Blackness Castle
Situated on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, looking towards the Forth Bridges and Queensferry Crossing, Blackness is a castle I visited prior to writing this blog. I returned this summer having applied for a volunteering role as a visitor connector with Historic Scotland at Blackness Castle and I’m thrilled to say I am now in post and have had my first day on-site.
There is a lot of history here, detail I’m committing to memory. Very briefly, this site was originally a private tower house in the 1440’s, then taken over by the crown, expanded and strengthened in the 1540’s to become a garrison fortress and prison. Despite being considered ‘impregnable’ it was hammered by Cromwell in 1650. The site was restored and continued as a prison, in the main with Jacobite prisoners who were not in favour of the accession of William and Mary. After the Act of Union in 1707, its use as a prison declined, with a small garrison remaining. The threat of invasion from Napoleon III in the 1850’s saw Blackness become an ammunition depot, to feed defences along the Forth coast. By 1912 the site was handed to the Office of Works, and although briefly occupied by the military during the First World War, it was then abandoned. A restoration program during the 1920′ and 1930’s had varying degrees of success, and with hindsight would be handled differently today.
Taking this brief sketch, and adding it to the architectural detail of the castle and the many changes that have been made over the centuries, along with the social, economic and political background the castle has been witness to, there is a great deal to become knowledgeable about. Fortunately, Scottish history is something I’ve taken an interest in for many years, and being able to contribute to the visitor experience here is both challenging and exciting.
As with a number of Scottish historical sites, Blackness is featured in the Outlander series, doubling up as Fort William. In particular series 1, episode 6, for Jamie’s flogging scene. Blackness was used in 1989 for Franco Zeffirelli’s Hamlet and in the 2018 film Mary Queen of Scots. The castles imposing structure, location and its media presence means this is now a favourite among tourists, with visitor numbers exceeding 77,000 per year. If interested, the VisitScotland site features a research paper on the Outlander effect on Scottish tourism. There is also a Statement of Significance on the Historic Scotland website that details the history of Blackness castle. This notes a particularly gruesome find during the restoration work of the 1920’s, when an iron manacle was discovered around the wrist bones of a prisoner left to perish in the pit prison.
The castle has a fantastic view of the coast, its location ideal for keeping a watch on any potential adversary making their way along the Firth of Forth. Across the water the village of Limekilns is visible with Culross further up the coast (see blog posts 67 and 102). The castle is referred to as ‘the ship that never sailed’ as the shape of the curtain wall surrounding it tapers into a point, giving the impression of a bow. The surrounding area is part of the Firth of Forth Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), consisting of salt marsh and grasslands, attracting a good number of birds. On my first day, a young chick (I believe it was a House Martin) was found on the castle courtyard having fallen from a nest. Fortunately, they were rescued and driven to a location that looks after them. As a side note we have signs up just now alerting visitors to the nesting Woodpigeons that are occupying a number of nooks and crannies around the castle.
I’m glad I took the initial step to become involved and I’m looking forward to continuing with my role. I am attending a training course at the end of the month on preparing and delivering guided tours and I suspect I will be blogging more on this castle in the coming months.