Investigating - Medieval Castles in...

P L A C E S

Investigating

Medieval Castlesin Scotland

Children find castles exciting andmany of the most impressiveremains are in the care of HistoricScotland. Some occupy dramaticsites, others still display formidabledefences, but even the most ruinoushelp to bring history alive. Thisresource looks at castles built inScotland between the 12th–16thcenturies. It aims to help teachersgain confidence in using castles withpupils of all ages.

Caerlaverock Castle, Dumfriesshire

Medieval Castles in Scotland2

HISTORIC SCOTLAND

How to use thisresourceThis resource is aimed at teachersand designed to link Historic Scotlandsites with classroom studies focussingon castles built in Scotland betweenthe 12th–16th centuries.

NB These notes are not intended to becopied and distributed to pupils.

The resource aims to provide:

• a clear indication of how visits tohistoric sites can bring to life studiesabout medieval castles and providesupport for the 5–14 NationalGuidelines

• information on the historicalbackground of medieval castles forthe non-specialist teacher

• a selection of sites which bestillustrate different periods ofdevelopment.

Bringing the past to life

Visits to historic sites fire theimagination and inspire learning. Pupilscan stand on the site of a castle andexperience the strategic position itholds. They can gain an understandingof what it might have been like to livein a castle in peacetime and to defenda castle during an attack.

The list of castles in the care ofHistoric Scotland on page 23 gives abrief description of each and isintended to help you choose a site tovisit which best supports your topic. Itis also intended to raise awareness ofimportant but lesser-known sites thatmay be on your doorstep.

How to book a visit

Historic Scotland operates a year-round free admission scheme foreducational visits (except EdinburghCastle and Stirling Castle where acharge is levied during May–Augustinclusive). To find out how to book aclass visit please visit the educationpages on the Historic Scotlandwebsite: www.historic-scotland.gov.ukor telephone 0131 668 8793.

Contents

P2

How to use this resource

P3-4

Integrating a visit with aclassroom study

P5

Supporting learning and teaching

P9

Timeline: the rise andfall of medieval castlesin Scotland

P10

Medieval castles inScotland: backgroundinformation

P13

Castle life

P18

Castle warfare

P22

Map of selected sites in the care of Historic Scotland

Pupils at Stirling Castle build a siegeengine to attack the castle wall

Medieval Castles in Scotland 3

HISTORIC SCOTLAND

Integrating a visit withclassroom studies Educational visits have the greatest value if they arebuilt into the original planning of a topic. Werecommend you plan your visit somewhere in themiddle, giving your pupils time to become familiarisedwith why castles were built, who lived in them and whatlife was like.

One way to introduce a project on castles is toassemble raw materials and objects to illustrate castlelife and to demonstrate how it differs from today. Thematerials in the table below are easily available.

At this stage you may also like to:

• Familiarise pupils with words to do with castle life byasking them to compile an illustrated dictionary ofcastle words

• Look at maps of the area around the castle you aregoing to visit. Discuss with pupils why they thinkcastles were built in that location

• Talk about what it must have been like to live in acastle in the Middle Ages

• Discuss what important events took place there

• Discuss with pupils what kind of weapons would havebeen used and what the fighting would have been like.

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) andspices (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 unitmay allow you to borrow some)

Horseshoes

Candles

Talk about…

Leather was widely used in the Middle Ages for everydaypurposes and as protection from weather and fire. (Wetleather was used to protect vulnerable parts of timbercastles from attack by fire)

Spinning and weaving

How floors were covered to keep down mud and dust, buttrapped food thrown down for dogs, spilt beer (ale) andanimal mess

How fires provided hot water, heat for cooking and warmth

How cereals were used to brew ale and to make substantialmeals 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, inentertainment (tournaments and the hunt), and to carrymessengers

How castles were lit (candles made of beeswax wereexpensive so lights made from rushes [rush-lights] werewidely used)


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Before the visit

• Log on to the Historic Scotlandwebsite: www.historic-scotland.gov.uk for more informationabout your chosen site and any site-specific or relevant themed resourcematerial available. Many sites alsooffer programmes of curriculumlinked on-site activities.

