Tantallon Castle
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| Reconstructions by Andrew Spratt -
click images to enlarge |
Andrew
Spratt contributes:
Three miles east of North Berwick on
a cliff top promontory jutting out into the Firth of Forth, opposite the
Bass
Rock Island, perches the great red curtain wall of of Tantallon
castle, seat of the infamous Red Douglas family. The castle was built
after 1350 by William 1st Earl of Douglas. Who having spent his youth in
France at Chateaux Galliard in Normandy and as an adult fought at the
battle of Poitiers in 1356 on behalf of the French King John II 'the
Good'. It was no surprise then as to why Tantallon was based on a French
Chateaux. The main curtain wall was protected by three towers, on the west
end 'the Douglas tower' (almost a Donjon like that at Coucy-le-Chateaux
north of Paris, which was also influential in the construction of nearby
Dirleton
castle a Century earlier), a central mid-tower gatehouse with
drawbridge with conical roofed huge bartizans and at the east end a narrow
D-plan ' East tower'. Infont of these were three ditches, two being great
dry ditches and the outermost being water filled by the 'Tantallon burn'
forming a deep moat protecting the southern landward entry. On the western
side was a further group of outer ditches and wooden pallisades as far as
the present day Castleton farm or 'castle-town' village as it would have
been known. In the early 1500's these pallisades were replaced by
outerwalls with gun-loops for cannon. Also a Ravelin (V-shaped) cannon
platform was added to further protect these outer works.
Because of the belligerent, devious, debach
and rebellious nature of the Red Douglases Tantallon sat centre stage for
many plots, skirmishes, betrayals, clashes
and sieges too numerous and complex to list and detail in entirety. Some
of the key highlights being the plotted murder of
James 2nd Earl of
Douglas (half brother of the Red Douglas) at
Otterburn in 1388,by the
Black Douglases. Which resulted in an abortive attempt to seize Tantallon
from the young Red Douglas. (This feud in turn led to the Red Douglas
attacks on the Dalkeith
Douglases, allies of the Black Douglases,
in 1398.) In 1407 the skirmish with Royal forces
protecting Prince James (later King James I of Scots 1407-1435) before the
walls of Tantallon leading to the
battle of Long Hermiston Moor. The
casting down of the three severed heads of the Duke of Albany, his
son and his Father-in-law in 1425 beside the captive, widowed
Duchess of Albany in an effort to drive her insane. The clash with Black
Douglas raiders burning the crops around Tantallon in 1443. The abortive
siege in 1491 by King James IV (1488-1513) of Scots. The two sieges by
King James V (1513-1542) of Scots in 1528/29 and finally the
destruction
of Tantallon by Oliver Cromwell in 1651 after a 12 day
bombardment.
Today the huge red sandstone walls of Tantallon bears the scars of
these many conflicts but still stands proud like some kind of giant
sentinel guarding the mouth of the Firth of Forth for any future would-be
invaders.
One of the most impressive castles in Southern Scotland,
Tantallon Castle is a large and once strong 14th century courtyard castle, now
ruinous. It consists of a massively thick 50-foot-high curtain wall, blocking
off a high promontory, the sea and the height of the cliffs defending the three
other sides. In front of the wall is a deep ditch, and at each end are ruined
towers: one round, one D shaped. The shell of a massive keep-gatehouse stands at
the middle of the wall, and rises to six storeys. Within the castle walls are
the remains of a range of buildings, which contained a hall and private
chambers.
See also:
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| Photograhy by William Douglas - click images to enlarge |
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