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| My "ride" with my tower home in the background |
Heading out of the harbor - the initial pulling away (above) and picking up speed as we pass the Eyemouth headland on our way to Fast Castle.
As shared in multiple previous posts, I'm interested in this area because it was here that John Napier was contracted with Robert Logan to search for treasure at Fast Castle using his so-called sorcerous powers, technically his "craft and engine." (The wording according to the contract is that "The said Jhone sall do his utter and exact diligens to serche and sik out, and by all craft and ingyne . . .") There have been many legends of treasure at Fast Castle that have existed for many centuries, right up to the present day. This area was full of smuggling activity at one time. The name Fast Castle is a corruption of Faux Castle, meaning False Castle, so called because "wrecking" by the hanging of false lights to lure ships onto the rocks was known to have taken place. The Templar Knights may have hid treasure here. There may be Spanish treasure relating to the "Affair of the Spanish Blanks" and a possible second Spanish Armada. The treasure may relate to one of those things, something else entirely, or nothing at all! According to the contract, which was written up in 1594, there are diverse old reports and appearances that there should be within Robert's dwelling of Fast Castle a sum of money and treasure hidden, which is as yet unfound by any man (". . . ther is dywerss ald reportis motiffis and appirancis, that thair suld be within the said Robertis dwellinge place of Fascastell a soum of monie and Poiss [treasure], heid and hurdit up secritlie, quilk [which] as yit is un fund by ony man.") Other posts in this blog in which this is written of at greater length are at this link and at this link. This is a place I had tried to get to for years. It is quite remote, but, as mentioned above, last year I was finally able to get there by land, and this year I finally was able to get there by sea. I've really wanted to get the fullest sense possible of this place. Beyond this point, this post will be mostly pictures and videos with very few words. I'm using the images for reference for talks I'll give and writing that I'll do. (The videos contained here are very short - all but one are approximately half a minute each.)
The abundance of caves along the shoreline is part of what made this a haven for smugglers. The two large caves to the right of the picture below are directly beneath the ruins of Fast Castle, one wall of which can still be seen standing and is near the far right of this picture.
Going around the peninsula to look from the north -
We took our time at Fast Castle, but heading back we zipped right along!
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| Passing St. Abb's Head on the way to Fast Castle |
Coming at Fast Castle from the south
It is thought that one of the caves at the base of the cliff connected to the castle. If that's the case it likely would have been the large cave to the left in the pictures above and below.
Here is the same cave from above - photo taken on my previous trip to this location -
And coming back around to the south (1:16)
Because of my interest in this place, I could have stayed for hours, but, eventually, it was time to head back in. We did see some interesting sights on the way back as well, and all of it provides good background for my studies.
But we would slow down to check out some things like other caves and crags along the coastline -
- and like dolphins swimming along with us!
Then zipping back toward Eyemouth -
And returning home after one of the grandest adventures of these travels!
