📌 Dowlaw, Scottish Borders
★★
Towering over a vertiginous, rocky headland with just a narrow drawbridge connecting it to the mainland, Fast Castle must have been the ultimate defensive location at the time of its construction during or around the 1300s. Today’s visitor gains access via a (slightly) newer, concrete causeway with a short scramble at the far end aided by metal chains. Although more extensive than at first appears, the castle itself isn’t that exciting. But its clifftop setting is: if more of the ruin was still standing, this could be just as famous an attraction as Dunnottar Castle in Aberdeenshire. Dramatic coastal scenery surrounds the site, with rock stacks stained white from seabird guano, and views north towards East Lothian. The walk from the car park involves a steep descent of nearly 200 vertical metres – which has to be reascended on the return journey.
🌍 Location
📌 0.5 mi north of minor road end at Dowlaw
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NT 861711
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.932177,-2.224119
❌ No public transport within 1 mi
🚗 Car park at 🧭 NT 855702 / 🛰️ 55.924619,-2.232944
📝 Key info
⌚ Always open
🎫 Free
💬 The castle is a 30-min walk (each way) from the car park (⬤ Moderate), with nearly 200 metres of ascent on the way back. Follow a grassy path north (downhill) between trees – this section can be overgrown in high summer. It soon emerges onto open grassland, curves right and later steepens, with the remains of the castle visible on a headland below. Great care required around the castle, with unprotected drops. There is a rocky step / scramble to get onto the castle headland itself.
