Sited on a hill near Loch Leven, the oldest part of the castle was built in around 1500 as a tower house.

A series of legal decisions impoverished the Lindsays and they were forced to sell their estate and castle to William Adam in the mid eighteenth century.

[4] Set into the floor of a closet in the north-east of the hall was a hatch that provided access to a pit in the thickness of the exterior wall that was used as a prison.

[3] There is evidence that the original castle was planned as a smaller structure but was increased in height mid-way through construction.

At some point a rubble-built tower was constructed on the north-east corner of the barmkin and a pepperbox turret was added to the west wall.

[3] The castle had a vaulted basement which contained a large fire that heated the rest of the building through a chimney.

[1][9] The masonry throughout the building, including the windows and vaulted ceilings, has been praised as superior in style to most examples found in Scotland.

[14][15][16][17] According to Adam Blackwood, the Lindsay Laird of Dowhill warned Mary, Queen of Scots, of a plot to kidnap her and Lord Darnley as they travelled nearby in June 1565.

[22] After this the castle continued to decay, with a small house being built against the south wall and the north-east tower being used as a dovecote.

[19] Later in the nineteenth century the ruins were used for quarrying, with a large hole being created in the south wall of the castle from which stone was taken.

[27][28] While the remains of the castle are in good condition and have even been investigated for renovation, the site is not generally open to the public due to health and safety risks.