Falkland Palace

Some sandstone for the palace was quarried locally. Limestone for lime mortar was found and burnt on the Lomond Hills. In 1540, harder sandstone was quarried at Kingoodie near Dundee and shipped across the Tay to the haven of Lindores Abbey. Much of the timber, including imported "Eastland boards", deals, and rafters supplied by a Danish merchant called "Kinnereis", was bought at St Andrews and Dundee, where it was bound together into rafts called "floats" and towed to Newburgh or Lindores and Levenmouth. Other timber was bought at Leith at Kirkcaldy.

The palace has two wings arranged in an 'L' shape, now called the South and East Quarters or Ranges. The palace courtyard is entered through the gatehouse tower at the west end of the South Quarter. The external ashlar façade of the South Quarter has gunloops at basement level. Above these are the small windows of the private lodgings, and on the second level the large paired windows of the Chapel Royal. Between these windows are weathered niches and statues. The corbels show the instruments of the passion; the chapel at Falkland was dedicated to St Thomas and is the Catholic parish church for Falkland with Mass every Sunday at 9 a.m. The wallhead is finished with a decorated cornice and…