Investigating

Medieval Castles
in Scotland
Children find castles exciting and
many of the most impressive
remains are in the care of Historic
Scotland. Some occupy dramatic
sites, others still display formidable
defences, but even the most ruinous
help to bring history alive. This
resource looks at castles built in
Scotland between the 12th16th
centuries. It aims to help teachers
gain confidence in using castles with
pupils of all ages.

Caerlaverock Castle, Dumfriesshire

P L A C E S
2 Medieval Castles in Scotland

Contents How to use this Bringing the past to life

Visits to historic sites fire the
P2
How to use this resource resource imagination and inspire learning. Pupils
can stand on the site of a castle and
P3-4 This resource is aimed at teachers experience the strategic position it
Integrating a visit with a and designed to link Historic Scotland holds. They can gain an understanding
classroom study sites with classroom studies focussing of what it might have been like to live
P5 on castles built in Scotland between in a castle in peacetime and to defend
Supporting learning the 12th16th centuries. a castle during an attack.
and teaching NB These notes are not intended to be The list of castles in the care of
P9 copied and distributed to pupils. Historic Scotland on page 23 gives a
Timeline: the rise and The resource aims to provide: brief description of each and is
fall of medieval castles intended to help you choose a site to
a clear indication of how visits to
in Scotland visit which best supports your topic. It
historic sites can bring to life studies
is also intended to raise awareness of
P10 about medieval castles and provide
important but lesser-known sites that
Medieval castles in support for the 514 National
may be on your doorstep.
Scotland: background Guidelines
information information on the historical How to book a visit
P13 background of medieval castles for Historic Scotland operates a year-
Castle life the non-specialist teacher round free admission scheme for
P18 a selection of sites which best educational visits (except Edinburgh
Castle warfare illustrate different periods of Castle and Stirling Castle where a
development. charge is levied during MayAugust
P22
inclusive). To find out how to book a
Map of selected sites
class visit please visit the education
in the care of
pages on the Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland
website: www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
or telephone 0131 668 8793.

