned once again to the Wardlaws as in 1616 Patrick Wardlaw of Brunton received a charter of numerous lands erected into the free barony of Wester Lochoreshire. These included amongst others the “mains land of Inchgall with its manor” and “the loch of Inchgall, the castle of the same”. Patrick’s son, Andrew Wardlaw of Torry, was retoured heir to his father in 1627.