Tantallon Castle

Tantallon Castle, built by William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, in about 1350. This ruined mid 14th century fortress, located 5 kilometres east of North Berwick, in East Lothian, Scotland. It sits atop a promontory opposite the Bass Rock, looking out onto the Firth of Forth. It was the last medieval curtain wall castle to be constructed in Scotland. Tantallon comprises a single wall blocking off the headland, with the other three sides naturally protected by sea cliffs. In 1650 when Moss-trooper brigands used it as a base along with Dirleton and Innerwick, to disrupt Oliver Cromwell’s lines of communication that in 1651 he sent a large army with ordinance to attack the castle. The bombardment lasted 12 days and destroyed so much of the castle that the garrison surrendered after severe damage to the two end towers. Unusually, especially for Cromwell, the garrison was given quarter. The castle was soon abandoned as a fortress and residence, and in 1699 the property was sold, along with the Barony of North Berwick, to the Dalrymples of Stair. There are some stories the castle is haunted, and young people who had been paying an ‘out of hours’ visit to Tantallon were scared away by a figure walking along the battlements. An interesting photo was taken just before closing time in the gatehouse in 2008, looking up through the ruined main accommodation block to an old doorway and a strange figure peering down through the metal railings. This has been interpreted as an apparition, perhaps wearing what appears to be a 15th century ruff collar, and it got much coverage in the press and won a ghost photo competition, although it may just be a corporeal visitor. Photo taken in June 2016.