The history of the Covenanters is one of persecution, execution and imprisonment in a wide variety of local prisons especially in Glasgow, Leith and Edinburgh in the "Tolbooths".

After the battle of Bothwell Brigg on June 22, 1679, there was the infamous incarceration of prisoners in the Greyfriars Kirkyard where prisoners were poorly cared for and many died during months of imprisonment in the open air without shelter. There are two particularly desolate places where many of the leaders of the Covenanters were held, these being the Bass Rock and Dunnottar castle.

The Bass Rock lies about three miles off the North Berwick coast although it looks closer, and is opposite the ancient castle of Tantallon . Today it is a well known sea bird sanctuary with a large colony of gannets but it has a much darker past as a singularly desolate prison for many of the Covenanter leaders between 1673 and 1687.

The island at one time belonged to Sir Andrew Ramsay who sold it to John Lauderdale, Secretary of State for Scotland for £4000. Lauderdale had it turned into a prison which was to house 39 Covenanters in extremely tough conditions.

The Bass Rock is itself only about three quarters of a mile in circumference with sheer cliffs on three sides, on the fourth is a narrow and dangerous landing point. Even on calm days the seas swell and roll round the island with a dangerous tidal flow between it and the mainland - not a place to attempt escape by swimming On the island , once a retreat for a Welsh monk in the seventh century, there was little shelter until the building of the prison quarters and a Governor's house, which in heavy seas would be awash.

Some of the cells had only one small window which was out of reach of the prisoner who was therefore unable to view the outside. Other cells looked only upon a paved walkway where the soldiers stood guard. There was, too, a dark, dank dungeon - the Black Hole.

Into the Bass were cast many of the more troublesome Covenanters for periods ranging from a few months to six years including :

James Fraser of Brea	Gilbert Rule
Thomas Hog of Kiltearn	Alexander Shields
Alexander Peden	John Blackader
Joseph Learmont	Thomas Ross of Morayshire
Campbells of Cessnock	Robert Trail
John McGilligen of Fodderty	James Mitchell

Dunottar Castle, now a ruin, is near Stonehaven and about 15 miles south of Aberdeen. Built on an outcrop of sandstone that juts out into the sea it has a rugged beauty and in its day was a fearsome stronghold. It is thought that St Ninian had been here in the 5th century and the castle was besieged by William Wallace in 1297 when he burned the English garrison alive in the castle church. Later in 1336 Edward III seized it and held it for a few months and in 1645 it withstood siege by the Marquis of Montrose.

The castle is remembered as the stronghold in which the Scottish Crown Jewels were held for safe custody. The garrison of 69 men with some 42 guns withstood assault by Cromwell's troops for eight months in 1651. But the Regalia had been smuggled to safety by lowering them in a basket to a servant woman apparently gathering seaweed on the shore, who took them to the parish church of Kinneff a few miles away where they remained hidden below the floorboards until the Restoration in 1660.

Dunnottar's place in Covenanter history is from its use as a prison in 1685 for 122 men and 45 women. In particular they were thrown into the "Whigs Vault", which was a room about 55 ft long , 15.1/2 ft wide and 12 ft high with two tiny barred windows. Here they were packed so tight that they could not sit, lean or lie down and many of them died .

The incarceration of the Covenanters in Dunnottar stemmed from fears that a rescue attempt might be made when the Duke of Argyll arrived from Holland with troops. So it was that 224 Covenanters from the Tolbooth prisons in Edinburgh were hurried away in May 1685. Of these some 36 men and 4 women were able to convince the authorities that they were not dangerous and were returned to Edinburgh. Of the remainder, some escaped and others died on the march through Fife and Forfar to their prison in the dungeons of Dunnottar Castle.

The cell was described as cramped without room to sit down , the floor ankle deep in mire, and little fresh air to breath. Their keep was rudimentary and they were even forced to pay for water to drink. Forty of the Covenanters were later transferred to a deep dungeon, and some relief was afforded the women who were allotted two rooms to themselves.

There was an attempt by 25 of the prisoners to escape by descending the steep cliff overhanging the sea but in their feeble condition 15 of their number were soon recaptured. Despite their poor condition the escapees were lashed to low benches and tortured for three hours by placing burning slivers of wood between their fingers. For some, this treatment was too much and they lost fingers or subsequently died from their injuries.

Among those cast into Dunnottar were:

John Fraser	Alexander Dalgleish
William McMillan of Galloway	William Niven
William Hannah of Tundergarth	James Forsyth of Lochmaben
William Campbell of Middlewood, Ayrshire	Robert Goodwin of Glasgow
Quintin Dick of Dalmellington

After the danger of insurrection had passed the prisoners were released from Dunnottar and 30 men and seven women took the Oath of Allegiance. The remainder, who refused to take the oath, were transported to America.

In Dunnottar Kirkyard there is a simple memorial commemorating those who died in the dungeons of Dunnottar Castle and in an attempted escape:

Here lyes John Stot, James Atchison, James Russell & William Broun and one whose name wee have not gotten and two women whose names also wee know not and two who perished comeing doune the rock one whose name was James Watson the other not known who all died prisoners in Dunnottar Castle Anno 1685 for their adherence to the word of God and Scotlands Covenanted work of Reformation. Rev 11. Ch 12 Verse

It is thought that the four missing names from the inscription are John Whyte, William Breadie, Mary Gibson and Jean Muffet. Of historical interest is that this stone was created by Robert Paterson, " Old Mortality " of Sir Walter Scott's novel, whom he met there while the work was being done.

Meet the Author, Brian Orr, Researcher with The Guild of One Name Studies

Back to The Covenanters, Main Page

Part One: The Covenanters: Who Were They?
Part Two : The Kirk and its Impact on the People
Part Three : Tales of the Covenanters
Part Four : What's in a Name?
Part Five : The Sanquhar Declaration
Part Six : Covenanter Ships: The Eaglewing, The Crown and Henry & Francis
Part Seven : Female Covenanters: Execution by Drowning
Part Eight : Covenanter Prisons: Bass Rock and Dunnattor Castle
Part Nine : Greyfriars Kirk and the National Covenant
Part Ten : Battle of Rullion Green
Part Eleven : Rev. James Renwick, Martyr
Part Twelve : Presbyterians in Ireland
Part Thirteen: The Final Word on the Solway Martyrs
Part Fourteen: The Margaret Wilson Statue
Part Fifteen: After the National Covenant