Well if you are going to visit a castle on a cold, wet and windy day, it has to be this one, Tantallon Castle near North Berwick on the east coast of Scotland. We were driving back from Edinburgh and decided to follow the coastal road down the east side of the country on our way home to Norfolk, when turning a corner, there was this amazing castle. I made the driver (my poor long suffering husband) find the road leading up to the castle, stopping, I jumped out the car just to take a few photos. The only trouble was, once out of the car, I thought, I might never come this way again, I have to go and explore.
After paying the entrance fee I wander up the path…… really I battled against the wind, thinking I’m as mad as a hatter, while the other half is sat snug and warm in the car. It’s a really amazing castle and the nearer you get to it, the more massive it becomes and now the wind is really blustering. Once you have made your way along the path, past the huge grassy banks that form the castle’s outer ditches and crossed the moat through what is left of the outer gate, you come to the outer ward, a very large expanse of grass. Now the castle is looking quite forbidding, massive curtain walls, with large towers at the remaining corners. This large grassy area would have been home to service buildings and accommodation to allow the castle to function, including the bakery and stables.
When arriving at the bridge, you notice that the entrance is very small, only enough for one person to enter. If you look at the photo you can see where they have infilled a much larger entrance, that a horse and cart could go through, filling it in helped with the defences. Now at this point I was ready to go back as I hate small bridges and being on my own didn’t really help…..but again I though, I will regret it if pass up up exploring inside. I ran across the bridge and into the gatehouse and through into the inner ward. I must admit I didn’t like the gatehouse, quite enclosed, although open up through the levels, but I just didn’t like it, I felt as if something was there. But I did love the view from the inner ward across to Bass Rock, even thought the wind was blowing, it felt wonderful, the whole castle is on the cliff edge and the location is stunning.
After spending some time taking photos and having a quick look at the guide book, I then had to make my way back through the gatehouse, I made myself take a couple of photos and then I was back over the bridge and making my way back to the shop. Its always wise on long car journeys to use the WC when you come across them…..not sure how to say this, but as I went to wash my hands, the hand drier came on, not that strange, because they do that sometimes, but the blowing into my ear by something, was not what I expected to happen next, needless to say my hands did not get washed. Once out the door I just stood for a moment and I thought, I knew there was something here, but not in the loo’s. Today I looked up ghost’s for the castle, although they say there are no records of ghost’s there, there are a couple of photos that people have taken of them…….I might not have seen any, but I am sure I felt one.
I’m amazed that they say there are no ghosts, because there has been many sieges and fighting in the long history of this castle. The story of the castle is interwoven with one of Scotland’s mightiest medieval families, the Douglases. Tantallon was most probably built in the 1350’s by William 1st Earl of Douglas. It looks like there was a lot of family feuding, but the part of the story I found most interesting was, the 6th Earl married James IV widow, Queen Margaret Tudor in 1514. Also another Royal visitor was Mary Queen of Scots who visited the castle in 1566 at the end of a royal progress in the boarders. You have Oliver Cromwell’s men to blame for the condition of the castle, in 1651 they laid a final siege and bombard the castle until they wrecked it, after they had a victory over the Scots at Dunbar. So quite a castle to visit on a wet and windy day…………
Echoes of the Past 
That is a great castle. Though I like castles being visited by lots of tourists, personally I prefer them empty when I visit myself 🙂
Stephen, Its a fantastic castle and it was just me…..or was it….but anyway, you are right it is lovely to have them all to yourself 🙂
Gosh, Lynne, that really was a little extra something! What a lovely old ruin, and the views are spectacular. It does look forbidding, although that could be just the weather and the light. That is very spooky about the feeling you had in the gatehouse, and the experience in the loos. Are the loos situated in an old building, too? Did you hear any sound or was it just the sensation of a breath?
Jo, the loos are in a small modern building behind the shop and it was the sound of a whoosh, with the blowing that come from that, I did it to someone at work and he nearly fell of his chair. It was like something being mischievous, it wasn’t really that scary, just not expected and I did think that there was someone behind me, but there is really only room for one. It was a totally different feeling to the gatehouse that was a very sad frighten feeling and that something was there, but only in the gate house………but for all of that, it is the best castle that I have ever explored and I am sure you are right, in the summer it would be wonderful. I would love to climb the stairs, but Steve would have to come next time 🙂
That sounds very scary! I have watched a couple of ‘Most Haunted’ episodes and they sometimes experience that kind of thing. If it’s still the best castle you’ve explored, that is a real recommendation! Yes, don’t go alone next time!
I’m just thankful that I didn’t get any faces in my photos, looking out the windows ….now that would have spooked me 🙂
Me too! You see lots of those kind of photos posted on paranormal sites. I’ve never had that kind of experience in a castle, but I did have a scary visitation one night in an old cottage many years ago. Since then I never disbelieve anything that anyone sees or feels!
I know there are just somethings that happen, that can not be explained away, lots of things have happen to me, some I suppose could be explained, but some even leave me wondering. But I think if you do see something, it makes you special, even ifs just a time warp. I think what happens is you see a little glimpse into the past. I saw a wonderful one once, very quickly,,,,we moved into a 400 year old cottage and opposite was an even older house, with a row of old cottages used for storerooms in the garden. I had just hung out some washing when I saw and smelt smoke, quite annoyed, because of the clean washing, I run upstairs looked out the window and saw in the driveway of the house opposite, a man with braces, white shirt and flat cap, burning rubbish in a brazier. I went down took the washing of the line and then went back up stairs to look and he was gone, no mark where he had been and the big gates were closed. Asked my neighbour next day about her gardener and she laughed, she didn’t have one………so we worked it out that I had seen a glimpse into the past of when the cottages were being lived in….it was really quite nice 🙂
I think you’re right, and that’s a lovely way of explaining it. That is a very interesting and probably quite moving experience that you had! Really fascinating. Perhaps he was just saying hello to his new neighbour! There is so much that we don’t understand, and in a way I think that’s quite reassuring.
He never appeared again, I always looked for him, but as you say, maybe he was just saying hello 🙂
My word, how wonderful – I’m so pleased you braved the place to give us this view – and somehow a ghost seems perfectly reasonable in the circumstances – although surely a bit of a pervert if it has to hang around in the ladies loos blowing in their ears…
I’ve never been there, but next time we go that way, I’ll make sure the Other Half comes with me! 🙂
I am a real coward when it come to small bridges and its such an huge place……yes I was brave…… it was just really strange, normally I will go all over a castle or abbey, but this one just had a very sad feeling in the gate house, ok outside, just inside……but you should visit because the views are wonderful.
Great photos! I know Tantallon quite well, and agree that it is very dramatic, particularly on a blustery day. You were very lucky to have the place to yourself!
It is a brilliant castle and great that I was on my own……but I think on that day I would have liked a few more bodies around, solid ones 🙂
There are sometimes ‘fairy rings’ on the grass outside the castle, which may explain the strange goings on…!
Knew it had to be something, maybe its just the time of year, it is a very special place.
You have some great photos for today’s history lesson.
Glad you like todays lesson 🙂