Tantallon Castle

Tantallon Castle occupies one of the most dramatic positions of any fortress in Scotland, its massive red sandstone walls rising from a clifftop headland where the land drops away to the churning North Sea. For over 300 years it served as the stronghold of the 'Red' Douglases, one of the most powerful and troublesome families in Scottish history, and three times it withstood sieges by the Scottish crown.

The castle's most striking feature is its curtain wall—over 15 metres high and nearly 4 metres thick, it stretches across the narrow neck of the headland, protecting the fortress from landward attack. Nature provided the other defences: sheer cliffs on three sides, where seabirds now nest on ledges that once bristled with defenders. Even ruined, Tantallon conveys an impression of massive strength and defiant grandeur.

The views from Tantallon are as compelling as the castle itself. Bass Rock rises from the sea offshore, its white-capped bulk home to 150,000 gannets in summer. The coastline stretches away in both directions, and on clear days you can see all the way to Edinburgh and beyond. Tantallon delivers everything a Scottish castle should: romantic ruins, dramatic setting, turbulent history, and an atmosphere that stays with you long after you leave.