Tantallon Castle Photo Gallery

Tantallon Castle was the stronghold of one of Scotland's mightiest families - the 'Red' Douglases, Earls of Angus. It was from Tantallon that they pursued their vendetta against their rivals the 'Black' Douglases; and it was here that they withstood the might of two successive Stewart kings. The Douglases had a stormy relationship with the Crown, causing the castle to be besieged, unsuccessfully, on a couple of occasions. The castle defences were not breached until the Civil War. The well garrisoned castle had been the base for many attacks on Cromwell's lines, inflicting heavy damage. In retaliation, General Monk, with a force of two or three thousand men, and artillery, besieged the castle, causing heavy damage with his cannon. The devastated castle was left as a ruin.  For 300 years the castle was the scene of banquets and sieges, until in 1651 Oliver Cromwell's guns finally ended its days both as fortress and residence. This guide takes the visitor round the castle ruins and reveals Tantallon's dramatic story as one of the most awesome and impressive of Scotland's castles.

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