Exploring Tantallon Castle with an Edinburgh-based family photographer
I love this time of year. The longer days and warmer weather bring out my adventurous side – the side that’s been quietly planning away all winter long. Luckily for me, I live in Edinburgh, a city surrounded by beautiful and fascinating places that are just waiting for me and my little crew to explore.
Of course, being a lifestyle family photographer adds a whole other element to our trips. For me, photography is not just a job, it’s my passion and I love documenting our travels – photographing my family enjoying themselves in different landscapes and settings. And I couldn’t have found a worthier location for an impromptu family photoshoot than the one we visited on our first spring trip of the year...
A magical place
Tantallon Castle is truly breathtaking. Perched on the edge of the cliffs in East Lothian, it presides over the blustery North Sea, with spectacular views of Bass Rock and its colony of swooping seabirds. Although there’s not much left of the castle itself, the ruins are wonderfully atmospheric, and my boys loved investigating the many nooks and crannies created by the tumbledown stones. Some of the staircases are still intact, so if you have a head for heights you can take in the views from the battlements. Another part of the castle that is still standing is the impressive curtain wall. Looming large at 50 feet tall, the extremely thick red sandstone, beautifully weathered by centuries of exposure to the elements, is as intimidating today as it must have been to approaching enemy troops all those years ago.
Rich in history
Built by William Douglas in the mid 1300s, Tantallon Castle remained in the family for over 300 years – home to the ‘Red’ Douglas branch from the 1380s onwards. Often a target of the Crown, its formidable design with its towers and heavily fortified gatehouse, as well as the curtain wall, saw it through brutal sieges. Whilst Tantallon did sustain some damage over the years, and needed further fortification, it wasn’t until 1651, after a 12-day siege by Oliver Cromwell’s 2000-strong army that the castle was destroyed. If I've piqued your interest, you can read more about its history here.
Our visit tied in nicely with one of my son’s recent history lessons about Mary Queen of Scots, who once visited Tantallon. The boys eagerly pointed out descriptions of various royals they recognised. It was lovely for them to be able to share what they’d learned with us in the context of the castle – it really added to the whole experience, as well as their own studies. As we wandered through the ruins, we had a lot of fun discussing how the castle must have looked during its glory days, guessing what each pile of rocks had once been – maybe the remains of the kitchen or perhaps a staircase to the not-so-cosy bed chambers, made draughty by the whipping sea winds. But what really made our imaginations run wild was the surviving prison in the eerie depths of the castle!
Rest and observe
When we were ready for a bit of a break, we relaxed in the huge yard, admiring the views whilst sipping our tea and munching on our snacks. Our energy restored, we enjoyed a family game of tag – there was plenty of room for the boys to let off a bit of steam. For those of you who prefer your downtime to be a little calmer, you’ll find benches looking out to sea where, if you keep your eyes peeled, you may spot not only birds but seals, otters, dolphins and, if you’re very fortunate, whales too. For an even better chance of an exciting wildlife sighting, on selected dates you can visit the ranger’s observation station – a must for us if we visit again.
Onto our next adventure
With spring in full flow and summer stretching ahead of us, we’re anticipating many more trips this year. Our next adventure is Castle Campbell and hiking in Dollar Glen, where I imagine they’ll be photo opportunities galore! If, like me, you love Edinburgh and are considering a family photography session of your own, either in the city or at one of its many glorious locations nearby, feel free to drop me a line. You can find more location inspiration for outdoor family photography sessions here and here.