• If possible, make a free planningvisit before taking a class to yourchosen site so that you familiariseyourself with the site and theevidence it offers. To book a freeplanning visit to Edinburgh or StirlingCastles telephone 0131 668 8793.Planning visits to other sites can bebooked direct with the site.

Working on site

Your pupils’ task should be to look forphysical evidence of the history of thecastle. Useful starting points are:

• what materials were used toconstruct it?

• what does the building tell us aboutthe people who lived there?

• what evidence is there for everydaylife eg cooking, heating, toilets andstorage?

• how was the castle defended underattack?

• is there any evidence to show thatthe castle was besieged?

• have any changes been made to thecastle since it was built and why?

• who looks after the castle today?

As pupils explore the building, theycan compile an evidence record inwords and pictures about the site. Theaim of the evidence record should beto encourage development ofobservational, descriptive andrecording skills rather than to look foranswers to specific questions which

they can equally well find out frombooks in the classroom.

The evidence record can ask pupils touse the headings ‘I see’, ‘I hear’, and ‘Ifeel’ at chosen locations, to look forclues to explain what went on at thesite, and to look for evidence of castlelife, development and damage.

Pupils can record by:

• taking notes of factual information

• making quick diagrams of specificdetails

• taking photographs of significantfeatures or views

• using tape-recorders to describewhat they see, hear, feel and smell.

Suggestions for follow-up work

Following the visit your pupils shouldpool their findings to form a broadview of what it would have been like tolive in a castle both in peacetime andunder siege. Pupils can be asked tolook at the clues and work out whatthey definitely know and what they canreasonably guess.

This can form the basis for a widerange of language and expressive artsactivities, such as role-play and drama,compiling their own guidebook orleaflet, or interviewing local historians/museum curators. These activities can:

• develop skills and techniques inlanguage and the expressive arts

• consolidate and expand knowledgeand understanding about people inthe past

• help to develop informed attitudesabout the ways in which our heritageis preserved.

Practical work could include:

• cooking simple dishes adapted fromauthentic recipes, (see box, left).

Pottage

You will need:

2 handfuls of oatmeal; honey

Method

1 Soak the oatmealovernight in water

2 The next day simmergently in a saucepan

3 Add honey to sweeten.

Pokerounce

You will need:

10 fingers of toast;2 tbsps of clear honey;a small pinch of groundblack pepper;a large pinch of groundginger;a large pinch ofcinnamon;pine nuts.

Method

1 Put the honey andspices into a small panand heat gently for 3 to4 minutes

2 Pour the honey mixtureon to the toast fingersand spread

3 Decorate each toastfinger with pine nuts.

Environmental Studies: Technology

The following examples show how a topic on medievalcastles might be enhanced through activities related totechnological capability.


HISTORIC SCOTLAND

Supporting learning and teaching

This resource complements the Social Subjects andTechnology components of the 5–14 EnvironmentalStudies Guidelines.

It focuses mainly on the attainment outcome People inthe past at levels A–D. The suggested activities can beeasily adapted for all levels of pupils. The resource alsosuggests ways in which medieval castles can be linkedto Education for Citizenship and provides activitysuggestions to support learning both in, and through,the Expressive Arts (Art and Design, Drama and Music).

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

Teaching Activities

Use a wide range of resources includingvisits to castles to look for physicalevidence

Use maps to study the position ofcastles

Look at how castles have developedover time

Compare site-based evidence with othersources eg paintings and illustrations

Learning Outcomes

Know about castle life & events linked tocastles

Understand why castles were built incertain places; recognise that castleshave changed in response to society,technology & warfare

Understand the chronology of castles

Understand the importance of physicalevidence and the role of HistoricScotland and similar organisations inpreserving our heritage


Needs and how they are met

Teaching Activities

Making simple siege engines. HistoricScotland offers a resource pack thatcontains detailed information aboutsiege warfare and instructions on how tomake siege engines.

