Balwearie Castle

The ruins of Balwearie Castle sit on a headland just outside Burntisland, commanding views across the Firth of Forth. What remains is a fairly modest L-shaped tower house from the 16th century - not the sort of place that'll stop you in your tracks, but worth a quick detour if you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks like Kinghorn Harbour or Pettycur Bay.

You can wander around the exterior freely and peer through the windows at the cramped rooms within. The stonework's still solid enough to get a sense of how defensible the place must have been, perched as it is above the shoreline. The real value here is the walk itself rather than the building - the coastal path around Burntisland is far more rewarding than the castle on its own.

Historians will find the tower interesting as a fairly straightforward example of late medieval Scottish domestic architecture, but families with young children might find it a bit underwhelming. There's not much to do inside, and older kids could get restless after fifteen minutes. Allow half an hour if you're combining it with a coastal ramble.

The location works well as a break in the journey if you're based at Kingdom Caravan Park or Sandhills and exploring the Fife coast. The actual village of Burntisland itself - with its harbour and beachfront - is probably worth more of your time than the castle ruins. Go if you're passing, but don't make a special trip.