Easterheughs is a magnificent baronial style 20th century tower house.

The creation of Easterheughs is an extraordinary story of eccentricity. It starts during the Second World War when William Thomas, the manager of Burntisland’s aluminium works and a member of the Home Guard, was detailed one night to keep fire watch over the coast and opted to climb a large beech tree for a lookout. As dawn broke he noted an outcrop of rock, the perfect site for a castle and decided to make that rock the foundation of his dream. Mr Thomas had been renting rooms in the decaying Rossend Castle, which overlooks Burntisland harbour and, a few months after the war ended in 1946, he set about turning his fantasy into reality and purchased the site. The main influence behind the design was the Medieval Rossend Castle, which was restored in the 18th century by Sir William Bruce. He was also inspired by the work of Sir Robert Lorimer who reacted against the classical tradition, in favour of vernacular architecture.

The general outline is that of a 16th century Laird’s house, displaying many of the features common to Scottish Baronial architecture with crowstep gabling, corbelling turrets, pantile roofs and a powerful vertical emphasis.

The interior is a combination of the new, with the late 17th century oak and early 18th century pine woodwork, rescued from the then derelict Rossend Castle.

The castle, far from being hotch-potch, was so expertly blended that you would never guess the panelling, fire surroundings, banister rails and window sills had ever had another home. The house is full of tricks, an architectural jigsaw puzzle, carefully and lovingly put together with panels and cornicing from Rossend.

The property was bought in 1998 by Jack Vetrriano, Scotland’s best selling contemporary artist. In 1999 he undertook to build an artist’s studio and garages, sympathetic to the castle. This building which stands immediately to the north of the castle, embodies a sandstone front, arched garage doors, roughcast finish, crow-stepped roof and a sandstone arch topped with a carved English rose (in memory of Mr Thomas) linking both buildings.

The studio and garages have been recently converted into a one bedroom caretaker’s cottage.

BBC Scotland’s art programme EX:S recorded a film at Easterheughs, the book Lovers and Other Strangers was written and most of the artwork for Jack Vettriano’s sell-out New York exhibition of the same name, was completed in the studio.

In 2002 Easterheughs Castle was bought by former Millwall, Arsenal and Liverpool footballer, Jimmy Carter, who set about restoring the property to an extremely high standard, a restoration project which has culminated in the finishing touches being added and it is now available for luxury short term holiday lets.

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