Making rush lights. Gather rushes late in autumn. Strip offthe green outer layers and soak inmelted animal fat for 24 hours. Take therushes out of the fat and leave to dry.Compare with candles to see whichlasts longer.

Learning Outcomes

Understand how technology, tools andresources helped people in the MiddleAges to create solutions to practicalproblems to meet their needs.


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Education for Citizenship

A topic on medieval castles offers opportunities tointegrate learning about citizenship issues such asdemocracy and social and environmental responsibility.

The differences between medieval feudalism anddemocracy in Scotland today

Preserving our heritage for future generations

Animal rights

Teaching Activities

Use the Feudal System diagram on page 7 to discuss themerits of feudalism and its disadvantages, e.g people owedservices to someone superior but got protection and justice inreturn. Discuss how Scotland is governed today and constructa comparable diagram.

Learning Outcomes

Understand ways in which life in a feudal society would havebeen different from the way we live in today’s democraticsociety

Teaching Activities

Find out about medieval pastimes. Compare pastimes such ashunting, shooting, fishing for pleasure today with baitinganimals in medieval society. Discuss the necessity of huntingand catching animals for food in the Middle Ages and in otherparts of the world today

Learning Outcomes

Recognise that what is morally acceptable varies across timeand cultures

Know that animals have rights too

Teaching Activities

Ask pupils to list the things they treasure most. Why do theyvalue them? Do they remind them of a special event/person?Have they been handed down through the family? Are theygifts or souvenirs?

Ask pupils to think about an historic site, museum or gallerythey have visited and list reasons why what they saw might beparticularly valued. What people or events were theyassociated with?

Ask pupils to imagine that a distant relative has died and leftthem a castle. What would they like to do with it?

Pupils could take the role of owners applying for planningpermission, local towns-people welcoming or disapproving ofthe plans, and officials giving reasons for refusing or grantingpermission.

Learning Outcomes

Recognise the value of preserving our heritage as a means ofremembering the past

Recognise that we have a collective responsibility to look afterour heritage. Organisations like Historic Scotland have aprofessional role, but we all have a part to play


HISTORIC SCOTLAND

The Feudal SystemIn the Middle Ages every man or woman who held landdid so in return for ‘services’ owed to his or hersuperior. 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


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Expressive Arts

The following examples show how a topic on medievalcastles might be enhanced through Expressive Artsactivities originated on site visits.


Art and designInvestigating visually and recording

Creating and designing

DramaCreating and designing

MusicEvaluating and appreciating

Teaching Activities

Visit sites to make accurate drawings

Create art and crafts based on castlearchitecture, tapestries, heraldry andstained glass windows

Create posters and ideas for souvenirs

Role-play to act out castle life andevents that happened there

Listen to ballads, experiment with simplemusical instruments eg recorders,drums, Jews’ harp

Learning Outcomes

Know that drawing is a method ofrecording information accurately

Know that new works of art can becreated to communicate personalresponses to site visits

Deepen understanding of castle life

Understand that music played a part inlife in the Middle Ages

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

2020th centuryth century onwards onwards





Other castles become major tourist attractions

Edinburgh Castle

Some castles damaged in war are never repaired. The stone is often reused in other buildings

Kildrummy Castle, Grampian

As times become more peaceful, some castles are adapted to become comfortable homes with gardens

Claypotts Castle, Angus

Tower houses become popular

Smailholm Tower, Borders

Castles begin to be built with stone

Balvenie Castle, Banffshire

King David I (1124–1153) 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

The first castles are wooden buildings surrounded by a large circular ditch (ringwork). Very little remains of ringworks today.


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Timeline: the rise and fall ofmedieval castles in Scotland

Background informationThe rise and fall of castles

During the Middle Ages, the country we now callScotland was very different from today. It was made upof many different groups of people and was not underthe control of one king or queen.