Pupils at Stirling Castle build a siege

engine to attack the castle wall

HISTORIC SCOTLAND

Integrating a visit with
classroom studies
Educational visits have the greatest value if they are
built into the original planning of a topic. We
recommend you plan your visit somewhere in the
middle, giving your pupils time to become familiarised
with why castles were built, who lived in them and what
life was like.
One way to introduce a project on castles is to
assemble raw materials and objects to illustrate castle
life and to demonstrate how it differs from today. The
materials in the table below are easily available.
Resource
Leather (use old shoes from charity shops)
Fleece (from farms or wire fences alongside fields)
Heather and rushes
Logs
Oats and barley
Herbs (fennel, garlic, rosemary, borage, mint, parsley) and
spices (root ginger, peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, cloves
and nutmeg)
Honey
Fruit and vegetables (apples, cherries, crab apples, pears,
almonds, leeks, onions and cabbages)
Pottery shards (your local museum or archaeological unit
may allow you to borrow some)
Horseshoes
Candles
Medieval Castles in Scotland 3
At this stage you may also like to:
Familiarise pupils with words to do with castle life by
asking them to compile an illustrated dictionary of
castle words
Look at maps of the area around the castle you are
going to visit. Discuss with pupils why they think
castles were built in that location
Talk about what it must have been like to live in a
castle in the Middle Ages
Discuss what important events took place there
Discuss with pupils what kind of weapons would have
been used and what the fighting would have
been like.
Talk about
Leather was widely used in the Middle Ages for everyday
purposes and as protection from weather and fire. (Wet
leather was used to protect vulnerable parts of timber
castles from attack by fire)
Spinning and weaving
How floors were covered to keep down mud and dust, but
trapped food thrown down for dogs, spilt beer (ale) and
animal mess
How fires provided hot water, heat for cooking and warmth
How cereals were used to brew ale and to make substantial
meals such as porridge and bread
How food was flavoured
How food and drink was sweetened
What fruit and vegetables were available in the
Middle Ages
How clay was used to make a wide variety of
everyday objects
How horses were valuable and used in battle, in
entertainment (tournaments and the hunt), and to carry
messengers
How castles were lit (candles made of beeswax were
expensive so lights made from rushes [rush-lights] were
widely used)
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
4 Medieval Castles in Scotland
Before the visit
Pottage
Log on to the Historic Scotland
You will need: website: www.historic-
2 handfuls of oatmeal; scotland.gov.uk for more information
honey about your chosen site and any site-
specific or relevant themed resource
Method
material available. Many sites also
1 Soak the oatmeal offer programmes of curriculum
overnight in water linked on-site activities.
2 The next day simmer If possible, make a free planning
gently in a saucepan visit before taking a class to your
chosen site so that you familiarise
3 Add honey to sweeten. yourself with the site and the
evidence it offers. To book a free
Pokerounce planning visit to Edinburgh or Stirling
You will need: Castles telephone 0131 668 8793.
Planning visits to other sites can be
10 fingers of toast;
booked direct with the site.
2 tbsps of clear honey;
a small pinch of ground Working on site
black pepper;
Your pupils task should be to look for
a large pinch of ground
physical evidence of the history of the
ginger;
castle. Useful starting points are:
a large pinch of
cinnamon; what materials were used to
pine nuts. construct it?
Method what does the building tell us about
the people who lived there?
1 Put the honey and
spices into a small pan what evidence is there for everyday
and heat gently for 3 to life eg cooking, heating, toilets and
4 minutes storage?
how was the castle defended under
2 Pour the honey mixture
attack?
on to the toast fingers
and spread is there any evidence to show that
the castle was besieged?
3 Decorate each toast
finger with pine nuts. have any changes been made to the
castle since it was built and why?
who looks after the castle today?
As pupils explore the building, they
can compile an evidence record in
words and pictures about the site. The
aim of the evidence record should be
to encourage development of
observational, descriptive and
recording skills rather than to look for
answers to specific questions which
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
they can equally well find out from
books in the classroom.
The evidence record can ask pupils to
use the headings I see, I hear, and I
feel at chosen locations, to look for
clues to explain what went on at the
site, and to look for evidence of castle
life, development and damage.
Pupils can record by:
taking notes of factual information
making quick diagrams of specific
details
taking photographs of significant
features or views
using tape-recorders to describe
what they see, hear, feel and smell.
Suggestions for follow-up work
Following the visit your pupils should
pool their findings to form a broad
view of what it would have been like to
live in a castle both in peacetime and
under siege. Pupils can be asked to
look at the clues and work out what
they definitely know and what they can
reasonably guess.
This can form the basis for a wide
range of language and expressive arts
activities, such as role-play and drama,
compiling their own guidebook or
leaflet, or interviewing local historians/
museum curators. These activities can:
develop skills and techniques in
language and the expressive arts
consolidate and expand knowledge
and understanding about people in
the past
help to develop informed attitudes
about the ways in which our heritage
is preserved.
Practical work could include:
cooking simple dishes adapted from
authentic recipes, (see box, left).

Supporting learning
and teaching
Environmental Studies Social Subjects:
People in the past
Knowledge and Understanding
Strands
People, events & societies
Change, continuity, cause & effect
Time & historical sequence
Nature of historical evidence
Environmental Studies: Technology
The following examples show how a topic on medieval
castles might be enhanced through activities related to
technological capability.
Knowledge and Understanding
Strands
Needs and how they are met
Medieval Castles in Scotland 5
This resource complements the Social Subjects and
Technology components of the 514 Environmental
Studies Guidelines.
It focuses mainly on the attainment outcome People in
the past at levels AD. The suggested activities can be
easily adapted for all levels of pupils. The resource also
suggests ways in which medieval castles can be linked
to Education for Citizenship and provides activity
suggestions to support learning both in, and through,
the Expressive Arts (Art and Design, Drama and Music).
Teaching Activities Learning Outcomes
Use a wide range of resources including Know about castle life & events linked to
visits to castles to look for physical castles
evidence
Use maps to study the position of Understand why castles were built in
castles certain places; recognise that castles
have changed in response to society,
technology & warfare
Look at how castles have developed Understand the chronology of castles
over time
Compare site-based evidence with other Understand the importance of physical
sources eg paintings and illustrations evidence and the role of Historic
Scotland and similar organisations in
preserving our heritage
Teaching Activities Learning Outcomes
Making simple siege engines. Historic Understand how technology, tools and
Scotland offers a resource pack that resources helped people in the Middle
contains detailed information about Ages to create solutions to practical
siege warfare and instructions on how to problems to meet their needs.
make siege engines.
Making rush lights.
Gather rushes late in autumn. Strip off
the green outer layers and soak in
melted animal fat for 24 hours. Take the
rushes out of the fat and leave to dry.
Compare with candles to see which
lasts longer.
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
6 Medieval Castles in Scotland

Education for Citizenship

A topic on medieval castles offers opportunities to
integrate learning about citizenship issues such as
democracy and social and environmental responsibility.

