Tantallon Castle
 Castles |
Scottish medieval fortresses, which, in its time of decay, has produced one of the most spectacular ruins in Scotland. Situated about two miles to the east of North Berwick, the castle is constructed of the local, reddish stone, and perches on high cliffs overlooking the sea. It is a remote spot where nature is often at its wildest, and strongly resembles Dunstanburgh Castle built in the same period. Squatting on its rocky promontory it is protected on three sides by natural defences, the sea and steep cliffs, and was made virtually an island by the digging of ditches across the promontory. The immensely strong gatehouse, which is the main building of the castle, together with the high fighting-platforms on either side of the gateway and the outer bailey with its mighty curtain wall, present a grimly formidable obstacle to any aggressor. Clearly, the lord who possessed Tantallon controlled the road from Berwick to Edinburgh and would be influential throughout the region.
The 1 st Earl of Douglas died in 1384 and his heir, James, the 2 nd Earl, was killed at the Battle of Otterburn. His death led to claims and counterclaims on the title, which resulted eventually in the division into two of the mighty House of Douglas. The head of the main line was known to the English as Black Douglasi because of his grim countenance in warfare, his descendants thus became the Black Douglases, while the other line were known as the Red Douglases. During the 15 th century the Douglas earls of Angus were among the most powerful forces in Scotland and Tantallon, their formidable stronghold, figures prominently in Scottish history. It played host to some famous prisoners, including Alexander, Lord of the Isles, in 1429.
In 1491, Archibald, the notorious 5 th Earl of Angus (‘Bell-the-Cat' - the expression he used concerning his arbitrary execution of several royal courtiers) entered into a treasonable act with Henry VII of England when he agreed to deliver James IV into English hands. When this became known James laid siege to Tantallon and blockaded the castle from the sea. Unfortunately, the records do not recall the outcome of the siege and, remarkably, Archibald was back in royal favour the next year holding the position of Chancellor. In 1528, James V besieged the castle for 20 days but failed to take it by force, instead, in the following year he used guile; exploiting the absence of the 5 th Earl he bribed the garrison into surrender and entered Tantallon. James immediately set about rebuilding the battered defences, which were not completed until 1543. This mid 16 th century work on the castle is easily distinguished from the original stonework because of the material used, it has a greenish hue.
The Civil War saw an end to the castle's military usefulness. In 1651, Oliver Cromwell ordered General Monk to capture Tantallon Castle and after a siege lasting 12 days and employing between 2000 and 3000 men it finally fell. The ruination caused by the unremitting bombardment is still in evidence today. In 1669, the castle was sold to Sir Hew Dalrymple but he made no effort to rectify the damage and it remained an uninhabitable ruin for several centuries. By the end of the 19 th century help was at hand in the shape of Sir Walter Hamilton Dalrymple, who began to arrest the decay and did much to safeguard the fabric of the castle until in 1924 it became the property of the state. Even in ruins, Tantallon Castle presents an imposing face to the world, its ragged profile made the more dramatic by the remote wildness of its setting.