Blackness Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blackness Castle |
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| Blackness, Falkirk, Scotland NT055802 |
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Aerial photo of Blackness Castle
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| 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 cool fortress from the 1400s. It's located near the village of Blackness in Scotland, right on the edge of the Firth of Forth. Imagine a castle that looks like a ship! Because of its shape and how it sticks out into the water, people often call it "the ship that never sailed." Its towers are even named "stem," "stern," and "main mast."
The castle was built by Sir George Crichton in the 1440s. Back then, Blackness was a busy port for Linlithgow, a town where Scottish kings and queens often lived. In 1453, the castle became property of the Scottish Crown and has been ever since. It was used as a state prison for important people.
Later, in the mid-1500s, the castle was made much stronger by Sir James Hamilton of Finnart. It became one of the best-defended castles in Scotland against cannons. However, in 1650, Oliver Cromwell's army attacked and captured it. After some repairs, Blackness Castle was used again as a prison and a small army base. It was even used as an ammunition storage place until 1912. Today, it's a Scheduled Ancient Monument looked after by Historic Environment Scotland.
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History of Blackness Castle
Blackness Castle has a long and interesting past. It started as a home and prison, then became a strong fortress, and later an army base.
Building the Castle
In the mid-1400s, Sir George Crichton owned the land around Blackness. His family, the Crichtons, were very powerful in Scotland. They were close friends with King James II. Sir George probably built the castle in the mid-1440s. This was a time when his family was fighting with another powerful family, the "Black" Douglases.
Blackness Castle is first mentioned in records in 1449. It was already being used as a prison for important people, as well as Sir George's home. The first castle had a strong outer wall and a north tower. The central tower stood alone in the middle courtyard.
In 1453, Sir George Crichton gave Blackness Castle to King James II. Even though Sir George's son tried to take it back, the King quickly recaptured it. From then on, Blackness became a royal fortress. It continued to be used as a prison, managed by a special keeper.
Royal Visits and Ships
Scottish kings often visited Blackness. King James IV came to the castle in 1506 after sailing on his warship, the Lion. In 1512, two large warships, the Great Michael and the Margaret, were at Blackness. King James IV even held an important meeting with the French ambassador on board the Great Michael to confirm the friendship between Scotland and France.
Making the Castle Stronger
Between 1534 and 1540, the castle was made much stronger. This work was led by Sir James Hamilton of Finnart, who was an expert in building forts that could stand up to cannons. He added new features, like a special entrance called a caponier. This was a hidden passage inside the entrance walls. If attackers got through the main gate, defenders could fire at them from the caponier, hitting them from behind.
The outer walls were also made much thicker, up to 5 meters (16 feet) in some places. New openings for cannons, called gun ports, were added. Work stopped in 1542 when King James V died.
In 1547, during a war with England, English ships sailed up the river to Blackness. After a fight, they captured some Scottish ships and burned others.
Civil War and Cromwell's Attack
During a difficult time in Scotland called the Marian civil war (1567-1573), the soldiers at Blackness Castle stayed loyal to Mary, Queen of Scots. However, the castle's keeper later switched sides. In 1572, Lord Claud Hamilton captured the castle for Queen Mary. He used it to attack ships in the Firth of Forth. But in 1573, the castle was besieged and surrendered.
The castle's strong defenses were tested again in 1650 when Oliver Cromwell's army invaded Scotland. By this time, cannons were even more powerful. Blackness Castle couldn't hold out against the attack from land and sea, and the soldiers inside soon gave up. The damaged castle was then left empty.
Later Uses and Restoration
Blackness Castle was not repaired until 1667. It was then used as a prison again, holding people called Covenanters, who were religious rebels. More changes were made in 1693, including adding gun platforms to the north tower.
After Scotland and England joined together in 1707, Blackness Castle became one of only four Scottish forts kept by the British Army. It was used as a prison again between 1759 and 1815, holding French prisoners of war during conflicts like the Napoleonic Wars.
In 1870, Blackness Castle became the main place for storing ammunition in Scotland. Many changes were made, including covering the courtyard with a roof. The old defensive ditch was filled in, and new buildings for soldiers were constructed. A long pier (dock) was built in 1868 for ships to deliver supplies. The ammunition depot closed in 1912, though it was briefly used again during World War I.
The castle was then taken over by the Office of Works. Between 1926 and 1935, a big restoration project took place. Most of the 19th-century additions were removed, and parts of the castle were rebuilt to look more like they did in medieval times.
What Blackness Castle Looks Like
Blackness Castle sits on a rocky point that sticks out into the Firth of Forth. It runs from north to south. The castle has a main outer wall with towers at the north and south ends. There's also a separate central tower inside the courtyard. To the southwest, a strong defensive area forms the main entrance. A water gate to the northwest leads to the 19th-century pier. Outside the walls, you can see the old barracks and officers' quarters from the 1800s.
North and South Towers
The small North, or "Stem," Tower originally had three floors. In 1693, it was made shorter, down to two floors. The top room had a fireplace. The bottom room was a pit prison, only reached by a trap-door from above. This prison room had a drain that opened to the sea, so water would wash in at high tide.
The South, or "Stern," Tower was mostly built in the mid-1500s. It might have replaced an earlier building. The tower is built over very thick walls with cannon positions in the basement. These cannons protected the south and east sides of the castle. The openings for the cannons in the basement are very wide, up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) across. The South Tower was where the main living areas of the castle were. It had rooms in the northwest part and a large hall on the top floor.
Central Tower
The five-story Central Tower, or "main mast," was built in the 1400s and made taller in the 1500s. It's about 11 by 9.8 meters (36 by 32 feet), and its walls are 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) thick at the bottom. Each floor has one large room with a fireplace and a toilet. There are also many small rooms hidden within the walls.
Important prisoners were kept here. People like Cardinal Beaton and the 6th Earl of Angus were held in this tower. They probably had a fairly comfortable life, even having their own servants while in prison. Outside the tower, there is a well.
The Spur Entrance
The 16th-century "spur" is a strong defensive area that protects the main gate. It was mostly designed by Sir James Hamilton of Finnart. It has many features to stop attackers. Originally, a ditch filled with water ran in front of the entrance, crossed by a drawbridge. The original iron gate from 1693 is still there.
Once through the entrance, any attacker would have to go through a winding passage. This would expose their backs to fire from the caponier, a hidden passage for defenders. Part of this passage was also open to attack from the wall above. In the late 1600s, the spur was made taller, and cannon batteries were added on top.
Blackness Castle Today
Since the castle was restored, it has been open to the public as a historic site. The castle buildings are mostly empty, but there is a small exhibit in the old barracks outside.
Blackness Castle has been used as a filming location for many movies and TV shows. You might have seen it in films like Hamlet (1990) and Doomsday (2008). It has also appeared in TV series such as Ivanhoe (1997) and Outlander. It was also used for the BBC Scotland historical series "Rise of the Clans."
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See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Blackness para niños
