BattlefieldsSiege of Tantallon Castle 1651
English Civil War

Siege of Tantallon Castle 1651

1651
East Lothian, Scotland
Also known as: Cromwellian siege of Tantallon
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Siege
Location
East Lothian, Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Royalist garrison
Forces
Garrison: c.100–150
VS
Victor
Parliamentarians (Monck)
Forces
Parliamentarians: c.2,000–2,500
Outcome
Tantallon reduced by artillery; castle rendered uninhabitable
The Battle

History & Significance

Tantallon Castle — the mighty clifftop fortress of the Red Douglases — had resisted sieges for two centuries. Cromwell's artillery proved more persuasive. Monck battered the walls for twelve days; the garrison surrendered. The castle was left uninhabitable and never repaired, ending its military life. Its dramatic ruins on the East Lothian coast survive today.

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