Tantallon

4 August 2026: A splendid ruin on the East Lothian clifftops, just a couple of miles to the east of North Berwick. It’s a great place to explore, with dark spiral staircases and unexpected rooms. The views over the coast are great, especially that of the Bass Rock, white with many thousands of gannets. However, I suspect the best views of the castle are from a little way off…
Explorations over, we have to visit North Berwick. The sun is coming out, and it’s beginning to feel warm – the ice creams are just what’s required. A little later, we’re heading back to Dunbar – and a sunny spotlight is lighting Tantallon across the golden cornfields, a spectacular inverse silhouette against the dark seas and sky beyond (yes, the best views are from a little way off…) Moments later the spotlight has moved off the castle (and there was nowhere to stop for a photo), but the image is etched into memory…

Tantallon Castle – Historic Scotland