468:
74:
58:
81:
440:
447:
The castle was by now ruinous. It passed briefly to the
Douglas family, then back to the Earls of Dunbar, then the family of Arnot, back to the Homes and finally to the Hall family. The castle is accessible from nearby Dowlaw farm with a steep trail leading to it. A concrete footway now replaces the
435:
to search Fast Castle for treasure. He was to "...do his utmost diligence to search and seek out, and by all craft and ingine to find out the same, and by the grace of God either find out the same, or make it sure that no such thing has been there." For this, he was to be awarded a third of any
268:. Cliffs up to 45 metres (148 ft) high on either side rendered the castle relatively impregnable. The plateau was surrounded by a curtain wall with towers, with the keep at the northern extremity of the promontory. The castle could only be reached by a
284:, though Fast Castle is on a smaller scale. Access to the sea was via a pulley system with basket. There is a cave at the foot of the cliffs, which, it has been suggested, could once have acted as an access to the interior of the castle by its inhabitants.
455:, on account of the lights that were hung from it to mislead shipping. Shipmasters would see the lights while travelling in darkness, and consider that they had reached a safe haven, only to find that they had been guided on to rocks, where
389:' stay here in 1566. The recapture of Fast Castle from the English is said to have been instigated by Madge Gordon, a Coldingham widow. Again back in the ownership of the Homes, the English ambassador
495:
397:
on 11 July 1567, where he was "intretyed very well, according to the state of the place, which is fitter to lodge prisoners than folks at liberty, as yt is very little so yt is very stronge."
584:
292:
It is unclear when the first structure appeared on the site, but its defensible position must have made it attractive to even the earliest inhabitants of the area. There is evidence of
436:
treasure found. There is no record of any discovery he may have made. Logan died in 1606, and his estates forfeited in 1609, his corpse having been exhumed and put on trial.
1023:
276:. Little remains today of the keep or the courtyard walls except foundations, and a section of the north-east wall. The layout of the castle is very similar to that of
812:
501:
739:
404:
through his mother, a widow of Lord Home. It was briefly recaptured by the
English in 1570. Fast castle was well armed: some of the guns were taken to
1018:
408:
during the
English intervention against the supporters of Mary, Queen of Scots in the 1570s. These cannon included two brass merlins and four
805:
47:
104:
642:
Selections from unpublished manuscripts in the
College of Arms and the British Museum illustrating the reign of Mary Queen of Scotland
73:
1013:
798:
241:
319:
garrison and was used as a base to pillage the surrounding countryside. In 1410, a force led by
Patrick Dunbar, second son of the
821:
467:
522:
323:
seized the castle and imprisoned the governor, Thomas Holden. Its new Scots governor
William Haliburton was also able to seize
448:
drawbridge. Between 1971 and 1986 excavations were carried out at Fast Castle by the
Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society.
748:
698:
264:, built on a narrow sloping plateau, 27 by 82 metres (89 by 269 ft), on an eponymous promontory overlooking the
424:
359:
716:
370:. Fast Castle was destroyed in the chaos in 1515, and Alexander Home was executed in 1516 and his land forfeit.
832:
757:
542:
394:
363:
43:
947:
245:
374:
249:
385:, the castle was captured again by the English in 1547, but was back in Scottish hands by the time of
401:
775:
574:
605:
481:
320:
972:
546:
390:
382:
784:
624:
623:
Wilson, John Mackay (1885). "The
Guidwife of Coldingham; or, the Surprise of Fast Castle".
456:
386:
373:
The castle was rebuilt by 1522, when the Home estates were restored to
Alexander's brother
351:
343:
626:
Wilson's Tales of the
Borders and of Scotland: Historical, Traditionary, & Imaginative
8:
423:
Sir Robert Logan was a notorious dissolute and "ne'er do well" who was implicated in the
57:
639:
967:
892:
579:
428:
316:
62:
The landward approach to Fast Castle. The wall stack on the right has since collapsed.
