North Berwick for Guides

Tantallon was the last truly great castle built in Scotland. William Douglas, a nobleman, built the mighty fortress in the mid-1300s, at the height of his power. 

William was made Earl of Douglas in 1358 – by which time masons may already have begun to build Tantallon.

The house of Douglas split into two branches in the 1380s: the ‘Black’ and the ‘Red’. Tantallon passed to the junior line – the earls of Angus also known as the ‘Red Douglases’. They owned the castle for the next 300 years, often clashing with the Crown.

The castle was attacked by:James IV in 1491

• James V in 1528

• Oliver Cromwell in 1651

Cromwell’s army caused such destruction that the Castle was abandoned after this last attack.

The castle was built before the age of gunpowder artillery.

In William’s day, its high, thick walls defended against:

• trebuchets (stone-throwing machines)

• battering rams

• bows and arrows

Later, when gunpowder came into use, the Castle's defences were adapted 

• filled in wall chambers to help withstand cannon shot

• added gun holes from which to fire at the enemy

• built extra gun defences outside – including a gun tower by the outer gate, and a ravelin (earthen gun emplacement)

In the end, it wasn’t enough. In 1651, Cromwell’s heavy guns ripped out the guts of the end towers.

A conservation & education charity, aimed at protecting marine life in North Berwick 

North Berwick's islands, especially Bass Rock, host huge seabird colonies, notably the world's largest Northern Gannet colony on Bass Rock, alongside puffins, shags, guillemots, and winter visitors like eiders, seals, and shorebirds, all viewable via the Scottish Seabird Centre's interactive cameras and boat trips, highlighting their importance as a vital marine ecosystem.