Ancient Forth Defences 9 – The House of Stewart 1370 – 1488

 
David II died unexpectedly in 1371. He left no children and was succeeded by his nephew, Robert II, the first of the House of Stewart monarchs.

None of the first five Stewarts had an auspicious reign. The period was marked by succession struggles with other noble families. The ruthless politician Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany served as regent to Robert II, Robert III, and James I, and was de facto monarch when James I was held in captivity in England for eighteen years.

In 1416, the Duke of Albany granted a license to James Dundas to build Dundas Castle at South Queensferry.

Dundas Castle

Sir John Wemyss of Reres built Wemyss Castle at West Wemyss in 1420.

Wemyss Castle

Sir George Crichton, Earl of Caithness built Blackness Castle to safeguard Blackness, the port serving the royal burgh of Linlithgow, around 1441. When he died in 1454, the castle passed to the Crown (James II).

Blackness Castle

Several other castles and fortified houses were built in the mid-15th century. The exact dates are unknown.

Rosyth Castle was built as a secure residence by Sir David Stewart, who had been granted the Barony of Rosyth in 1428.

Rosyth Castle

Rosyth Castle – on the shoreline before the land reclamation of Rosyth Dockyard

On the opposite bank of the Forth Midhope Castle was built by John Martyne, laird of Medhope in the on what would become the Hopetoun Estate at South Queensferry.

Midhope Castle

A few miles downstream, the Bishops of Dunkeld build Cramond Tower on the perimeter of the old Roman Fort.

Cramond Tower

The Lauriston family built Lauriston Castle in Edinburgh

The present Lauriston Castle – the original was destroyed in 1547

Back on firmer dates, Sir Robert Hamilton built Preston Tower in Prestonpans about 1460.

Preston Tower

Not to be outdone by his nobles, King James II built Ravenscraig Castle at Kirkcaldy in 1460 as a home for his wife, Mary of Guelders.

Ravenscraig Castle

Ravenscraig Castle

The castle is considered one of the first – perhaps the very first in Scotland to be built to withstand cannon fire and provide for artillery defence. Ironically, James was killed in a tragic accident on August 3rd 1460 with a loaded cannon at the Siege of Roxburgh Castle in the Scottish Borders.

Construction was commenced around 1460 by his widow, Mary of Guelders, as a memorial to him. Ownership passed to her son James III but in 1471 he gave the still incomplete castle to William Sinclair, Earl of Orkney and Caithness in exchange for the Earldom of Orkney and associated lands which James annexed from Norway to the Scottish Crown. The castle was finally completed by the Sinclairs.