The differences between medieval feudalism and

democracy in Scotland today

Teaching Activities Learning Outcomes

Use the Feudal System diagram on page 7 to discuss the
merits of feudalism and its disadvantages, e.g people owed
services to someone superior but got protection and justice in
return. Discuss how Scotland is governed today and construct
a comparable diagram.
Understand ways in which life in a feudal society would have
been different from the way we live in todays democratic
society

Preserving our heritage for future generations

Teaching Activities Learning Outcomes

Ask pupils to list the things they treasure most. Why do they Recognise the value of preserving our heritage as a means of
value them? Do they remind them of a special event/person? remembering the past
Have they been handed down through the family? Are they
gifts or souvenirs?

Ask pupils to think about an historic site, museum or gallery

they have visited and list reasons why what they saw might be
particularly valued. What people or events were they
associated with?

Ask pupils to imagine that a distant relative has died and left Recognise that we have a collective responsibility to look after
them a castle. What would they like to do with it? our heritage. Organisations like Historic Scotland have a
professional role, but we all have a part to play
Pupils could take the role of owners applying for planning
permission, local towns-people welcoming or disapproving of
the plans, and officials giving reasons for refusing or granting
permission.

Animal rights

Teaching Activities Learning Outcomes

Find out about medieval pastimes. Compare pastimes such as Recognise that what is morally acceptable varies across time
hunting, shooting, fishing for pleasure today with baiting and cultures
animals in medieval society. Discuss the necessity of hunting
and catching animals for food in the Middle Ages and in other Know that animals have rights too
parts of the world today

HISTORIC SCOTLAND
 Medieval Castles in Scotland 7

The Feudal System

In the Middle Ages every man or woman who held land
did so in return for services owed to his or her
superior. Everyone believed that God appointed
the king.

THE KING
ruled the whole kingdom

BARONS
swore loyalty to the king in return for vast estates.
They controlled armies of knights

KNIGHTS
gave military service in return for land

FREEMEN
gave 20 days a year of service such as administrative duties,
but were free to move from place to place

UNFREEMEN (serfs or peasants)

had no rights and were tied to one lord

HISTORIC SCOTLAND
8 Medieval Castles in Scotland

Expressive Arts
The following examples show how a topic on medieval
castles might be enhanced through Expressive Arts
activities originated on site visits.

Knowledge and Understanding Teaching Activities Learning Outcomes

Strands
Art and design
Investigating visually and recording Visit sites to make accurate drawings Know that drawing is a method of
recording information accurately

Creating and designing Create art and crafts based on castle Know that new works of art can be
architecture, tapestries, heraldry and created to communicate personal
stained glass windows responses to site visits

Create posters and ideas for souvenirs

Drama
Creating and designing Role-play to act out castle life and Deepen understanding of castle life
events that happened there

Music
Evaluating and appreciating Listen to ballads, experiment with simple Understand that music played a part in
musical instruments eg recorders, life in the Middle Ages
drums, Jews harp

Storytelling brings Edinburgh Castle to life Investigating the weapons and armour of medieval
knights at Bothwell Castle

HISTORIC SCOTLAND

Timeline: the rise and fall of
medieval castles in Scotland
The first castles are wooden
buildings surrounded by a
large circular ditch (ringwork).
Very little remains of
ringworks today.
14th century
onwards
Tower houses become popular
Smailholm Tower,
Borders
15th century
onwards
As times become more peaceful,
some castles are adapted to
become comfortable homes
with gardens
Claypotts Castle,
Angus
Medieval Castles in Scotland 9
12th century
onwards
King David I (11241153) builds many
more castles in Scotland. They are timber
towers built on hills, rocks or on mounds
of earth (mottes), and surrounded by
strong timber fences (palisades)
Duffus Castle, Morayshire
13th century
onwards
Castles begin to be built
with stone
Balvenie Castle, Banffshire
20th century
onwards
Other castles become major
tourist attractions
Kildrummy Castle, Grampian
Some castles damaged in war
are never repaired. The stone is Edinburgh Castle
often reused in other buildings
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
10 Medieval Castles in Scotland

