Clan Rising
Old Tulliallan Castle today

Scotland · Ruin

Old Tulliallan Castle

Old Tulliallan Castle is the ruined medieval L‑plan fortress that stood on the Tulliallan estate near Kincardine, Fife (formerly Perthshire). The surviving fabric dates to medieval and late‑medieval rebuilding and was roofed and occupied until the late 18th century, after which a new house was built and the old castle allowed to decay into a ruin.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1590

Today

Ruin

As it stood in 1590

What Old Tulliallan Castle looked like in its prime.

An L‑shaped, two‑storey ashlar sandstone house with a prominent southwest corner tower containing the main entrance; ground floor has small square windows, upper floors feature narrow slit windows. The building sits on a low grassy knoll surrounded by a D‑shaped water moat and outer earth rampart, with attached lower wings forming an inner courtyard. At prime the roofs and parapets are intact; important ground‑floor chambers show ribbed groined vaults springing from octagonal piers.

Its story

The story of Old Tulliallan Castle.

Tulliallan, Gaelic tulach-aluinn, "beautiful knoll", was an estate near Kincardine whose old castle passed through several of Scotland's great houses. It was owned by William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, and in 1402 Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, gifted the estate to the Edmiston family.

The Blackadder lairds of Tulliallan, a branch of the Blackadder Border clan, wielded considerable power in the 15th and 16th centuries, among them Robert Blackadder, brother of Patrick, Laird of Tulliallan, who renewed a dispute against the Homes over the family's lands around Allanton in Berwickshire. The old L-plan castle remained roofed and occupied until the late 18th century.

In 1700 the estate was purchased by Colonel John Erskine, son of David Erskine, 4th Lord Cardross, and in 1799 by George Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith, who built the modern Tulliallan Castle of 1818–20 about half a mile to the south-east as his family residence, now home of the Scottish Police College. The old castle was left to decay into the ruin that survives today.

Step inside

7 places to explore in 1590.

The record describes 7 distinct spots at Old Tulliallan Castle, including 2 interiors: southern posterns and the great hall apartment, vaulted ground‑floor chamber with octagonal pier. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Exterior approach from the south knollMoat and outer rampartSouthwest tower and drawbridge entranceSouthern posterns and the great hall apartmentVaulted ground‑floor chamber with octagonal pierInner courtyard between wingsTop of tower and roofline

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Whose castle

Clans who held Old Tulliallan Castle.

The families that held Old Tulliallan Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Douglas

    Owned by William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas; Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl, gifted the estate to the Edmistons in 1402.

  • Edmiston

    Gifted the Tulliallan estate by Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, in 1402.

  • Blackadder

    The Blackadder lairds of Tulliallan, a branch of the Border clan, wielded considerable power here in the 15th and 16th centuries.

  • Erskine

    The estate was purchased in 1700 by Colonel John Erskine, son of David Erskine, 4th Lord Cardross.

  • Elphinstone

    George Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith, bought the estate in 1799 and built the modern castle as his family residence.

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Old Tulliallan Castle.

Dunfermline Abbey, ScotlandMonasteryDunfermline Abbey16 km awayForth Bridge, ScotlandBridgeForth Bridge23 km awayAntonine Wall, ScotlandAncient siteAntonine Wall25 km away

Questions about Old Tulliallan Castle

What is the history of Old Tulliallan Castle?

Old Tulliallan Castle began as a strategic fortification before 1304, near the main ferry over the Forth. Edward I ordered its walls strengthened in 1304, and the old castle was probably built later by the Douglasses. It passed to the Edmistons in 1402, later to the Blackadders, and was left to decay after a new house was built in the early 19th century.

What is inside Old Tulliallan Castle?

Inside Old Tulliallan Castle are the great hall apartment and vaulted ground-floor chambers. The great hall has three compartments formed by groined arches resting on a central octagonal column, while other important ground-floor rooms have ribbed vaults springing from octagonal piers. Southern posterns also survive as documented interior features.

Why was Old Tulliallan Castle built, and what was it used for?

Old Tulliallan Castle was built as a strategic fortified position near the main ferry over the Forth. Its moat and outer rampart strengthened the position against attack across the marshy land. It later served as a roofed and occupied residence until the late 18th century, after which a new family residence was built nearby and the old castle became a ruin.

Where is Old Tulliallan Castle?

Old Tulliallan Castle is near Kincardine, in Fife. It stood on the Tulliallan estate, formerly in Perthshire, on a low knoll near the Forth ferry crossing. The castle is located in the administrative territorial entity of Fife.

When was Old Tulliallan Castle built?

Old Tulliallan Castle’s first fortification was built before 1304, while the surviving old castle was probably built later by the Douglasses. Its fabric includes medieval and late-medieval rebuilding, with a major reconstruction in the late sixteenth century. The precise year in which the castle itself was first raised is not recorded.

Which family or clan held Old Tulliallan Castle?

The Douglas, Edmiston, Blackadder, Erskine and Elphinstone families or houses held Old Tulliallan Castle and its estate at different times. William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, owned it, and Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, gifted the estate to the Edmistons in 1402. The Blackadder lairds later held it, followed by John Erskine in 1700 and George Elphinstone in 1799.

What did Old Tulliallan Castle look like in its prime?

At its prime, Old Tulliallan Castle was an L-shaped, two-storey ashlar sandstone house with a prominent south-west corner tower containing the main entrance. Small square windows marked the ground floor, while narrow slit windows marked the upper floors. A D-shaped water moat, outer earth rampart and lower wings surrounded the castle and formed an inner courtyard.

Is Old Tulliallan Castle still standing, or is it a ruin?

Old Tulliallan Castle is a ruin today. It remained roofed and occupied until the late 18th century, but after George Elphinstone bought the estate in 1799 and built a new house nearby, the old castle’s roof was removed and the building was allowed to crumble. The ruined structure was still described as imposing in 1885.

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