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Bass Castle is a fortified structure situated on the Bass Rock, a prominent volcanic island in the Firth of Forth off the coast of East Lothian. The castle dates primarily to the fourteenth century, though the rock itself may have been fortified at an earlier period, and represents a significant stronghold in the defence of the Forth estuary. The surviving remains comprise a substantial stone keep and associated defensive walls, constructed to take advantage of the rock's naturally defensible position. The site served strategic importance during the medieval period and was contested between Scottish and English forces, notably during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
Bass Castle,Bass Rock is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM765. View the official record →
Bass Castle is a fortified structure situated on the Bass Rock, a prominent volcanic island in the Firth of Forth off the coast of East Lothian. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM765.
Bass Castle,Bass Rock is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM765.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including East Fortune,enclosure N of disused station (8.7 km), Knowes Mill,ring ditch and enclosure 400m NNW of (8.8 km), Preston Mains, cursus and settlement 300m SSW of (9.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Bass Castle,Bass Rock's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Bass Castle,Bass Rock stands on Early Carboniferous limestone, bedrock that formed in the Early Carboniferous. The rock here is major:{limestone}, Minor{claystone,siltstone}.