Background information
The rise and fall of castles
During the Middle Ages, the country we now call
Scotland was very different from today. It was made up
of many different groups of people and was not under
the control of one king or queen.
From 1124 to 1153, David I ruled over Scotland.
Although there were a few castles in Scotland before he
became king, David encouraged building many more
and used them as an important part of his strategy for
ruling his kingdom. He gave his most trusted nobles the
right to build castles and to govern on his behalf. He Dunstaffnage Castle was built to protect important
also appointed certain nobles as sheriffs of royal sea lanes
castles, and the areas they looked after were
called shires. Earth and timber castles
Since the king could not be in more than one place at a The castles built during the 12th century and earlier
time, he relied on his sheriffs to collect taxes and keep usually consisted of a wooden defensive tower for the
law and order. It also meant that he had somewhere lord and lady, built on top of either a natural outcrop or
safe and comfortable to stay when he travelled round an artificially raised mound of earth (motte) and
the country. David also gave barons, knights and protected by strong timber walls (palisades). Castle
bishops the right to build castles. In return they buildings such as the Great Hall, stores, stables and
provided men to fight for the king when he pens for animals, a chapel, accommodation for people
needed them. who lived in the castle, kitchens and workshops were
grouped together in a courtyard (bailey), at the base of
Scottish castles were fortresses built to protect people the motte. The whole castle was encircled by an earth
from invasion from England and also from Viking raids bank, ditch or moat. Today, only mottes, banks and the
which continued until the mid-13th century. All castles ditches sometimes remain, the timber buildings having
were built to defend important river and border long rotted away.
crossings, major seaports, land or valuable assets (eg
silver mines), so careful consideration of the site was
very important. Many were built on hill-tops or rocky
outcrops, others were built on islands or peninsulas
making them as difficult to attack as possible.

Stirling Castle was a royal stronghold Duffus Castle was built on a motte

HISTORIC SCOTLAND

Stone castles
Earth and timber castles were quick and easy to
construct but rotted in damp conditions and were easily
destroyed with fire. In the 13th century, castles with
high walls (curtain walls) built of stone appeared. These
gave extra protection against arrows and other
weapons of attack. Many stone castles were built in
response to knights who returned from the Crusades
having seen how easily the mighty stone fortifications
of the castles in the Holy Land withstood the battering
from their own artillery. Moreover, castle owners
realised that not only was stone stronger, fireproof and
more permanent, it made themselves look grander too.
The fortified gatehouse of Caerlaverock Castle
The main pattern of building was a great tower and
other smaller towers linked by high curtain walls.
The curtain wall still stands at Bothwell Castle
Medieval Castles in Scotland 11
Existing castles were often adapted to incorporate
these new ideas and, as weapons became more
efficient, extra defences such as flanking towers and
fortified gatehouses were added.
Tower houses
Bitter hostilities on both sides of the border, especially
after the attempt to conquer Scotland by the English in
the late 13th century, and frequent clan wars, meant
that everyone who could build a tower house did so.
Even in peacetime, lords on both sides of the border
stole cattle so if people were not able to afford a tower
house they fortified their houses as best they could.
Tower houses were usually smaller than curtain-walled
castles but they included most of the features of larger
castles. The lord and his family lived in the tower and a
small barmkin or courtyard adjacent
contained a hall, kitchen, barn,
stables and workshops. The
entrance was often at first- floor
level and reached by steps or a
ladder that could be pulled up
into the tower in times of attack.
Smailholm Tower is a towerhouse set within a barmkin
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
12 Medieval Castles in Scotland
The decline of the castle
The design of castles changed both in response to
changes in society and technical advances in weaponry.
Castles were difficult to defend against guns that could
blast through castle walls and the peace that prevailed
when James VI of Scotland became James I of England
in 1603, meant that style and comfort became more
important than defence. Owners added fashionable
wings and gardens, built in the Renaissance style, to
existing castles and tower houses.
James V added a Renaissance palace behind the curtain
wall at Stirling Castle
Some castles, deliberately pulled down (slighted) after
they were captured, were never repaired and owners
built more comfortable houses elsewhere. Others were
plundered for building materials. Moreover, during the
17th century, the first regular army was introduced in
Scotland. Soldiers were full-time, properly trained, well
equipped and stayed in barracks. The new armies
preferred to fight in the open field with field cannon,
longbows and pikes.
Kildrummy Castle was first slighted early in the
14th century
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
Castles today
Many Scottish castles survive only as ruined buildings.
Some are in the care of Historic Scotland, the
government agency that has responsibility for the built
heritage and which looks after certain buildings of
special historical or architectural interest. Others are
looked after by local authorities, The National Trust for
Scotland, a charity, or are privately owned some even
in the hands of the same families who built them.
Edinburgh Castle is a major tourist attraction today
Edinburgh Castle attracts over a million tourists every
year but even the remotest castles attract hundreds of
people prepared to seek them out. Opening a castle to
the public involves ways of demonstrating how the
castle worked and has changed over time. This might
be achieved through guides, costumed actors,
interactive displays, guide books and leaflets,
information panels, videos, audio guides or special
exhibitions. Most castles actively encourage school
parties so provision has to include special facilities for
schools eg educational resources and perhaps a school
room or education centre. All visitors also need toilets,
cafes, signs, warnings about possible dangerous spots
eg steep falls. Provision for people with disabilities such
as wheelchair ramps, hearing loops and guides with
large type is also very important.

