Fernie Castle is situated in the parish of Monimail near Letham. The estate is believed to have originally belonged to the Earls of Fife. Early in the fourteenth century the lands were divided into Easter and Wester Fernie and two branches of the Balfour family settled in the properties. The old tower of the castle was apparently built in the early sixteenth century. It seems that the offices of forester of Falkland and constable of Cupar were associated with the estate. The estate remained with the Fernie family until ca. 1605 when the lands were alienated. The new proprietor was a cadet family of Arnot of that Ilk who possessed Fernie until 1680 when it passed into the family of Balfour of Burleigh.
The estate remained with the Balfours of Burleigh during the seventeenth century and was conferred by John, third Lord Balfour of Burleigh on his second son, Lieut-Colonel John Balfour of Fernie. He was attainted in 1715 and the estate was forfeit to the Crown. His eldest son, Arthur had remained in the army of the Hanoverian king and the lands and barony of Western Fernie were granted by George I to Arthur and his siblings. He obtained a charter to the whole lands in his own right in 1738. Arthur died in 1746, leaving three sons who succeeded to the estate consecutively. John Balfour, second son, became heir-male of Lord Balfour of Burleigh in 1757, dying without issue at Fernie in 1795. He was succeeded by his only surviving brother, Francis Balfour of Fernie who died in 1818, leaving a son Francis Balfour. There was a dispute over the title of Lord Balfour of Burleigh which Major Francis Balfour of Fernie had disallowed by the House of Lords in 1869 when the attainder was reversed.
From the guide to the Family and estate papers of Balfour of Fernie family, 1469-20th century, (University of St Andrews)
