Blackness Castle
Blackness Castle | |
---|---|
Blackness, Falkirk, Scotland NT055802 | |
Coordinates | 56°00′22″N 03°30′58″W / 56.00611°N 3.51611°W |
Type | Curtain wall, artillery fortification |
Site information | |
Owner | Historic Environment Scotland |
Open to the public | Yes |
Condition | Restored |
Site history | |
Built | 1440s |
Built by | Sir George Crichton |
In use | Until 1912 |
Materials | Stone |
Blackness Castle is a 15th-century fortress, near the village of Blackness, Scotland, on the south shore of the Firth of Forth.
It was built, probably on the site of an earlier fort,
Strengthened by
Because of its site, jutting into the Forth, and its long, narrow shape, the castle has been characterised as "the ship that never sailed". The north and south towers are often named "stem" and "stern", with the central tower called the "main mast".[4]
History
Origins
The barony of Blackness was held in the mid-15th century by
Blackness Castle is first mentioned in 1449, and was already serving as a state prison as well as Crichton's residence.[4] The original building comprised a curtain wall and the north tower, with the central tower isolated in the central courtyard. A hall range may have stood to the south, while the whole was defended by a rock-cut ditch and accessed by a gate in the east wall.[6]
George Crichton handed over the Crichton lands, including Blackness Castle, to James II in 1453. His dispossessed heir, James Crichton, captured the castle and held it briefly against the King, who besieged and recaptured it the same year.[5] Blackness became a royal fortress, as well as continuing to serve as a prison, and was put into the care of a keeper, who was often the Sheriff of Linlithgow.[2]
James IV came to Blackness on 11 July 1506 after visiting the Isle of May sailing with the Lion and another ship. He was welcomed by four shawm players.[7] In November 1512 the Great Michael and the Margaret were at Blackness. James IV came aboard the Michael on St Andrew's day to hold an audience with the French ambassador, Charles de Tocque, sieur de la Mothe. The Auld Alliance of Scotland and France was confirmed.[8]
In the 17th century, the office of Keeper of Blackness became hereditary in the Livingstone family.[5]
Fortification and destruction
Between 1534 and 1540, a programme of fortification was carried out under the direction of the
Work continued after Finnart's execution for treason in 1540, under the superintendence of the parson of Dysart,[9] and the "dungeon" and kitchen towers were roofed with turf called "brume and dovet".[12] Major building works came to a halt in 1542 on the death of James V. Following the battle of Pinkie, on 15 September 1547 Richard Broke and the Galley Subtle rowed up the river to Blackness. After an exchange of fire he captured the Mary Willoughby, the Anthony of Newcastle and the Bosse, and burnt other ships.[13]
During the crisis of the Scottish Reformation the castle was surrendered by negotiation to James Hamilton, Duke of Châtellerault as leader of the Lords of the Congregation. Two English captains, Dethick and Wood, then took possession on Easter Day, 15 April 1560.[14] Minor repairs were carried out to the castle during these years.
During the
In 1580 Malcolm Douglas of the Mains delivered the castle to Lord Robert Stewart. Stewart complained that Douglas had removed the great iron "yett of the dungeon" the gate of the tower, and its lock and the prison-house lock, and timber platforms from the parapets, making it impossible to defend the castle.[16] James Cochrane was the keeper for Sir James Sandilands, their prisoners included the Earl of Huntly in 1592, and John Wemyss of Logie in 1594.[17]
The castle's defences were not tested again until 1650, when Oliver Cromwell's
Later years
The castle was not repaired until 1667, when it was again used as a prison, holding a number of Covenanters; religious rebels who opposed the King's interference in church affairs.[19] The south tower was rearranged, with a bakehouse installed in the basement, and a new stair tower. Further changes were made in 1693, when the spur was heightened with a wall-walk, and the north tower was reduced to provide three gun platforms overlooking the Forth.[20]
After the Union of Scotland and England in 1707, the castle ceased to be a prison,[18] instead being one of four Scottish fortresses to be maintained and garrisoned by the British Army, the others being Stirling, Dumbarton and Edinburgh.[21] The garrison at Blackness numbered around fifteen men in the late 18th century.[22] Between 1759 and 1815 Blackness was again pressed into service as a prison, this time to hold French prisoners of war during the series of conflicts of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, including the Seven Years' War and the Napoleonic Wars.[22]
In 1870, the role of Blackness changed again, and it became the central
Description
The castle stands on a rocky spit in the Firth of Forth, and is oriented north–south. The castle comprises a curtain wall, with integrated north and south towers, and a separate central tower in the courtyard. To the south-west, a defensive spur forms the main entrance, while a water gate to the north-west gives access to the 19th-century pier. Outside the walls are 19th-century soldiers' barracks and officers' quarters. The castle is said in popular legend to have a
North and South Towers
Originally of three storeys, the small North, or Stem, Tower was reduced to two storeys in 1693. The upper chamber had a fireplace, while the lower chamber was a pit prison. Accessed only from a trap-door above, this chamber has a drain opening to the sea, which washes in at high tide.[3]
The South, or Stern, Tower dates largely from the mid-16th century, possibly replacing an earlier hall block. On the south wall, the 16th-century stonework was added onto the
Central Tower
The five-storey Central Tower, or "main mast", was built in the 15th century and heightened in the 16th. It measures around 11 m × 9.8 m (36 ft × 32 ft), and the walls are 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in) thick at the base.[5] Each storey contains a single large room with a fireplace, a garderobe or privy, and numerous chambers within the walls. The storeys were originally linked by a narrow spiral stair, until a larger stair tower was constructed at the east corner in the 17th century. The castle's more important prisoners were held here. Men such as Cardinal Beaton, Archbishop of St Andrews and James V's ambassador to France, and Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, regent of Scotland in the 1520s, would have had a reasonably high standard of living, including their own servants, while in prison. The basement is vaulted, and the roof is also built on a stone vault. The parapet was rebuilt in the 20th century, although the course of projecting corbels on which it stands is original.[28] Outside the tower is a well.