A great castle
household
The household was
largely male comprising
men from all levels of
society. There were
knights, squires and
men-at-arms providing
the lord with his quota
of military service;
senior officials who
managed his affairs; a
large group of lesser
office-bearers who
carried through the wide
range of functions
required to sustain the
lifestyle of a great
nobleman; and a vast
underbelly of gofers'.
Females constituted the
lady of the castle and
her ladies-in-waiting, the
nurses and perhaps the
laundress and an ale-
wife who produced the
ale.
Source: Chris Tabraham,
Principal Inspector of
Ancient Monuments with
Historic Scotland
The Great Hall at Caerlaverock Castle
Medieval Castles in Scotland
Castle Life
Castles differed in size and scale
according to the rank of those
building and occupying them. But all
medieval castles served the same
purpose: to protect the owner,
provide a home, to act as a centre
for official business and to provide
a base for the administration of
the estates.
All castles had to be fitted out for
the daily life of the lord/lady, his/her
family and servants. The greater the
lord/lady the more people he/she
had living in the household. There
might be as many as 150 people
living and working in and around the
castle of a great lord. He would
spend much of his time travelling,
and attending the king, while the
lady would spend her time running
the castle with the help of the
steward. The sons of noble families
were usually sent away to be
educated and trained to be knights
in other great families; daughters
were educated in the castle.
13
The household
The most important members of the
domestic staff, all of whom had
their own complement of
helpers, were:
the steward: the most important
member of staff in charge of the
household and the estates. He
represented the lord when he was
away and kept accounts of taxes
and rents
the constable: responsible for
the security of the castle
especially when the owner was
there and in charge of any military
staff present and permanent staff
such as the porter, gaoler
and watchmen
the marshal: in charge of travel
arrangements, horses and
outdoor staff such as grooms,
smiths, carters and hunstmen
the chancellor or chaplain: in
charge of the chapel and wrote
the lords personal and business
letters. Churchmen were amongst
the few who could read and write
in the Middle Ages.
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
14 Medieval Castles in Scotland

The Lords Household

Freindis (social equals) Lord Kin (blood relations)

Constable Marshal

Gunners
Blacksmiths Carters
Doorwards

Men-at-Arms
Farriers Muleteers
Messengers

Armourers Porters
Boatmen
Stable Lads

HISTORIC SCOTLAND
 Medieval Castles in Scotland 15

Tenentis (tenants) Lady Tenentis (tenants)

Chaplin Steward

Clerk of the Clerk of the

Writing Office Chapel Cooks Bard Piper Doctor Gentlemen Ladies-in-
Servants Waiting

Carpenters
Wardrobers
Stonemasons Tailor
Asssistant Clerks Sacristan Laundress
Musicians