From 1124 to 1153, David I ruled over Scotland.Although there were a few castles in Scotland before hebecame king, David encouraged building many moreand used them as an important part of his strategy forruling his kingdom. He gave his most trusted nobles theright to build castles and to govern on his behalf. Healso appointed certain nobles as sheriffs of royalcastles, and the areas they looked after were called shires.

Since the king could not be in more than one place at atime, he relied on his sheriffs to collect taxes and keeplaw and order. It also meant that he had somewheresafe and comfortable to stay when he travelled roundthe country. David also gave barons, knights andbishops the right to build castles. In return theyprovided men to fight for the king when he needed them.

Scottish castles were fortresses built to protect peoplefrom invasion from England and also from Viking raidswhich continued until the mid-13th century. All castleswere built to defend important river and bordercrossings, major seaports, land or valuable assets (egsilver mines), so careful consideration of the site wasvery important. Many were built on hill-tops or rockyoutcrops, others were built on islands or peninsulasmaking them as difficult to attack as possible.

Dunstaffnage Castle was built to protect important sea lanes

Earth and timber castles

The castles built during the 12th century and earlierusually consisted of a wooden defensive tower for thelord and lady, built on top of either a natural outcrop oran artificially raised mound of earth (motte) andprotected by strong timber walls (palisades). Castlebuildings such as the Great Hall, stores, stables andpens for animals, a chapel, accommodation for peoplewho lived in the castle, kitchens and workshops weregrouped together in a courtyard (bailey), at the base ofthe motte. The whole castle was encircled by an earthbank, ditch or moat. Today, only mottes, banks and theditches sometimes remain, the timber buildings havinglong rotted away.


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


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Stone castles

Earth and timber castles were quick and easy toconstruct but rotted in damp conditions and were easilydestroyed with fire. In the 13th century, castles withhigh walls (curtain walls) built of stone appeared. Thesegave extra protection against arrows and otherweapons of attack. Many stone castles were built inresponse to knights who returned from the Crusadeshaving seen how easily the mighty stone fortificationsof the castles in the Holy Land withstood the batteringfrom their own artillery. Moreover, castle ownersrealised that not only was stone stronger, fireproof andmore permanent, it made themselves look grander too.

The fortified gatehouse of Caerlaverock Castle

The main pattern of building was a great tower andother smaller towers linked by high ‘curtain’ walls.

Existing castles were often adapted to incorporatethese new ideas and, as weapons became moreefficient, extra defences such as flanking towers andfortified gatehouses were added.

Tower houses

Bitter hostilities on both sides of the border, especiallyafter the attempt to conquer Scotland by the English inthe late 13th century, and frequent clan wars, meantthat everyone who could build a tower house did so.Even in peacetime, lords on both sides of the borderstole cattle so if people were not able to afford a towerhouse they fortified their houses as best they could.

Tower houses were usually smaller than curtain-walledcastles but they included most of the features of largercastles. The lord and his family lived in the tower and asmall barmkin or courtyard adjacentcontained a hall, kitchen, barn,stables and workshops. Theentrance was often at first- floorlevel and reached by steps or aladder that could be pulled upinto the tower in times of attack.

Smailholm Tower is a towerhouse set within a barmkin

The curtain wall still stands at Bothwell Castle


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The decline of the castle

The design of castles changed both in response tochanges in society and technical advances in weaponry.Castles were difficult to defend against guns that couldblast through castle walls and the peace that prevailedwhen James VI of Scotland became James I of Englandin 1603, meant that style and comfort became moreimportant than defence. Owners added fashionablewings and gardens, built in the Renaissance style, toexisting castles and tower houses.

