Tantallon Castle

Tantallon Castle is a massively fortified clifftop promontory on the East Lothian coast. Dating to the mid 14th century, it was the principal fortress of the Douglas Earls of Angus until the latter 16th century. It is managed by Historic Environment Scotland and is open to the public with a dedicated car park, and is undoubtedly one of the most striking castles in Scotland, although this is hard to capture in photographs.

The promontory was first fortified by William Earl of Douglas, and was inherited by his illegitimate son George, who was created Earl of Angus. The principal defence was a massive curtain wall with three towers behind a ditch, the courtyard behind being protected by the sea and containing the accommodation. The castle was repeatedly besieged throughout its life, successfully in 1528 by an angry King James V, who bombarded it with cannon – and rebuilt the gatehouse in more resistant stone. In 1651 it was assaulted for the last time, by an English army whose artillery breached the defences, leaving the castle in ruins. It was never brought back into use.

Official Historic Scotland page

HES Canmore database entry