Perched on top of a sandstone outcrop, overhanging the Thorton
ravine stands the vaulted basements of Innerwick castle. The
present ruin dates from the 1400's and 1500's although the original
castle site though dates back to the mid 1300's when it was built
for the Stewarts. In 1398,the castle passed to the Hamiltons,
ancestors of the Earls of Haddington. In 1403 Innerwick was
besieged by the English knight 'Hotspur' Percy and Archibald 4th
Earl of Douglas, a Scot held by the Percies since the defeat of the
Scots army at the battle of Homildon Hill, near Wooler, in 1402.
However the siege proved to be a smokescreen, for when the Duke of
Albany arrived with a large Scots army to save Innerwick, Percy and
Douglas had headed south-west to contact Douglas vassals and march
on Wales. Percy, Douglas and his men were now in league with Owen
of Glendower in open revolt against King Henry IV of England
(1399-1413). But at the battle of Shrewsbury 'Hotspur' was killed,
Douglas retaken captive and the rebels defeated.
In 1547 Innerwick was attacked by the English during the wars of
the 'Rough Wooing'. This was where the English insisted by force
that the child Mary Queen of Scots (1542-1587) be married to the
English Prince Edward. One English force attacked Thornton castle,
a Home stronghold, directly across the ravine from Innerwick. While
a separate English unit of hakbutters (an early type of rifle)
besieged Innerwick itself. The Master of Hamilton and eight other
gentlemen barricaded the doors and defended from the battlements.
Part of the castle was set ablaze and the hakbutters entered by
storm, killing eight of the defenders on the spot; the ninth jumped
from the castle battlements much to the disbelief of onlookers
falling some 60 to 70 feet into the ravine and river below. The
English commander conducting the siege of Innerwick was so
impressed by this feat of daring that he called for the man's life
to be spared. However, as he made his way upstream he was shot dead
by the other English force attacking Thorton castle.
Following this Thornton was demolished and Innerwick dismantled.
The castle of Innerwick can't have been completely destroyed as it
was being used by Scots horsemen, in 1650,as a base to attack
Cromwell's supply lines, in conjunction with the raids made by the
'desperado gallants' of Tantallon castle, near North Berwick. It
appears though that Innerwick was 'quitted' by the Scots as only
Tantallon and Dirleton are recorded as being bombarded and stormed
in letters of the time. The occupation of the Lothians by Cromwell,
and his systematic destruction of castles therein, proved that the
days of the mighty stone castle was over. Modern cannon could fell
any monument great or small. For this reason from the 1650's
onwards castles were no longer repaired or rebuilt as the expense
made it a futile exercise. Innerwick like so many other castles
fell the fate of being viewed as the local quarry.
The path to the castle can be slippery and is on a steep slope
in places - please take care. Also there are warning signs about
the poor state of the masonry of the castle. Explore the area at
your leisure but keep off the castle!
