Tantallon Castle is a ruined medieval fortress atop a promontory opposite the Bass Rock, looking out onto the Firth of Forth. It was built in the mid 14th century by William Douglas and was the last medieval curtain wall castle to be constructed in Scotland. 

Despite several sieges, Tantallon remained the property of Douglas descendants for much of its history. It was besieged by King James IV in 1491, and again by his successor James V in 1527, when extensive damage was done. Tantallon saw action in the First Bishops' War in 1639, and again during Oliver Cromwell's invasion of Scotland in 1651, when it was once more severely damaged.

Tantallon is a unique construction within Scotland, the defences comprising only a single large wall securing a coastal promontory. The south-east, north-east, and north-west approaches are naturally defended by steep sea cliffs and were only ever protected by relatively small defensive walls. To the southwest, a massive curtain wall blocks off the end of the promontory, which forms the inner courtyard. The curtain wall is built of the local red sandstone and has a tower at each end and a heavily fortified gatehouse in the centre, all of which provided residential accommodation.

The ruin is today in the care of Historic Environment Scotland and open to the public.

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Founded: 14th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

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User Reviews

Nordic Images (9 months ago)
Scotland is baked in History and there is plenty to see and do here, however, bring a rain jacket + your shorts are you are open to all the weather elements here. It gets a bit crowded during early morning so aim for the afternoon. You get magnificent views along the coast.
Andrew Tyler (9 months ago)
Best find of the holidays....a history steeped castle that you can explore and climb around in....the interior courtyard is perfect for a picnic and views are amazing. This castle has a bit for everyone. Well worth the visit
ronny gale (10 months ago)
A must-see for tourist and locals ! There is so much history of this castle, and you get to explore pretty much all of the ruins. The stone masonry is fantastic. The view from any place in the castle is stunning. If I lived in the old days, then I would like to stay here because of the oceanic view. Lots of places for the imagination to run wild. While visiting, you should go down via Seacliff Beach to view the castle from below.
Dickon Brandon (10 months ago)
Amazing castle on a beautiful landscape. Not really expensive to enter, either. Really cool castle walls, staircases and prison to explore! Children have a great time exploring and playing. Plenty of information boards to teach you the history of this great ruin.
Heidi Blaylock (12 months ago)
This is an absolute hidden gem, of every activity we did whilst away this was absolutely my favourite! the views from the castle are amazing and you can access so many areas! we didn't plan to visit here but it was the absolute highlight of our trip
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