987:
842:
409:
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852:
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417:
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in 1513, in which numerous Homes were killed, a power struggle ensued between the
992:
962:
957:
942:
937:
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922:
847:
682:
506:
479:'s description of the fictional "Wolf's Crag", which features in his 1819 novel
977:
927:
887:
862:
431:. In 1594, Logan contracted with the famed mathematician (and supposed wizard)
339:
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1007:
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857:
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324:
281:
119:
106:
702:
952:
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335:
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Fast Castle is first recorded in 1333. In 1346 the site was occupied by an
305:
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34:
917:
872:
432:
269:
234:
30:
717:"Fast Castle Berwickshire by John Horsburgh after the Rev. J. Thomson"
877:
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265:
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Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland
309:
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273:
226:
218:
38:
297:
982:
541:
354:. Following the Scots' defeat and the death of James IV at the
785:
Scottish Castles Photo Library - Fast Castle, Scottish Borders
779:
439:
233:. It lies 4 miles (6.4 km) north west of the village of
261:
740:"Fast Castle and its owners: some notes on their history"
701:. Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society. Archived from
505:, a sequel to the former trilogy. It is the setting for
420:
were commanded to surrender their castles to the crown.
296:
habitation here, and it was centrally positioned in the
471:
View of Fast Castle, from Waverley Novels vol iv (1844)
499:
series. The castle also features heavily in Tranter's
260:
Fast Castle, in its heyday, comprised a courtyard and
669:
Register of the Privy Council of Scotland: 1578-1585
1024:
Scheduled Ancient Monuments in the Scottish Borders
820:
622:
16:Medieval castle in Scottish Borders, Scotland, UK
1005:
737:
806:
338:(pronounced "Hume"), and in 1503 they hosted
687:. Vol. 132. 9 August 1834. p. 217.
412:. In April 1584 the keepers of Fast Castle,
813:
799:
671:, vol. 3 (Edinburgh, 1880), pp. 649, 657.
547:"Fast Castle,950m NNE of Dowlaw (SM4328)"
569:
567:
565:
563:
466:
438:
475:The castle is thought to have inspired
198:Third phase: George Home, 4th Lord Home
1006:
575:"Fast Castle, Site Reference NT87SE 1"
523:List of places in the Scottish Borders
334:The castle fell into the hands of the
1019:Castles and forts of the Rough Wooing
794:
600:
598:
596:
594:
560:
443:19th-century engraving of Fast Castle
272:over a narrow ravine, protected by a
451:Fast Castle was originally known as
658:, vol. 5 (Edinburgh, 1907), p. 156.
362:and various other nobles including
217:is the ruined remains of a coastal
80:
13:
749:Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
591:
14:
1035:
731:
493:'s trilogy of historical novels,
462:
721:The Walter Scott Digital Archive
79:
72:
56:
1014:Castles in the Scottish Borders
822:Castles in the Scottish Borders
723:. Edinburgh University Library.
709:
691:
674:
661:
656:Calendar State Papers Scotland
649:
633:
629:. Vol. VI. pp. 1–21.
616:
535:
393:stayed at the castle with the
1:
776:Sepia postcard of Fast Castle
543:Historic Environment Scotland
528:
364:Alexander Home, 3rd Lord Home
321:10th Earl of Dunbar and March
255:
248:. The site is protected as a
485:. Fast Castle and Logan of
7:
516:
246:National Trust for Scotland
10:
1040:
684:Chambers Edinburgh Journal
681:"Weaknesses of the Wise".
375:George Home, 4th Lord Home
287:
250:Scheduled Ancient Monument
828:
738:Douglas, William (1921).
509:'s 1970 children's story
453:Fause (lit. False) Castle
402:Robert Logan of Restalrig
400:The castle passed to Sir
202:
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166:
156:
148:
143:
135:
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67:
55:
28:
23:
640:Stevenson, Joseph, ed.,
756:: 56–83. Archived from
511:The Gold of Fast Castle
482:The Bride of Lammermoor
368:Chamberlain of Scotland
242:National Nature Reserve
237:, and just outside the
610:Gazetteer for Scotland
472:
444:
470:
459:awaited for plunder.
442:
391:Nicholas Throckmorton
183:Unknown, rebuilt 1522
427:to kidnap the young
387:Mary, Queen of Scots
344:Henry VII of England
206:First phase: unknown
191:First phase: unknown
747:Proceedings of the
350:to her marriage to
308:successor state of
208:Second phase: Stone
116: /
968:Thirlestane Castle
893:Ferniehirst Castle
787:, Rampant Scotland
496:The Master of Gray
473:
445:
120:55.9324°N 2.2239°W
1001:
1000:
988:Wedderburn Castle
843:Branxholme Castle
425:Gowrie conspiracy
381:" of Scotland by
356:battle of Flodden
346:, at Fast Castle
212:
211:
1031:
913:Hermitage Castle
908:Greenknowe Tower
878:Edrington Castle
853:Cranshaws Castle
815:
808:
801:
792:
791:
772:
770:
768:
762:
744:
725:
724:
713:
707:
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705:on 24 June 2009.
