Tulliallan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tulliallan |
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 Building in fields in Devilla Forest. Most of the land here is wooded, and has been for many years. The forest was shown as Tulliallan Forest on older maps |
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 Tulliallan
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| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Kincardine |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament |
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| Scottish Parliament |
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Tulliallan is a place in Scotland, near the town of Kincardine. Its name comes from a Gaelic phrase meaning 'Beautiful knoll'. For many years, Tulliallan was also a special area called a parish.
The Blackadder family, a powerful group of landowners, owned Tulliallan for a long time in the 1400s and 1500s. Today, there's a newer Tulliallan Castle, built in the early 1800s. This castle is now the home of the Scottish Police College, where police officers are trained.
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The Tulliallan Parish
A parish is like a local district. The original Tulliallan parish was quite small. But in 1673, it grew bigger. It started to include nearby areas like Kincardine.
For a long time, the Tulliallan parish and a nearby one called Culross were a bit unusual. They were part of Perthshire, but they were located a few miles away from the rest of Perthshire. They were surrounded by other areas like Clackmannanshire and Fife.
In 1889, these two parishes, Culross and Tulliallan, were officially moved. They became part of Fife instead of Perthshire.
The Tulliallan parish is bordered by Clackmannan to the west and north. To the east is Culross, and to the south is the River Forth. The land here gently slopes down towards the River Forth.
In the 1800s, a lot of new land was created. This happened by building large walls to keep the tidal waters of the Forth River out. Most of the land was used for farming, and some parts were covered in trees. People also found valuable things underground here, like high-quality sandstone, coal, and iron.
The Old Tulliallan Castle
The very first fort at Tulliallan was built a long, long time ago, before 1304. The King of England, Edward I of England, even ordered it to be made stronger. This spot was important because it was near a main ferry crossing over the River Forth.
The old castle was likely built later by the Douglas family. It was an L-shaped building with two floors. It was made of carefully cut stone. The main entrance was in a tower at one corner, and you reached it by a drawbridge.
Inside, some important rooms were on the ground floor. Their ceilings had cool arched designs. The castle was made bigger in the 1400s. It seems it was also rebuilt in a major way in the late 1500s.
The castle was surrounded by a moat, which was a ditch filled with water. This water would have come from the Firth of Forth, which used to reach further inland. Even when it was a ruin in the 1800s, people said the old castle still looked impressive.
History of the Castle Owners
The old Tulliallan Castle was once owned by William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas. Later, in 1402, another Douglas family member gave the estate to the Edmiston family. This gift was confirmed by the king in 1456.
Then, a man named Patrick Blackadder married Elizabeth Edmiston. She was the daughter of Sir James Edmiston. Elizabeth brought the Tulliallan estate with her as a special gift when she got married. This is how the Blackadder family came to own Tulliallan.
Famous Blackadder Family Members
One important person from the Blackadder family of Tulliallan was Robert Blackadder. He was Patrick Blackadder's brother. Robert became a very important church leader. He was a Bishop and then, in 1492, he became the first Archbishop of Glasgow. He helped build parts of Glasgow Cathedral.
Robert Blackadder was involved in a big event in Scottish history. He supported a group of nobles who fought against King James III of Scotland. The king was defeated and died in 1488. The archbishop later died in 1508 while on a special trip to a holy place.
Challenges for the Blackadders
The Blackadder family faced some tough times. One of the owners, Sir John Blackadder, was executed in 1531. This happened because of a disagreement over land. His brother, Patrick, took over Tulliallan. Patrick tried to get back some family lands that had been lost. Sadly, Patrick was murdered in an ambush near Edinburgh. After this, the Blackadders stopped trying to get those lands back.
Another Blackadder, William, supported Mary, Queen of Scots in a battle in 1567. He was arrested and died soon after. His brother also died that year.
The last Blackadder to own Tulliallan was Sir John, born in 1596. He was made a special knight by King Charles I of England. Sir John had a lot of businesses, like lime works and salt pans. He earned a lot of money, but he spent even more. He got into a lot of debt.
Eventually, his belongings were taken to pay his debts. He left Scotland and went to another country. He died in America in 1651. His son, Alexander, couldn't fix the family's money problems. So, in 1700, the estate was sold. It was bought by Colonel John Erskine.
A famous preacher named John Blackadder was legally the next in line for the Blackadder family title. However, he chose not to claim it.
Later Years of Tulliallan
The last person to live in the old castle was Colonel Erskine, who died in the 1790s. In 1799, a man named George Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith bought the estate. He decided to build a brand new castle for his family.
The roof of the old castle was taken off, and it was left to fall apart. A legend says that an old bronze kettle was found in the ruins. It was supposedly filled with gold and hung from the castle roof. The legend said that as long as the kettle hung there, the castle would stand, and the Blackadder family would be successful.
The modern Tulliallan Castle was built between 1818 and 1820 for Lord Viscount Keith. It's about half a mile southeast of where the old castle stood. The Mitchell family bought the building in 1924.
During World War II, the castle was used as the main office for the Polish Armed Forces in the West. Since 1954, it has been the home of the Scottish Police College. It was also the temporary main office for Police Scotland when it was created in 2013.