James V added a Renaissance palace behind the curtainwall at Stirling Castle

Some castles, deliberately pulled down (slighted) afterthey were captured, were never repaired and ownersbuilt more comfortable houses elsewhere. Others wereplundered for building materials. Moreover, during the17th century, the first regular army was introduced inScotland. Soldiers were full-time, properly trained, wellequipped and stayed in barracks. The new armiespreferred to fight in the open field with field cannon,longbows and pikes.

Castles today

Many Scottish castles survive only as ruined buildings.Some are in the care of Historic Scotland, thegovernment agency that has responsibility for the builtheritage and which looks after certain buildings ofspecial historical or architectural interest. Others arelooked after by local authorities, The National Trust forScotland, a charity, or are privately owned – some evenin the hands of the same families who built them.

Edinburgh Castle is a major tourist attraction today

Edinburgh Castle attracts over a million tourists everyyear but even the remotest castles attract hundreds ofpeople prepared to seek them out. Opening a castle tothe public involves ways of demonstrating how thecastle worked and has changed over time. This mightbe achieved through guides, costumed actors,interactive displays, guide books and leaflets,information panels, videos, audio guides or specialexhibitions. Most castles actively encourage schoolparties so provision has to include special facilities forschools eg educational resources and perhaps a schoolroom or education centre. All visitors also need toilets,cafes, signs, warnings about possible dangerous spotseg steep falls. Provision for people with disabilities suchas wheelchair ramps, hearing loops and guides withlarge type is also very important.

Kildrummy Castle was first slighted early in the 14th century


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Castle LifeCastles differed in size and scaleaccording to the rank of thosebuilding and occupying them. But allmedieval castles served the samepurpose: to protect the owner,provide a home, to act as a centrefor official business and to providea base for the administration of the estates.

All castles had to be fitted out forthe daily life of the lord/lady, his/herfamily and servants. The greater thelord/lady the more people he/shehad living in the household. Theremight be as many as 150 peopleliving and working in and around thecastle of a great lord. He wouldspend much of his time travelling,and attending the king, while thelady would spend her time runningthe castle with the help of thesteward. The sons of noble familieswere usually sent away to beeducated and trained to be knightsin other great families; daughterswere educated in the castle.

The household

The most important members of thedomestic staff, all of whom hadtheir own complement of helpers, were:

• the steward: the most importantmember of staff in charge of thehousehold and the estates. Herepresented the lord when he wasaway and kept accounts of taxesand rents

• the constable: responsible forthe security of the castleespecially when the owner wasthere and in charge of any militarystaff present and permanent staffsuch as the porter, gaoler and watchmen

• the marshal: in charge of travelarrangements, horses andoutdoor staff such as grooms,smiths, carters and hunstmen

• the chancellor or chaplain: incharge of the chapel and wrotethe lord’s personal and businessletters. Churchmen were amongstthe few who could read and writein the Middle Ages.

A great castlehousehold

‘The household waslargely male comprisingmen from all levels ofsociety. There wereknights, squires andmen-at-arms providingthe lord with his quotaof military service;senior officials whomanaged his affairs; alarge group of lesseroffice-bearers whocarried through the widerange of functionsrequired to sustain thelifestyle of a greatnobleman; and a vastunderbelly of ‘gofers'.Females constituted thelady of the castle andher ladies-in-waiting, thenurses and perhaps thelaundress and an ale-wife who produced theale.’

Source: Chris Tabraham,Principal Inspector ofAncient Monuments withHistoric Scotland

The Great Hall at Caerlaverock Castle


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Lord

Constable

Freindis (social equals) Kin (blood relations)

Marshal

Gunners

Doorwards

Men-at-Arms

Armourers PortersBoatmen

Stable Lads

Farriers

MessengersMuleteers

CartersBlacksmiths

The Lord’s Household


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Chaplin

Tenentis (tenants) Tenentis (tenants)

