Fast Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fast Castle |
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| Coldingham, Berwickshire, Scotland GB |
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The landward approach to Fast Castle. The wall stack on the right has since collapsed.
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 Fast Castle
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| Coordinates | 55°55′57″N 2°13′26″W / 55.9324°N 2.2239°W |
| Type | Courtyard castle |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Private |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Ruin |
| Site history | |
| Built | Unknown, rebuilt 1522 |
| Built by | First phase: unknown Second phase: Earl of Dunbar Third phase: George Home, 4th Lord Home |
| Materials | First phase: unknown Second phase: Stone |
Fast Castle is an old, ruined castle right on the coast in south-east Scotland. It's in a place called Berwickshire, within the Scottish Borders area. You can find it about 4 miles (6.4 km) north-west of Coldingham village. It's also very close to the St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve, which is looked after by the National Trust for Scotland. This historic site is protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, meaning it's very important and kept safe.
Contents
What Fast Castle Looked Like
In its best days, Fast Castle was a strong fortress. It had a main courtyard and a tall tower called a keep. The castle was built on a narrow, sloping piece of land, about 27 by 82 meters (89 by 269 feet) wide. This land stuck out into the North Sea.
The cliffs on either side of the castle were very high, up to 45 meters (148 feet) tall. This made the castle almost impossible to attack from the sides. A strong wall, called a curtain wall, went around the courtyard. It had towers along it. The main keep was at the very end of the land, closest to the sea.
The only way to reach the castle was by a drawbridge that crossed a narrow ditch. This entrance was protected by a strong gatehouse, called a barbican. Today, not much is left of the keep or the courtyard walls. You can mostly see the foundations and a part of the north-east wall.
Fast Castle's design was quite similar to Dunnottar Castle in Aberdeenshire, though Fast Castle was smaller. To get things up from the sea, the castle used a special system with a pulley and a basket. There's also a cave at the bottom of the cliffs. Some people think this cave might have been a secret way for the castle's people to get inside.
A Look at Fast Castle's History
It's not clear exactly when the first building appeared on this spot. But its strong position, high on the cliffs, must have made it a great place for people to live and defend themselves, even in ancient times. We know that people lived here during the British Iron Age. The castle was also in the middle of the British kingdom of Bryneich, and later the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Bernicia.
Early Records and Battles
Fast Castle is first mentioned in history in the year 1333. In 1346, soldiers from England took over the castle. They used it as a base to raid the countryside around it.
Later, in 1410, a Scottish force led by Patrick Dunbar captured the castle. They took the English governor, Thomas Holden, prisoner. The new Scottish governor, William Haliburton, was also able to capture Wark Castle in 1419.
The Home Family and Royal Visits
The castle eventually came into the hands of the Home family. In 1503, they welcomed Margaret Tudor at Fast Castle. Margaret was the daughter of Henry VII of England. She was on her way to marry King James IV.
After the Scottish army lost the battle of Flodden in 1513, many members of the Home family were killed. This led to a power struggle in Scotland. Fast Castle was destroyed in 1515 during this time of trouble. Alexander Home, who was the head of the family, was executed in 1516, and his lands were taken away.
Rebuilding and More Conflicts
The castle was rebuilt by 1522. The Home family's lands were given back to Alexander's brother, George Home, 4th Lord Home.
During a time known as the "Rough Wooing", when Henry VIII of England tried to force Scotland to join with England, Fast Castle was captured by the English again in 1547. But by the time Mary, Queen of Scots visited in 1566, it was back in Scottish hands. It's said that a woman from Coldingham named Madge Gordon helped the Scots take the castle back from the English.
In 1567, the English ambassador, Nicholas Throckmorton, stayed at the castle with the 5th Lord Home. He wrote that he was "treated very well." But he also said the castle was "fitter to lodge prisoners than folks at liberty," because it was very small but very strong.
Later Owners and a Treasure Hunt
The castle then passed to Sir Robert Logan of Restalrig. He was known for being a bit wild. In 1570, the English briefly captured the castle again. Fast Castle had many guns. Some of these cannons, including two brass merlins and four falcons, were taken to Berwick on Tweed in the 1570s.
In 1594, Sir Robert Logan made a deal with a famous mathematician named John Napier. Napier was also thought to be a wizard. Logan wanted Napier to search Fast Castle for treasure. Logan promised Napier a third of any treasure they found. There is no record of whether Napier found anything.
Sir Robert Logan died in 1606. His lands were taken by the crown in 1609. By this time, the castle was already falling apart.
The Castle Today
Fast Castle then belonged to several different families, including the Douglas family, the Earls of Dunbar, the Arnot family, and then back to the Homes, and finally the Hall family.
You can visit the castle today from a nearby farm called Dowlaw. There's a steep path leading to it. A concrete walkway now replaces the old drawbridge. Between 1971 and 1986, archaeologists from the Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society dug up parts of Fast Castle to learn more about its past.
Fast Castle was once known as Fause Castle, which means "False Castle." This was because lights were sometimes hung from it to trick ships. Sailors would see the lights at night and think they had found a safe harbor. But instead, they would be guided onto dangerous rocks. There, groups of people would wait to take things from the wrecked ships.
Fast Castle in Books
Fast Castle is believed to have inspired the fictional "Wolf's Crag" in Sir Walter Scott's 1819 novel The Bride of Lammermoor.
Fast Castle and Robert Logan of Restalrig also appear in Nigel Tranter's historical novels. They are in The Master of Gray series. The castle is also a big part of Tranter's Mail Royal, which is a follow-up to the first series.
Images for kids
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19th-century engraving of Fast Castle
