Scotscraig, a large substantial mansion of 1817, in Ferry-Port-on-Craig parish, NE Fife, 1 mile SW of Tayport. The estate at an early period belonged to the bishops of St Andrews, by one of whom it was feued during the first half of the 13th century to Sir Michael Scott of Balwearie, father of the famed Sir Michael Scott, with whose descendants the lands for some time continued. It was in consequence of this that they came to be denominated Scotscraig. From the family of Scott, Scotscraig came by purchase to Durie of that ilk, from whom it passed to the Ramsays, ancestors of the Earl of Dalhousie. It afterwards belonged to the Buchanans, then to the Erskines; and during the reign of Charles II. the whole estate became the property of Archbishop Sharp, from whose successors it was purchased by Mr Alexander Colville, the representative of the Lords Colville of Culross. From this family the lands were afterwards purchased by the Rev. Robert Dalgleish, D.D., who was minister and proprietor of the whole parish. The present proprietor is Vice-Admiral William Heriot-Dougall (b. 1819; suc. 1851), who holds 2550 acres in Fife, valued at £2725 per annum.—Ord. Sur., sh. 49, 1865.

(F.H. Groome, Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (1882-4); © 2004 Gazetteer for Scotland)