Edinburgh
Tantallon Castle
Tantallon Castle is one of the most impressive of all Lothian castles with its magnificent setting and its air of impregnability. Tantallon stands on a clifftop promontory with a sheer drop on three sides, the crash of waves on the rocks below mingling with the cries of seabirds. The site is similar to Dunbar Castle but there has been less destruction and deterioration. Tantallon looks towards the rugged volcanic island of the Bass Rock and an old saying: ‘ding doon Tantallon, mak a brig to the Bass’ expressed two seemingly impossible feats. Indeed, before the period when its fortifications became obsolete, nobody did manage to 'ding doon' the castle. Even Cromwell’s forces found the ruined castle a tough nut to crack in 1650: the garrison only surrendered after a twelve-day bombardment. In layout, Tantallon is a castle of enclosure with the defences concentrated on the landward side. The steepness and height of the cliffs made substantial defences on the other sides unnecessary. You approach it through a series of outworks including a great ditch with ramparts on either side and a gateway defended by a wall and tower. Beyond this is the bailey. Between this and the castle is a further rock-cut ditch. Above it rises the main façade, a central tower and two flanking ones joined by a high curtain wall of red sandstone, 4m (13ft) thick and over 15m (50ft) high.
Tantallon was the chief stronghold of the powerful Douglas family and its impregnability allowed them to defy the Crown with impunity on more than one occasion. Both James IV and James V besieged the Douglases here without success.
Tantallon Castle is managed by Historic Scotland and is open to the public.
- Map Location
- Text: “Edinburgh and the Borders Landscape Heritage” Ian Whyte, David & Charles. © acknowledged.