Bakers Poulterers
Choir Boys Undercooks Gardeners
Larderers Alewife

HISTORIC SCOTLAND
16 Medieval Castles in Scotland

Living conditions Prisons and prisoners

By modern standards castles were damp, cold, dark
and draughty. Heating depended on log fires and
lighting on candles, rush-lights (rushes soaked in animal
fat) and torches (rope treated with pitch). Furniture and
furnishings were simple and constructed so they could
be dismantled and packed up and moved with the lord
on his travels round the country. Only the lord and his
immediate family had beds most people slept near to
fires on floors strewn with rushes. Castle garderobes
(toilets) were communal, men and women urinated
wherever convenient. The smells of animals and
cooking, rotting bits of food thrown down for dogs,
smoke and unwashed bodies crowded together would
make most castles smelly and unpleasant for
people today.
The lord of the castle had responsibility for law and
order. Depending on their social status, wrong-doers
were held in cells or pits until they were tried in the
Great Hall. Then depending on the crime, prisoners
were fined, maimed in some way, or hanged. Beheading
was reserved for disgraced nobility.
Prisoners of war were also held in castles. In the Middle
Ages these were usually men of noble birth who were
held captive until a ransom was paid. Since ransoms
were extremely lucrative, it paid to keep these political
prisoners alive and in comfort.

Eating and drinking

Hunting provided an important source of fresh meat
(venison, boar and game-birds such as partridges). The
castle estates provided mutton, beef, pork and small
birds (larks, blackbirds) caught in traps. Fish and eels
came from rivers, lochs and the fish and mill ponds on
the castle estates. For special occasions there was
roast peacock and swan. Food was preserved for
winter use by salting, smoking or drying. Fruit (apples,
pears, plums, quinces and medlars), vegetables (leeks,
cabbages, onions, peas) and herbs were grown on the
castle estates, whilst spices (ginger, cinnamon, pepper)
imported from abroad added flavour. Honey from the
castles beehives was used as a sweetener. Most
people, including children, drank ale brewed in the
castle but the lord and his guests had wine imported
from France.

Entertainment
Tournaments, in which a knight aimed to injure his
opponent by knocking him off his horse, were popular
as was all forms of hunting and hawking. Travelling
musicians and troubadours toured the country
performing at feasts and celebrations in castles. The prison at St Andrews Castle. Nobility were held in
Children amused themselves with simple toys such as the secure upper rooms, free men were imprisoned on
tops and hoops and played games that children still the ground level and below that is the infamous bottle
enjoy today such as hide and seek blind mans buff dungeon into which unfree men were thrown and left
to die
and tag. Popular activities unacceptable today included
bear-baiting, cock-fighting and hunting wild animals such
as wolves, badgers and native wild cats.

HISTORIC SCOTLAND
 Medieval Castles in Scotland 17

Inside Dirleton Castle

Lords hall: for more private hospitality

and family meals

The screens passage: food was

bought here from the kitchens

The Great Hall: for tax and rent collection,

trials and large scale entertainment

The Chapel: for daily worship

Garderobes (toilets): channelled waste into a cesspit

or emptied outside the walls

HISTORIC SCOTLAND
18 Medieval Castles in Scotland

Castle Warfare Mangonel: a smaller weapon firing smaller

stone shot, bought closer to walls in order to
pick off defenders
Attacking a castle
Mangonel
Castles were usually taken by siege,
although sometimes attackers would
take a castle by surprise, perhaps
because someone inside the castle had
helped them. A siege could last for a day or several
years. Attackers aimed to enter the castle forcibly by
Mobile siege tower or
breaking down the walls. If this failed they could try and
belfry: for scaling castle walls
starve defenders out or spread disease and hope that
defenders would fall ill and die. Low morale would also Battering ram:
persuade the constable to surrender. used to smash
down castle
Most castles, especially the smaller ones,
gates
did not have the resources to be defended
adequately in any full-scale conflict. Even Mines and
the strongest castles such as Stirling fell miners: miners
Siege tower
after prolonged sieges by a large and either hacked through
powerful army. or tunnelled underneath
walls, then set fire to
Sieges were costly and both
the wooden props supporting the
besiegers and the besieged tried to
tunnel, in an attempt to bring down the
avoid them by entering into negotiations. A
Battering ram wall above
typical deal might be agreeing to lift the siege
for a set number of days during which the defenders
tried to get reinforcements. If the garrison was unable
to get help in this time, they agreed to surrender.
In 1298, Stephen de Brampton, an English commander,
found himself and his soldiers besieged in Bothwell
Castle. He wrote to King Edward I describing how he
had defended the castle:
I have defended the castle, against the
power of Scotland for a year
and nine weeks, to great
loss and misfortune, as
all companions died in
the castle ... taken by
famine and by assault.

