Blackness Castle — Attraction in Scotland

Amazing and outstanding little Castle on the banks of The Firth of Forth and is one of the most outstanding Castles in this particular area of Scotland. The construction and configuration of the Castle is very similar to that of a ship and as you walk around you can see how it is has been wonderfully built into the rocks and it blends in beautifully with the rocky shores. The Castle is also wonderfully complete and in brilliant immaculate condition and you can wander inside a couple of the towers and see the dark rooms inside which are brilliantly presented and there are informative boards in each of the rooms you go inside telling you about each room and their uses giving you a full idea of what life was like inside. You can wander around the Battlements and enjoy spectacular breathtaking picturesque scenery of the River Forth and the mountains towards Stirling, which are simply amazing and from wandering around the Battlements and looking across the River Forth you can get a clear idea of how commanding and imposing this Castle and how important it was in spotting enemy ships wandering into the area from a distance away. From the Battlements you can also get a clear of the sheer size of the Castle and see the Brilliant towers, which are an awesome sight. The Battlements also have some informative information boards about the Castle's strategic position on the Forth and how it was able to spot any enemy ships from miles away before they could ever cause any issues. A great aspect of this Castle is that you can wander onto an area that used to be the main port of the Castle and you can enjoy further excellent breathtaking panoramic views up and down the River Forth and the surrounding area. There is also another great exhibition on People and the Land of Scotland covering certain aspects of the Culture of Scotland and folklore, which is very enlightening and interesting to read and look at. There is a gift shop selling an excellent range of souvenirs at reasonable prices. Overall this is a thoroughly marvellous and interesting place to visit which makes for a very enjoyable and enlightening day out. Definitely well worth a visit whilst in the West Lothian area...

History- check Outlander fan-check War buff-check A castle fit for kids-check!

Best castle experience up to date in Scotland and it was raining! The castle itself is maintained and feels like a real castle. There is no audio guide, but the plaques around the place with information allows you to walk around at your own pace. The castle isn’t one way so you can go back and forth from room to room as you please. There is access to almost every part and feels like you can really go to every fun part of a castle. There was multiple tour groups and families with small kids and we still didn’t feel crowded. The fact that the sea is right there just adds to the ambiance of being a castle on the water. The kids were running around enjoying themselves. The outlander tour was sharing fun facts, and I think there was a history tour there as well. We went around 2:30. We got in for free as members of the historic Scotland. This also allowed us to have 20% off the store so we got a guide book, which was rich with history and a timeline of the castle. There were picnic benches and a family eating lunch when we went. The doorframes of the castle is high so tall people beware. There is a sign in the gift shop where you also buy your tickets that has outlander filming information on it. It was quite cold and wet being seafront but that all added to the ambiance. It is NOT wheelchair friendly. There was also a “clean up Scotland” stand where you could go clean up the beach if you wanted to. I thought this was the coolest thing ever and if we had time we would have gone down to the shore (accessible in many places) also the signs to get to the castle are very clear. There are 2 places you can park: at the castle or about a block away. My husband and I parked a block away to not fight over the parking closer to the castle (and boy were we glad to have because there were...

On this years Road Trip through the UK we've seen many many castles, palaces and ruins. As we did back in 2017. And this one here - the Blackness Castle - stands really out and is definitely one of the best experiences we've had.

We booked a time-slot online. Since we are members entrance was free. We arrived within our time slot and got to park right on the property. It's very much recommended to book a slot before visiting.

"Outlander" fans might recognize this place from several scenes and episodes from the TV show. In real life the castle is even more spectacular. The waterfront location is just breathtaking and it's a masterpiece to have built it that long ago on these rocks. It's stunning.

A bit about the history: Blackness Castle stands by the Firth of Forth, at the port that served the royal burgh of Linlithgow in medieval times. Though built in the 15th century as a lordly residence for the Crichtons, one of Scotland’s more powerful families, it soon took on other roles like a royal castle in 1453, a garrison fortress, a state prison and an ammunition depot in the later 19th century.

So it has quite the colourful history. And it still stands until today. It's impressive how well preserved it is and how well maintained. You can visit countless rooms, climb the towers and curtain wall. Or walk on the pier to get great views of the Firth of Forth and the castle. Dogs are allowed on all grounds except indoors.

There's a shop, several friendly staff members with lots of useful information (some fully dressed up historically accurate). Of course toilets as well. Also so tables for a picnic or just to rest your legs.

An amazing visit. I can't praise this place enough. A must-do. It's worth a (long) drive. I could go on. But just check the pics and come see yourself. You...