Steward

Clerk of theWriting Office

Clerk of theChapel

Asssistant Clerks Sacristan

Choir Boys

Bard Piper Doctor GentlemenServants

Ladies-in-Waiting

Cooks

Stonemasons

Carpenters

Wardrobers Tailor LaundressMusicians

Undercooks LarderersBakers

Alewife

PoulterersGardeners

Lady


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Living conditions

By modern standards castles were damp, cold, darkand draughty. Heating depended on log fires andlighting on candles, rush-lights (rushes soaked in animalfat) and torches (rope treated with pitch). Furniture andfurnishings were simple and constructed so they couldbe dismantled and packed up and moved with the lordon his travels round the country. Only the lord and hisimmediate family had beds – most people slept near tofires on floors strewn with rushes. Castle garderobes(toilets) were communal, men and women urinatedwherever convenient. The smells of animals andcooking, rotting bits of food thrown down for dogs,smoke and unwashed bodies crowded together wouldmake most castles smelly and unpleasant for people today.

Eating and drinking

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

Entertainment

Tournaments, in which a knight aimed to injure hisopponent by knocking him off his horse, were popularas was all forms of hunting and hawking. Travellingmusicians and troubadours toured the countryperforming at feasts and celebrations in castles.Children amused themselves with simple toys such astops and hoops and played games that children stillenjoy today such as ‘hide and seek’ ‘blind man’s buff’and ‘tag’. Popular activities unacceptable today includedbear-baiting, cock-fighting and hunting wild animals suchas wolves, badgers and native wild cats.

Prisons and prisoners

The lord of the castle had responsibility for law andorder. Depending on their social status, wrong-doerswere held in cells or pits until they were tried in theGreat Hall. Then depending on the crime, prisonerswere fined, maimed in some way, or hanged. Beheadingwas reserved for disgraced nobility.

Prisoners of war were also held in castles. In the MiddleAges these were usually men of noble birth who wereheld captive until a ransom was paid. Since ransomswere extremely lucrative, it paid to keep these politicalprisoners alive and in comfort.

The prison at St Andrews Castle. Nobility were held inthe secure upper rooms, ‘free’ men were imprisoned onthe ground level and below that is the infamous bottledungeon into which ‘unfree’ men were thrown and leftto die


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The Great Hall: for tax and rent collection, trials and large scale entertainment

The screens passage: food was bought here from the kitchens

The Chapel: for daily worship

Garderobes (toilets): channelled waste into a cesspit or emptied outside the walls

Lord’s hall: for more private hospitalityand family meals

Inside Dirleton Castle


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Castle WarfareAttacking a castle

Castles were usually taken by siege,although sometimes attackers wouldtake a castle by surprise, perhapsbecause someone inside the castle hadhelped them. A siege could last for a day or severalyears. Attackers aimed to enter the castle forcibly bybreaking down the walls. If this failed they could try andstarve defenders out or spread disease and hope thatdefenders would fall ill and die. Low morale would alsopersuade the constable to surrender.

Most castles, especially the smaller ones,did not have the resources to be defendedadequately in any full-scale conflict. Eventhe strongest castles such as Stirling fellafter prolonged sieges by a large andpowerful army.

Sieges were costly and bothbesiegers and the besieged tried toavoid them by entering into negotiations. Atypical deal might be agreeing to lift the siegefor a set number of days during which the defenderstried to get reinforcements. If the garrison was unableto get help in this time, they agreed to surrender.

In 1298, Stephen de Brampton, an English commander,found himself and his soldiers besieged in BothwellCastle. He wrote to King Edward I describing how he

had defended the castle:

‘I have defended the castle, against thepower of Scotland for a year

and nine weeks, to greatloss and misfortune, asall companions died inthe castle ... taken byfamine and by assault’.

