Innerwick Castle facts for kids
Innerwick Castle is a castle in ruins located in East Lothian, Scotland. It stands near the village of Innerwick, about 5 miles (8.0 km) from Dunbar. The castle is built on the edge of a steep valley called Thornton Glen, next to the Thornton Burn river.
This old castle was built in the 1300s. It was a strong home for important families like the Stewarts and the Hamiltons.
Contents
A Look Back at Innerwick Castle
Early Days and Sieges
Innerwick Castle was an important stronghold. In 1406, the castle was attacked by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany. He wanted to remove the soldiers of the Earl of Northumberland from the castle. Records show that timber beams were bought for this attack, possibly to build a siege engine or help soldiers get inside.
In 1542, an English official named Thomas Trahern was killed near Dunbar. His friend, Henry Ray, found safety at Innerwick Castle. Sir James Hamilton of Innerwick, along with his servants, found Trahern's body and buried him.
The "Rough Wooing" and Destruction
The castle was made bigger several times over the years. However, it was captured and destroyed in 1548 by Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset. This happened during a period of conflict known as the "rough wooing". Both Innerwick Castle and Thornton Castle were very important. They guarded the routes coming from the south of Scotland.
In April 1584, the owner of Innerwick Castle was ordered to give it to the crown. The owners of Tantallon and Fast Castle received the same order.
Life at the Castle
In the 1590s, Alexander Hamilton, the owner of Innerwick, hired a tailor from Edinburgh. This tailor kept records of the clothes he made for Alexander, his wife Christian, and their children. For example, his son, Alexander Hamilton of Fenton, had a purple jacket and trousers with a green cloak and a Spanish felt hat in 1599.
A later owner, James Maxwell of Innerwick, became the Earl of Dirleton. The land around the castle was sold to the Nisbet family in 1663.
Innerwick Castle and the Covenanters
In the 1600s, Innerwick Castle was still in good enough condition to be used. Along with Dirleton and Tantallon, it became a base for the Covenanters. The Covenanters were a Scottish religious and political movement. They used these castles to bother Oliver Cromwell's supply lines during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
Innerwick Castle Today
Innerwick Castle is part of the Barony of Innerwick. A barony is an old type of land ownership. The most recent Baron of Innerwick was Colonel Victor Charles Vereker Cowley.
Today, Thornton Glen, the valley where the castle stands, is part of the Crowhill Estate. It is looked after by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. This glen is special because it has types of ferns that are rare in Scotland. The castle ruins are on top of a crag, which is a popular spot for climbers.
