Blackness Castle
Local highlightA grim state fortress shaped like a stone ship, set on a promontory in the Firth of Forth
Open to visitorsa Historic Environment Scotland site — many are free to wander; staffed ones charge and keep set hours
Substantial ruinsruined, but plenty survives above ground
From the water Blackness Castle looks like a great stone ship run aground, a long narrow fortress with towers at bow and stern on a spit of rock in the Firth of Forth. The Crichton family built it in the 15th century, and for much of its life the Crown used it as a state prison and a garrison stronghold, one of the strongest artillery fortresses in the country. Later the army stored gunpowder and munitions there. The thick walls and cramped cells make it a bleak, powerful place, which is part of why film and television crews use it so often. Historic Environment Scotland runs it now. The John Muir Way passes close by along the shore, and Hopetoun House is a couple of miles east.