Weapons of war

Trebuchet: amassive long-range

sling firing huge stoneshot used to ‘soften up’ thegarrison by demolishingroofs and battlements

Mangonel: a smaller weapon firing smallerstone shot, bought closer to walls in order topick off defenders

Mobile siege tower orbelfry: for scaling castle walls

Battering ram:used to smashdown castlegates

Mines andminers: minerseither hacked throughor tunnelled underneathwalls, then set fire to

the wooden props supporting thetunnel, in an attempt to bring down thewall above

In 1546–7 attackers hewed a tunnel out of rockunderneath St Andrews Castle. The defenders heardthem tunnelling and after a couple of false starts,succeeded in digging a counter tunnel to head them off.Trebuchet

Battering ram

Mangonel

Siege tower


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Caerlavelock under seigeby the English, 1300

Defending a castle

Ditches, earth banks and moats: made access tocastle walls difficult

Duffus Castle with earth bank and ditch

Gatehouse: the most vulnerable part of the castle andso 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 thatslotted into square openings in the walls

Drawbridge: a bridge that could be pulled up toprevent attackers crossing ditches or moats.Sometimes a wooden bridge was simply removed intimes of attack

Portcullis: an iron grille suspended by chains thatcould be dropped down to trap enemies or preventthem entering the castle

Yett: an iron gate normally positioned behind a timbergate so that if the gate was burnt down, the yett would hold

Murder holes: openings in the ceilings of gatehousepassages positioned so that rocks and boiling liquidscould be poured on to attackers

Postern or sallyport: the back door of the castleused to fetch help or to ‘sally forth’ to make surpriseattacks. It was also used as a ‘tradesman’s entrance’ in peacetime

Curtain walls: usually at least 3 metres thick towithstand bombardment from siege machines. Theyusually incorporated walkways so that armed men couldpatrol the castle

Round towers: constructed so thatmissiles glanced off more easily thanflat surfaces

The round towers and curtain wall at Caerlaverock Castle


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Portcullis

Drawbridge

Gate

Drawbar

Crenellations: gaps (crenels)provided defenders with spaces toshoot through, or hurl missiles andboiling liquids on to attackers; thesolid uprights (merlons) gavecover for them to reload

Hourdes: timber projections sothat missiles and arrows could be

dropped and fired more easily.Later hourdes were made of

stone (machicolations)

Battered walls: thicksloping externalbases helped to

make mining difficult and deflected missiles hurledfrom above into the face of the attackers

Square towers: gaveprotection to archerswho otherwise had tolean out to see thebase of the wall

High, narrowwindows: made itdifficult for attackersto get inside

Arrow loops:constructedso thatdefendershad maximumroom formanoeuvre inside but presented the smallest possibleopening on the outside. Most arrow loops were alteredlater to accommodate handguns (gun loops)

The tower (keep): the strongest part of the castlewhere the lord and lady lived, and to which peoplecould retreat as the last resort. Arms and valuableswere stored here.

Wells: the castle well was sunk in the innerbailey so that it could not be cut off orsabotaged by poisoning

Hand weapons

In the Middle Ages defenders dependedgreatly on the skill of archers, but the mostdangerous soldiers were crossbow men whoacted as snipers and were paid considerablymore than ordinary soldiers. Knights wore‘hauberks’ (coats of chain mail worn overpadded tunics) which protected the wearerfrom arrows but not from crossbow bolts.

This crossbow man can be seen on James V’s palace atStirling Castle

A crossbow man (left) and alongbow man (right)

Armed knights in armour


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Hourdes

Arrow loop

Battered wall

The square tower at Threave Castle

Crenels

Merlons


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Selected sites in the care ofHistoric Scotland

Balvenie Castle,Moray

Bothwell Castle,Lanarkshire

Caerlaverock Castle,Dumfries and Galloway

Carnasserie Castle,Argyll

Claypotts Castle,Angus

Craigmillar Castle,Midlothian

Craignethan Castle,Lanarkshire

Crichton Castle,Midlothian

Crookston Castle,Glasgow

Cubbie Row’s Castle,Orkney

Dirleton Castle,East Lothian

Duffus Castle,Moray

Dunstaffnage Castle,Argyll

Edinburgh Castle

Greenknowe Tower,Scottish Borders

Huntingtower Castle,Perth and Kinross

Huntly Castle,Aberdeenshire

Kildrummy Castle,Aberdeenshire

Newark Castle,Renfrewshire

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Peel Ring of Lumphanan,Aberdeenshire

St Andrews Castle,Fife

Smailholm Tower,Scottish Borders

Stirling Castle

Sween Castle,Argyll

Threave Castle,Dumfries and Galloway

Castle Campbell,Perth and Kinross

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The following castles are all in the care of Historic Scotland.