Spur
The 16th-century forework, or "spur", which provides additional protection for the main gate, is largely the work of Sir James Hamilton of Finnart, and contains numerous defensive features. Originally a rock ditch ran in front of the entrance, and was crossed by a drawbridge. The original 1693 yett, a latticed iron gate, is still in place.[18] Once through the entrance, any attacker would have had to negotiate a dog-leg passage, exposing his back to fire from the caponier. Part of this passage was also exposed to attack from the parapet walk on the upper storey. In the late 17th century, the spur was heightened, and gun batteries added above.[29]
Modern use
Since the castle's restoration, it has been open to the public as a historic monument. The buildings of the castle stand empty, although there is a small exhibition in the former barracks outside. The castle has been used as a filming location in several productions, including
It was also used as a location for the BBC Scotland historical series "Rise of the Clans".References
- ^ Mackay, Elspeth. "Investigating Blackness Castle: Information for Teachers" (PDF). Historic Scotland. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
- ^ a b MacIvor, p. 6.
- ^ a b MacIvor, p. 20.
- ^ a b c d MacIvor, p. 4.
- ^ a b c d e Salter p. 26.
- ^ MacIvor, pp. 5, 14, 15.
- ^ Paul, James Balfour (1901). Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland: 1506-1507, vol. 3. Edinburgh, pp. 202-4.
- ^ Hannay, Robert Kerr (1953). Letters of James IV. SHS: Edinburgh, pp. 276-7.
- ^ a b c Fawcett, pp. 291–292.
- ^ Tabraham, pp. 102–103.
- ^ a b MacIvor, p. 8.
- ^ Paul, James Balfour, Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 7 (Edinburgh, 1907), p. 474.
- ^ Pollard, Alfred F. (1903). Tudor Tracts. London, p. 138.
- ^ Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1898), p. 364: Bruce, John, ed., John Hayward's First Four Years of Elizabeth (Camden Society, 1840), p. 55.
- ^ Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 4 (Edinburgh, 1905), pp. 477, 478, 482, 483–484, 486–487.
- ^ David Masson, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, vol. 3 (Edinburgh, 1880), pp. 363-4.
- ^ Annie I. Cameron, Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 11 (Edinburgh, 1936), p. 451: David Calderwood, History of the Kirk, vol. 5 (Edinburgh, 1844), p. 149.
- ^ a b c d Gifford and Walker, pp. 231–237.
- ^ MacIvor, p. 2.
- ^ MacIvor, p. 22.
- ^ Fenwick, p. 108.
- ^ a b c MacIvor, p. 9.
- ^ MacIvor, p. 23.
- ^ MacIvor, p. 13.
- ^ MacIvor, pp. 11, 23.
- ISBN 9781550025774.
- ^ MacIvor, p. 19.
- ^ McWilliam, pp. 105–106.
- ^ MacIvor, pp. 16, 22.
- ^ "The complete guide to... British castles". The Independent. 4 May 2002. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
- ^ "The Bruce (1996)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 23 November 2007.
- ^ Alan Roden (2 May 2007). "Action film shot in Blackness". The Scotsman. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
- ^ "Visitscotland Blackness Castle Bo'ness Castle Welcome". VisitScotland.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
- ^ "Outlander Film Locations" (PDF). VisitScotland. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
Bibliography
- Fawcett, Richard (1994). Scottish Architecture from the accession of the Stuarts to the Reformation, 1371–1560. Architectural History of Scotland. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 0-7486-0465-0.
- Gifford, John & Walker, Frank Arneil (2002). Stirling and Central Scotland. Buildings of Scotland. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-09594-5.
- MacIvor, Iain (1982). Blackness Castle. ISBN 1-903570-11-5.
- McWilliam, Colin (1978). The Buildings of Scotland: Lothian (except Edinburgh). Penguin. ISBN 0-300-09626-7.
- Fenwick, Hugh (1976). Scotland's Castles. Robert Hale. ISBN 0-7091-5731-2.
- Salter, Mike (1994). The Castles of Lothian and the Borders. Folly Publishing. ISBN 1-871731-20-8.
- Tabraham, Chris (1997). Scotland's Castles. BT Batsford/Historic Scotland. ISBN 0-7134-7965-5.
External links
- Historic Environment Scotland. "Blackness Castle (SM90036)".
- Canmore - National Record of the Historic Environment (49516)
- Blackness Castle: Gazetteer for Scotland
- Blackness Castle: Short video showing Blackness castle and its surroundings
- Blackness Castle: Aerial Photos and geophysical survey Archived 27 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- Blackness Castle: Aerial Video