Weapons of war
Trebuchet: a
massive long-range
sling firing huge stone
shot used to soften up the In 15467 attackers hewed a tunnel out of rock
underneath St Andrews Castle. The defenders heard
garrison by demolishing
them tunnelling and after a couple of false starts,
Trebuchet roofs and battlements succeeded in digging a counter tunnel to head them off.

HISTORIC SCOTLAND
 Medieval Castles in Scotland 19

Caerlavelock under seige

by the English, 1300

HISTORIC SCOTLAND
20 Medieval Castles in Scotland
Defending a castle
Ditches, earth banks and moats: made access to
castle walls difficult
Duffus Castle with earth bank and ditch
Gatehouse: the most vulnerable part of the castle and
so heavily protected with a combination of gates,
towers, murder holes, a portcullis and drawbridge
The fortified gatehouse at Stirling Castle
Gate: heavy wooden door reinforced by a drawbar that
slotted into square openings in the walls
Drawbridge: a bridge that could be pulled up to
prevent attackers crossing ditches or moats.
Sometimes a wooden bridge was simply removed in
times of attack
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
Portcullis: an iron grille suspended by chains that
could be dropped down to trap enemies or prevent
them entering the castle
Portcullis
Gate
Drawbar
Drawbridge
Yett: an iron gate normally positioned behind a timber
gate so that if the gate was burnt down, the yett
would hold
Murder holes: openings in the ceilings of gatehouse
passages positioned so that rocks and boiling liquids
could be poured on to attackers
Postern or sallyport: the back door of the castle
used to fetch help or to sally forth to make surprise
attacks. It was also used as a tradesmans entrance
in peacetime
Curtain walls: usually at least 3 metres thick to
withstand bombardment from siege machines. They
usually incorporated walkways so that armed men could
patrol the castle
Round towers: constructed so that
missiles glanced off more easily than
flat surfaces
The round towers and curtain wall at
Caerlaverock Castle
 Medieval Castles in Scotland 21

Hourdes Wells: the castle well was sunk in the inner

Merlons bailey so that it could not be cut off or
sabotaged by poisoning
Crenels
Hand weapons
Arrow loop
In the Middle Ages defenders depended
greatly on the skill of archers, but the most
dangerous soldiers were crossbow men who
Crenellations: gaps (crenels)
acted as snipers and were paid considerably
provided defenders with spaces to
more than ordinary soldiers. Knights wore
shoot through, or hurl missiles and
hauberks (coats of chain mail worn over
boiling liquids on to attackers; the
padded tunics) which protected the wearer
solid uprights (merlons) gave
from arrows but not from crossbow bolts.
cover for them to reload
Hourdes: timber projections so This crossbow man can be seen on James Vs palace at
that missiles and arrows could be Stirling Castle
dropped and fired more easily.
Battered wall Later hourdes were made of
stone (machicolations) A crossbow man (left) and a
Battered walls: thick longbow man (right)
sloping external
bases helped to
make mining difficult and deflected missiles hurled
from above into the face of the attackers
Square towers: gave
protection to archers
who otherwise had to
lean out to see the Armed knights in armour
base of the wall
High, narrow
windows: made it
difficult for attackers
to get inside
Arrow loops:
constructed
so that
defenders The square tower at Threave Castle
had maximum
room for
manoeuvre inside but presented the smallest possible
opening on the outside. Most arrow loops were altered
later to accommodate handguns (gun loops)
The tower (keep): the strongest part of the castle
where the lord and lady lived, and to which people
could retreat as the last resort. Arms and valuables
were stored here.

