Blackness Castle stands proudly on the banks of the Forth, in the quaint village of Blackness.
This sombre, charcoal-coloured edifice carries a rich history with it1‘Blackness Castle | Canmore’. 2023. Canmore.org.uk <https://canmore.org.uk/site/49516/blackness-castle> [accessed 28 October 2023]. Originally, it belonged to the Black Douglas, but King James II of Scotland wrested it from that family’s grasp. It remained under the dominion of the royal family for almost two centuries and then transformed into the State Prison for Scotland.
In its grim capacity as a prison, it incarcerated numerous state offenders, including religious ministers, detained for their beliefs during the 17th century. The oldest portion of the castle harks back to the 15th century.
In the 16th century, when it came into Crown possession, significant alterations were made, giving rise to its current form, which supposedly resembles a ship — a view supposedly best appreciated from the seaward side.
- 1‘Blackness Castle | Canmore’. 2023. Canmore.org.uk <https://canmore.org.uk/site/49516/blackness-castle> [accessed 28 October 2023]
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