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The ruined walls and towers of Tantallon Castle stand on a grassy clifftop.
Lothian

Tantallon Castle

The last great medieval castle built in Scotland, its huge red sandstone curtain wall on a cliff near North Berwick, looking out to the Bass Rock.

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Welcome

On a cliff top a few miles east of North Berwick, a great wall of red sandstone cuts across the headland.

Tantallon was the last of the grand medieval castles to be built in Scotland, and its curtain wall of the 1300s is thought to be the finest example of castle building of its age anywhere in the country.

It was the stronghold of the Red Douglases, and their quarrels with the Crown brought sieges to its gates. After more than three hundred years it was abandoned after its third siege, by Cromwell's army. A replica gun at the foot of the east tower copies those used against the armies of James IV and James V.

Climb to the battlements for a tremendous view over the North Sea to the Bass Rock and its seabirds. The castle has starred on screen too, in Under the Skin and the Bollywood classic Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. It opens every day.

The Daily

Arrives at 5am every day.

A free morning email to see what’s on this week, catch up on what’s happening in Scotland and find somewhere new to go.

The Daily for 11 November, from Scotland with love. The broken stone walls of a lochside castle rise from a small tree-covered island, autumn foliage glowing orange against the dark water and forested hillside beyond.
A short drive awaySteampunk CoffeeA coffee roastery and coffee bar in an old joinery warehouse in North Berwick, roasting single-origin coffees on site, open every day.8 min by roadSee itSteampunk Coffee

Before you go

Open every day, 9.30am to 5pm; tickets from Historic Environment Scotland.

Where
Near North Berwick, EH39 5PN.
Built
The 1300s.
View
The Bass Rock.

Opening hours

Their website
Monday
10am–4pm
Tuesday
10am–4pm
Wednesday
10am–4pm
Thursday
10am–4pm
Friday
10am–4pm
Saturday
10am–4pm
Sunday
10am–4pm

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Where it is

On the cliffs east of North Berwick, off the A198, EH39 5PN.

Close byNorth Berwick.
  1. Bass Rock rises from grey sea, its white lighthouse visible on the slopeThe Bass RockThis rock is actually the core of an old volcano and was formed 320 million years ago.Under a mile 3 min by road
  2. Escape Sauna, EdinburghEscape SaunaTwo saunas with cold plunges on the clifftop above Quarrel Sands at North Berwick, one wood-fired, looking out to the Bass Rock.Under a mile 3 min by road
  3. DriftDriftA clifftop cafe built from shipping containers on a farm near North Berwick, with views over the Firth of Forth to the Bass Rock.Under a mile 4 min by road
  4. Sunset breaks through clouds over a curving beach and low wavesSeacliffThe beach below the castle.2 miles 7 min by road
  5. North BerwickNorth BerwickThe seaside town.3 miles 8 min by road
  6. North Berwick LawNorth Berwick LawThe volcanic hill behind the town.3 miles 9 min by road
Directions
A field of sunflowers in full bloom at Balgone under a wide, cloudy sky, with a grass path running along its edge.AttractionsBalgone Estate2.8 miles
Museum display cases beneath a "North Berwick Flyer" sign and railway exhibit boardsAttractionsCoastal Communities Museum2.9 miles
Gelato display case with a "do not touch or lean on glass" signRestaurantsAlandas Gelato2.9 miles
Sandstone building with North Berwick Fry sign above the doorwayRestaurantsNorth Berwick Fry2.9 miles
Sandstone frontage of The Ship Inn with wooden benches and parasols outsideRestaurantsThe Ship Inn2.9 miles
Green-framed shopfront with large display windows on a pale blue buildingShoppingTime and Tide2.9 miles
Milsey Bay at North Berwick, the boating pond in the rocks with the town and the Law behind.AttractionsMilsey Bay3.0 miles
White-fronted shopfront reading "The Grange", with a blue planter and parked car outsideRestaurantsThe Grange3.0 miles
Bostock Bakery and Cafe on a North Berwick high street shopfrontCafeBostock Bakery3.0 miles

Recommend to a friend

Stay nearby

Places to stay near the castle, and when each is next free.

An orange leather sofa draped with a sheepskin faces a stone fireplace beneath a timber ceiling, a staircase rising behind.The Old Stable
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Pittenweem
  • 11 miles from Tantallon Castle
Free 14–16 NovThe Crow’s Nest, FifeThe Crow’s Nest
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Pittenweem
  • 11 miles from Tantallon Castle
Free 16–19 NovFifies, FifeFifies
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Pittenweem
  • 11 miles from Tantallon Castle
Free 15–17 NovA stone cottage with red pantiled roofs and a gabled dormer sits behind a gravel courtyard, an apple tree in the foreground.Maybell Cottage
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Pittenweem
  • 11 miles from Tantallon Castle
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in LothianAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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Read on

What we have written about it, the collections it is in and more in Lothian.

ArticleWhat Was Scotland’s Most Impenetrable Castle?ArticleSt Monans ChurchArticleTantallon Castle and the 1st Earl of DouglasCollectionCastles in Scotland Worth the Entry Fee
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For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .