Despite the summer afternoon the cold bleak and dank building that has featured in Scottish History in many guises over the past five hundred years gave us no incentive to linger overlong. Within its walls the very stones seemed to shout about the harshness and cruelty that the many prisoners must have endured.
The original part of the castle dates from C1440's and more than likely was built for Sir George Crichton, Earl of Caithness, Admiral of Scotland and Sheriff of Linlithgow.
A formidable building in its early days, and a grim place to visit today, the castle was originally surrounded on three sides by water or salt marsh and by a ditch cut in the rock and guarded by wall on the landward site. This gives the structure a triangular appearance that has been likened to a ship in full sail. Suggestion has been made that Crichton, Admiral of Scotland, promised the King a ship that 'the English could not sink'. Blackness was the result. Fanciful maybe... but it makes a nice story.
The first mention of the castle in the official records is, not just as a residence, but as a state prison. This continued to be one of its main functions for over two hundred and fifty years with its most famous prisoner being Cardinal Beaton, Archbishop of St. Andrews who was imprisoned there in 1543. He is always remembered, and reviled by many, in Scotland for his watching, from his room in St Andrews Castle, the public burning, for heresy, of the Protestant George Wishart in 1546. An act that led to Beaton himself being executed some three months later. (See 'Day Out to St. Andrews')
Between 1537 and 1553, with the worsening of relationships between Scotland and England, Blackness Castle came in for major upgrading and it was turned into one of the most formidable castles in Scotland. This work was, initially,undertaken by James Hamilton of Finnart the eldest and illigitimate son of the 19 children of the Earl of Arran.
(See the earlier 'Days Out' to Hamilton.)
Finnart, an exceptional man for his time probably had, following his building of his own castle at Craignethan, the greatest understanding in the country of military engineering and was employed as Master of Works for James V at Linlithgow Palace and Stirling Castle.
In 1540 allegations were made that he had plotted against James and, although no evidence was found, the 'Bastard of Arran' was convicted of treason and executed. His considerable wealth was siezed by the king.
After World War I the castle was abandoned by the Military and turned over to the Office of Works for renovation. Most of the Victorian additions, including the roofing of the courtyard and the towers were removed and returned to their earlier appearance.
