Blackness Castle

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Blackness Castle seen from the seaside
Middle tower

Blackness Castle is a castle near the Scottish village of Blackness in the Council Area Falkirk . In 1971 the building was included in the Scottish List of Monuments in the highest category A. The structure is also classified as a Scheduled Monument .

history

The castle was built in the 15th century, probably around 1440, by the Crichton clan , who were one of the strongest clans in the region at the time. As early as 1453, George Crichton gave Blackness Castle to the Scottish King James II , who used it as a military base. For fear of a military conflict with the English King Henry VIII , Jacob V had the castle expanded into a fortress between 1537 and 1543. The work was directed by James Hamilton of Finnart , who built one of the most defensive fortresses in Scotland.

The feared war broke out shortly after the work was completed and Blackness Castle was exposed to cannon fire from the shore. During the following century the castle was attacked and besieged several times, but always held out. Only Oliver Cromwell's troops were able to take Blackness Castle in 1650. The resulting damage has been preserved to this day. In the Treaty of Union , Blackness Castle is listed as one of four castles that should continue to be maintained in Scotland. The castle was still in use until the 20th century and was last used as an ammunition depot from 1870. During the First World War , troops were stationed there again for a short time and Blackness Castle was then decommissioned, placed in the care of the preservation authorities and turned into a tourist attraction.

Blackness Castle wasn't just for military purposes. For a long time it was also used as a prison for opponents of the crown. Blackness Castle's inmates also included David Beaton , Cardinal and Archbishop of Saint Andrews . Numerous Covenanters were later imprisoned there, and finally prisoners of war from the wars against Spain, France and the United States in the 18th century.

description

Blackness Castle floor plan

Blackness Castle is at the tip of a narrow, rocky headland in the Firth of Forth near the village of Blackness on the eastern border of Falkirk. The fortification wall roughly traces the outline of a ship, with the "bow" pointing to the northeast and the "stern" pointing to the land. The nickname "The ship that never sailed" can be traced back to this. Altogether there are three towers with up to four stories, which are colloquially known as “masts”.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
  2. ↑ Scheduled Monument - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
  3. ↑ a b c d Information from Historic Scotland
  4. ↑ a b c Entry in the Gazetteer for Scotland

Web links

Commons : Blackness Castle  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 56 ° 0 ′ 21.9 "  N , 3 ° 30 ′ 57.7"  W.