In the Firth of Forth off the coast of North Berwick lies the Bass Rock, a prominent and well-known volcanic plug which is today more popular with swarms of birds than people, save for the occasional day tripper. But this has not always been the case. It had been fortified since the Middle Ages and was used by James I (r.1406-37), for instance, to house disaffected magnates. During the 17th century, the Bass Rock was again utilised by different regimes: firstly, the Cromwellian government used its offshore and defensible location to store records in the 1650s, before it came into the possession of Sir Andrew Ramsay, Lord Abbotshall, who served as lord provost of Edinburgh in the 1650s and again after the restoration of the monarchy. In 1671, the island was purchased from Ramsay for Charles II by John Maitland, earl (later duke) of Lauderdale – one of a triumvirate of patrician managers of Scotland on the king’s behalf – for the government to use as a prison.
Although it was not a uniquely brutal or violent time, the later 17th century was a period of significant upheaval in both Church and state. This brought with it new challenges for the government in dealing with dissent and, as such, innovative approaches were sought. One such innovation, devised by the Scottish privy council during the restoration (when the national Church was episcopal and the covenants were outlawed), was a more draconian, repressive and standardised system for punishing those found guilty of rebellion, sedition and treason. Greyfriars kirkyard was used for some time as a prison, housing many recalcitrant covenanters, particularly after the rebellions of 1666 and 1679. But this proved insufficient, so the Bass Rock, along with Blackness and Dunnottar Castles, were employed for holding prisoners over the longer term. The Bass Rock came to house some of the most radical enemies of the government, since it was difficult to escape from and was close to Edinburgh, where most trials of covenanters took place.
Bass Rock and the revolution
Upon the revolution of