Downloadable images of many Historic Scotland sitesare available for educational use from www.scran.ac.uk

Earth and timber castles

• Crookston Castle, Glasgow: a 15th-century castleset within 12th-century earthworks

• Duffus Castle, Moray: built in 1150, a fine motte-and-bailey castle

• Huntly Castle, Aberdeenshire: has a history ofoccupation from 12th–17th centuries and a finemotte still survives

• Peel Ring of Lumphanan, Aberdeenshire: anearth and timber castle built about 1250

Stone castles

• Balvenie Castle, Moray: a curtain-walled castle builtby the Comyns and remodelled by the Douglases inthe 15th century

• Bothwell Castle, Lanarkshire: the mighty 13th-century keep is one of the finest castle buildings in Scotland

• Cubbie Row’s Castle, Orkney: built in the mid-12thcentury probably by a Viking chief

• Dirleton Castle, East Lothian: a formidable fortressbuilt about 1240 for the de Vauxs

• Dunstaffnage Castle, Argyll: a 13th-century castlebuilt on a rock to protect important sea-lanes

• Sween Castle, Argyll: Scotland’s oldest castle stillstanding

Tower houses

• Castle Campbell, Perth and Kinross: a fine towerhouse with a separate hall block

• Claypotts Castle, Angus: a complete tower house

• Crichton Castle, Midlothian: originally built as atower house about 1400 but subsequently enlargedto become a courtyard castle

• Craignethan Castle, Lanarkshire: begun in 1530sand the last noble castle to be built in Scotland

• Carnasserie Castle, Argyllshire: the integrated plan ofthe tower house and great hall are well preserved

• Greenknowe Tower, Scottish Borders: a late towerhouse built in 1581

• Huntingtower Castle, Perth and Kinross: twotower houses eventually incorporated into one building

• Newark Castle, Renfrewshire: a 15th-century towerhouse, gatehouse and part of the barmkin wall survive

• Smailholm Tower, Scottish Borders: a smallrectangular tower set within a barmkin

• Threave Castle, Dumfries and Galloway: amassive tower house, once the centre of a muchbigger complex of buildings

Castles to illustrate castle life

• Craigmillar Castle, Midlothian: the ranges roundthe courtyard and the fishpond survive

• Borthwick Castle, Midlothian: the great hall isparticularly splendid

Castles to illustrate fortifications

• Caerlaverock Castle, Dumfries and Galloway: thefortified gatehouse still remains. There are alsoreplicas of siege engines on site

• Kildrummy Castle, Aberdeenshire: the curtain walland projecting towers still stand

• St Andrews Castle, Fife: the best-preserved mineand counter mine in Europe and the infamous bottle dungeon

Royal Castles

• Stirling Castle: has splendid royal apartments first builtby James IV and continued by James V and James VI

• Edinburgh Castle: Scotland’s chief royal castle inthe Middle Ages

Acknowledgments

Photographic credits: All photographs © Crowncopyright Historic ScotlandText: Elizabeth NewberyDesign & Layout: N&EinteractiveIllustrations: Linda Francis, David Simon and Jan TabrahamSeries editor: Sue MitchellPrint Production: The House

With thanks for individual contributions to: GenevieveAdkins, Doreen Grove and Chris Tabraham.

© Historic Scotland 2005


HISTORIC SCOTLAND

Historic ScotlandLongmore House, Salisbury Place

Edinburgh EH9 1SH

t: 0131 668 8600f: 0131 668 8669

www.historic-scotland.gov.uk

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