HISTORIC SCOTLAND
22 Medieval Castles in Scotland

10

Selected sites in the care of

Historic Scotland
Balvenie Castle, Peel Ring of Lumphanan,
1 20
Moray Aberdeenshire
Bothwell Castle, St Andrews Castle,
2 21
Lanarkshire Fife
Caerlaverock Castle, Smailholm Tower,
3 Dumfries and Galloway 22 Scottish Borders

Carnasserie Castle,
4 Argyll 23 Stirling Castle 12
Claypotts Castle, Sween Castle,
5 Angus 24 17
Argyll
1
Craigmillar Castle, Threave Castle,
6 25
Midlothian Dumfries and Galloway
18 20
Craignethan Castle, Castle Campbell,
7 26
Lanarkshire Perth and Kinross
Crichton Castle,
8
Midlothian
Crookston Castle,
9 Glasgow

Cubbie Rows Castle,

10 Orkney
5
Dirleton Castle, 13
11 16
East Lothian 21
Duffus Castle, 26
12
Moray 4
Dunstaffnage Castle, 23 11
13 6
Argyll 19
9 14
14 Edinburgh Castle 8
24 2
15
Greenknowe Tower, 7
15
Scottish Borders 22
Huntingtower Castle,
16
Perth and Kinross
Huntly Castle,
17
Aberdeenshire
Kildrummy Castle,
18
Aberdeenshire
3
Newark Castle, 25
19
Renfrewshire

HISTORIC SCOTLAND

The following castles are all in the care of
Historic Scotland.
Downloadable images of many Historic Scotland sites
are available for educational use from www.scran.ac.uk
Earth and timber castles
Crookston Castle, Glasgow: a 15th-century castle
set within 12th-century earthworks
Duffus Castle, Moray: built in 1150, a fine motte-
and-bailey castle
Huntly Castle, Aberdeenshire: has a history of
occupation from 12th17th centuries and a fine
motte still survives
Peel Ring of Lumphanan, Aberdeenshire: an
earth and timber castle built about 1250
Stone castles
Balvenie Castle, Moray: a curtain-walled castle built
by the Comyns and remodelled by the Douglases in
the 15th century
Bothwell Castle, Lanarkshire: the mighty 13th-
century keep is one of the finest castle buildings
in Scotland
Cubbie Rows Castle, Orkney: built in the mid-12th
century probably by a Viking chief
Dirleton Castle, East Lothian: a formidable fortress
built about 1240 for the de Vauxs
Dunstaffnage Castle, Argyll: a 13th-century castle
built on a rock to protect important sea-lanes
Sween Castle, Argyll: Scotlands oldest castle still
standing
Tower houses
Castle Campbell, Perth and Kinross: a fine tower
house with a separate hall block
Claypotts Castle, Angus: a complete tower house
Crichton Castle, Midlothian: originally built as a
tower house about 1400 but subsequently enlarged
to become a courtyard castle
Craignethan Castle, Lanarkshire: begun in 1530s
and the last noble castle to be built in Scotland
Carnasserie Castle, Argyllshire: the integrated plan of
the tower house and great hall are well preserved
Greenknowe Tower, Scottish Borders: a late tower
house built in 1581
Medieval Castles in Scotland 23
Huntingtower Castle, Perth and Kinross: two
tower houses eventually incorporated into one building
Newark Castle, Renfrewshire: a 15th-century tower
house, gatehouse and part of the barmkin wall survive
Smailholm Tower, Scottish Borders: a small
rectangular tower set within a barmkin
Threave Castle, Dumfries and Galloway: a
massive tower house, once the centre of a much
bigger complex of buildings
Castles to illustrate castle life
Craigmillar Castle, Midlothian: the ranges round
the courtyard and the fishpond survive
Borthwick Castle, Midlothian: the great hall is
particularly splendid
Castles to illustrate fortifications
Caerlaverock Castle, Dumfries and Galloway: the
fortified gatehouse still remains. There are also
replicas of siege engines on site
Kildrummy Castle, Aberdeenshire: the curtain wall
and projecting towers still stand
St Andrews Castle, Fife: the best-preserved mine
and counter mine in Europe and the infamous
bottle dungeon
Royal Castles
Stirling Castle: has splendid royal apartments first built
by James IV and continued by James V and James VI
Edinburgh Castle: Scotlands chief royal castle in
the Middle Ages
Acknowledgments
Photographic credits: All photographs Crown
copyright Historic Scotland
Text: Elizabeth Newbery
Design & Layout: N&Einteractive
Illustrations: Linda Francis, David Simon and
Jan Tabraham
Series editor: Sue Mitchell
Print Production: The House
With thanks for individual contributions to: Genevieve
Adkins, Doreen Grove and Chris Tabraham.
Historic Scotland 2005
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
 Historic Scotland
Longmore House,
Salisbury Place
Edinburgh EH9 1SH

t: 0131 668 8600

f: 0131 668 8669
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk