Шотландиядағы Танталлон қамалының қираған қорғанысы

Castle in Scotland

Tantallon Castle is a ruined mid 14th century fortress, located east of North Berwick, in East Lothian, Scotland. It sits atop a promontory opposite the Bass Rock, looking out onto the Firth of Forth. The last medieval curtain wall castle to be constructed in Scotland, Tantallon comprises a single wall blocking off the headland, with the other three sides naturally protected by sea cliffs. Tantallon was built in the mid 14th century by William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas. It was passed to his illegitimate son, George Douglas, later created Earl of Angus, and despite several sieges, it remained the property of his descendants for much of its history. It was besieged by King James IV in 1491, and again by his successor James V in 1527, when extensive damage was done. Tantallon saw action in the First Bishops' War in 1639, and again during Oliver Cromwell's invasion of Scotland in 1651, when it was once more severely damaged. It was sold by the Marquis of Douglas in 1699 to Hew Dalrymple, Lord North Berwick and the ruin is today in the care of Historic Environment Scotland.

Tantallon is a unique construction within Scotland, the defences comprising only a single large wall securing a coastal promontory. The south east, north east, and north west approaches are naturally defended by steep sea cliffs and were only ever protected by relatively small defensive walls. To the southwest, a massive curtain wall blocks off the end of the promontory, which forms the inner courtyard. The curtain wall is built of the local red sandstone and has a tower at each end and a heavily fortified gatehouse in the centre, all of which provided residential accommodation. A north range of buildings, containing a hall, completed the main part of the castle, enclosing a courtyard around In total, the buildings of the castle provided around of accommodation.

The curtain wall is over high, thick, and around long. This parapet walk, beneath the 16th century crenels of the curtain wall, connects the three towers. The northwest tower, known as the Douglas Tower, was circular in plan and across, although the west side has collapsed. The main entrance ran through a passage below, protected by a drawbridge, three pairs of doors, a portcullis, and machicolations; holes in the ceiling enabling the defenders to drop missiles on to intruders below. There are two bartizans, or corner turrets, facing in toward the courtyard, where a 16th century spiral stair gives access to the head of the curtain wall. A stone fronted mound formerly ran along the outside of the ditch, although only a section of the outer wall survives, at the south end, terminating in a two storey round tower. A 17th century "lectern" type doocot, or pigeon house, is the only building within the outer court. Beyond the outer ditch is a 17th century ravelin, a triangular earthen artillery defence, and the remains of a third, smaller, ditch. possibly a corruption of the Brythonic din talgwn or "high fronted fortress". The barony of North Berwick, including Tantallon, was in the possession of the Earls of Fife at this time. Douglas may have been made castellan of Tantallon, as a tenant of Isabella, Countess of Fife, It was intended as a status symbol, although it followed the medieval curtain wall type, which at the time was becoming outmoded and superseded by the tower house. In 1388, when the 2nd Earl of Douglas died, the Earl of Fife claimed the lands of Tantallon, and confirmed the Countess' right to live there. Several attempts were made to dislodge the Countess, but an agreement was formalised by Parliament in April 1389, and George Douglas was recognised as Earl of Angus, being the heir of his mother.

The Barony of North Berwick, surrounding Tantallon, stayed with the Earldom of Fife, but despite the Earl's claim, the castle passed outright into the Douglas family and was inherited by George Douglas, illegitimate son of the Earl of Douglas, who also inherited his mother's Earldom of Angus in 1389. This was the start of the division in the House of Douglas. Archibald the Grim became head of the main line, known as the "Black Douglases". George Douglas was the progenitor of the "Red Douglases". In 1397, George Douglas married Princess Mary Stewart, daughter of King Robert III of Scotland, allying the Red Douglases with the Royal House of Stewart. From 1425 to 1433, Isabella, Countess of Lennox, the widow of the executed Duke of Albany, was warded at Tantallon. In 1429, another royal enemy, Alexander, Lord of the Isles, was held at Tantallon until his reconciliation with King James I two years later. In 1452, King James II granted Tantallon to the 4th Earl of Angus, brother of the 3rd Earl of Angus, who led the Royal force that defeated the Black Douglases at the Battle of Arkinholm in May 1455. The Red Douglases, in the person of Archibald "Bell the Cat" (1453–1514), the 5th Earl, turned against the Royal house in 1482. Around 1490, Angus struck a treasonable agreement with Henry VII of England, against James IV of Scotland. On 11 October 1491, Tantallon Castle was besieged by James IV, with guns sent from Edinburgh and Linlithgow, and crossbows and culverins (a primitive type of handgun) from Leith.

In 1514, Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (1490–1557) married James IV's widow Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII, and Regent of Scotland for her infant son James V. The couple unsuccessfully conspired to take the young King to England, sparking off a civil war. The Regency was handed to John Stewart, Duke of Albany, who seized Tantallon in 1515, although it was returned when Angus made his peace. She left valuable costume and jewels behind at Tantallon, including several borders for hoods called "chaffrons" and a diamond that had been a present from Louis XII of France. The jewels were collected by Thomas Dacre's agent, the Master of College of Greystoke. In 1525, Angus, with support from Henry VIII of England, staged a virtual coup d'état, taking custody of the young King, and becoming Chancellor. But, in 1528, the sixteen year old James V escaped, and, joining his mother at Stirling, pronounced Angus attainted, banishing him to "north of the Spey". Angus instead retreated to Tantallon, and then to England. The castle was seized by the King, but Angus managed to return and refortify his stronghold. Angus himself remained at Billie in the Merse. Alexander Jardine of Applegarth, the Master of Artillery, consulted with Robert Borthwick and John Drummond about the cannon and equipment required. James V borrowed the guns from Dunbar Castle which was held by the French garrison of the Duke of Albany. According to Pitscottie, the guns supplied by Captain Maurice of Dunbar were Thrawinmouth, Mow and her marrow (partner), two great botcards, two moyanes, two double falcons, four quarter falcons, with powder, gunners and bullets. James left three hostages with Maurice in pledge for the guns. The castle was bombarded with this cannon for 20 days, although the King's guns could not be brought close enough to the walls to do substantive damage, due to the deep outer ditch. In May 1529, Angus fled to England, leaving the castle to James. Simon Penango, having received no further supplies or reinforcements from Angus made terms and surrendered the castle. Tantallon was retained as a Royal fortress until James V's death in 1542 when Angus returned and recovered it. First, Sir Thomas Erskine of Brechin, the king's secretary, was made the keeper and organised strengthening and repair works. He was at the castle in July 1533. Then the castle was given to the king's eldest illegitimate son James. Soon after, Oliver Sinclair was installed as captain, The front of the gatehouse was rebuilt, and the East Tower strengthened. Wide mouthed gun holes were punched through the landward walls of the tower, and a crenellated parapet was added to the curtain wall. To strengthen the great landward curtain wall several chambers and passages within were filled with masonry, and can be seen today. Pitscottie described this operation: "the king caused masons come and ranforce the wallis, quhilkis war left waste before as transis (passages), and through passages; and maid all massie work, to mak it the more strang."

On Angus' return in 1542, he was still in contact with Henry VIII, and allowed Sir Ralph Sadler, English ambassador to Scotland, to reside at Tantallon during the attempts to negotiate a marriage between the infant Mary, Queen of Scots, and Edward, Prince of Wales in 1542–43. It has been claimed that when the Earl of Hertford invaded Scotland in 1544, during the ensuing War of the Rough Wooing, Tantallon was bypassed by the English army, due to the Earl's English sympathies. However, Hertford was keen to put an English garrison in Tantallon and negotiated unsuccessfully with one of the keepers, Alexander Jardine. The nearby castle of Oliver Sinclair was amongst places burnt by the returning English army in May 1544. Tantallon was also unmolested in 1547. Angus was finally imprisoned at Blackness Castle in 1544, after which he changed sides to support the Scottish cause. The gunners of Tantallon were rewarded in August 1548, after firing on English ships during an engagement in the Firth of Forth.

Angus died at Tantallon in January 1557, and the castle was seized by the army of Queen Regent, Mary of Guise. Simon Preston, Laird of Craigmillar was made keeper, and repairs were carried out the following year. Six labourers called "barrowmen" spent 10 days in April 1558 cleaning out the well. George Drummond of Blair was keeper of Tantallon, with a garrison of seven horsemen and 22 soldiers. James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton took control in 1565, on behalf of his nephew, the young 8th Earl of Angus, but the following year, Mary, Queen of Scots, gave the Captaincy to Robert Lauder of the Bass, and his son, Robert Lauder, younger of the Bass Mary visited Tantallon herself in November 1566. The 8th Earl of Angus was sent into exile in England in 1581, and left some of best furnishings from Tantallon with Lord Hunsdon at Berwick upon Tweed, including a bed of green velvet and damask, a bed of crimson velvet "fair embroidered with images and beasts of gold", and a bed of cloth of silver and cloth of gold. He had a brewhouse in the castle repaired in September 1583. In April 1584 the keepers of Fast Castle, Innerwick, and Tantallon were commanded to surrender their castles to the crown. Following the death of the 8th Earl in 1588, the Earls of Angus usually lived elsewhere and had little to do with Tantallon Castle. In February 1592 an inventory was made of the furnishings and armaments. In July James VI took possession of the castle and Alexander Home of North Berwick was installed as captain. In September 1596 the captain of Tantallon, Stephen Bruntfield, was killed by James Carmichael, a son of Sir John Carmichael, Captain of the Royal Guard. Bruntsfield's brother Adam subsequently killed Carmichael in single combat. William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus took up residence in the castle on 5 November 1608.

After a period of peace, Tantallon again saw military action during the Bishops' Wars in 1639. The Douglas family had remained Catholic after the Scottish Reformation, incurring the wrath of the Presbyterian Covenanters, who opposed Charles I's attempts to interfere with the Scottish Church. In 1639, the Covenanters captured Tantallon while William, newly created Marquess of Douglas, was in Edinburgh. After the siege Tantallon was left in ruins: it was never repaired or inhabited afterwards.

James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas, the 12th Earl of Angus, was forced, due to gambling debts accrued by himself and his father, to consolidate his estates. The ruins of Tantallon were sold, in 1699, to Sir Hew Dalrymple, the President of the Court of Session, who also owned the Barony of North Berwick, the Bass, Fidra and other properties in the area. Dalrymple allowed the castle to decay further, and to be quarried to a certain extent for stone. Sir Walter Scott described the castle at length in his 1808 epic poem Marmion. The Castle is now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The ruins of Tantallon Castle are featured in the 2013 thriller Under the Skin from British director Jonathan Glazer. Actors Scarlett Johansson and Michael Moreland are depicted on the roof, then cautiously descending the narrow inside staircase. Said the film's location manager Eugene Strange, "We always felt the castle had to be coastal, because we wanted them to be buffeted on the ramparts up there and it felt quite overwhelming for her It was epic when we found it. The views from there!" In the fourteenth episodes of Series 11 and 12 of Raven as well episodes 2 and 3 of the Gaelic miniseries "Fitheach", it served as the location for the challenges "Warrior's Wall" and "Stones of Destiny".

In modern times the castle and its surroundings are the subject of several ghostlore stories.