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558:
557:
555:
553:
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477:Sir Walter Scott
457:wrecking parties
406:Berwick on Tweed
278:Dunnottar Castle
231:Scottish Borders
144:Site information
139:Courtyard castle
131:
130:
128:
127:
126:
125:55.9324; -2.2239
121:
117:
114:
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109:
83:
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76:
60:
51:
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21:
20:
1039:
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1004:
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1002:
997:
993:Whitslaid Tower
973:Tinnis (Yarrow)
963:Smailholm Tower
958:Roxburgh Castle
943:Neidpath Castle
938:Mervinslaw Pele
933:Mangerton Tower
923:Jedburgh Castle
848:Cessford Castle
824:
819:
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763:on 11 June 2007
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489:both appear in
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159:the public
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5:
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978:Traquair House
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940:
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928:Kirkhope Tower
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920:
915:
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888:Fatlips Castle
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863:Drochil Castle
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732:External links
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667:David Masson,
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463:Literary links
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377:. During the "
342:, daughter of
340:Margaret Tudor
329:Northumberland
289:
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257:
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210:
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195:Earl of Dunbar
193:Second phase:
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44:grid reference
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948:Newark Castle
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926:
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898:Floors Castle
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889:
886:
884:
881:
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871:
869:
868:Dryhope Tower
866:
864:
861:
859:
858:Cavers Castle
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854:
851:
849:
846:
844:
841:
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838:Billie Castle
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831:
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606:"Fast Castle"
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491:Nigel Tranter
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434:
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429:King James VI
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398:
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395:5th Lord Home
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360:Regent Albany
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282:Aberdeenshire
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253:
251:
247:
244:, run by the
243:
240:
239:St Abb's Head
236:
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225:, south-east
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188:Built by
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49:
45:
40:
36:
32:
27:
22:
19:
953:Nisbet House
903:Fulton Tower
882:
833:Ayton Castle
765:. Retrieved
758:the original
753:
746:
720:
711:
703:the original
693:
683:
676:
668:
663:
655:
651:
641:
635:
625:
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609:
578:
550:. Retrieved
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510:
500:
494:
480:
474:
452:
450:
446:
422:
399:
379:Rough Wooing
372:
347:
333:
314:
291:
259:
223:Berwickshire
214:
213:
175:Site history
157:Open to
35:Berwickshire
18:
918:Hume Castle
883:Fast Castle
873:Duns Castle
552:21 February
433:John Napier
336:Home family
331:, in 1419.
325:Wark Castle
306:Anglo-Saxon
300:kingdom of
215:Fast Castle
123: /
99:Coordinates
87:Fast Castle
24:Fast Castle
1008:Categories
699:"About us"
529:References
502:Mail Royal
383:Henry VIII
304:, and its
270:drawbridge
256:The castle
235:Coldingham
108:55°55′57″N
31:Coldingham
767:6 January
487:Restalrig
418:Tantallon
414:Innerwick
266:North Sea
229:, in the
203:Materials
167:Condition
111:2°13′26″W
646:, p. 197
644:, (1837)
517:See also
352:James IV
348:en route
310:Bernicia
302:Bryneich
294:Iron Age
274:barbican
227:Scotland
219:fortress
48:NT860709
39:Scotland
580:CANMORE
410:falcons
317:English
298:British
288:History
152:Private
983:Venlaw
416:, and
780:SCRAN
761:(PDF)
743:(PDF)
180:Built
149:Owner
769:2011
554:2019
262:keep
170:Ruin
136:Type
280:in
221:in
162:Yes
42:GB
1010::
778:,
754:55
752:.
745:.
719:.
608:.
593:^
583:.
577:.
562:^
545:.
513:.
366:,
327:,
312:.
252:.
37:,
33:,
814:e
807:t
800:v
771:.
612:.
587:.
556:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
