Last night was the RC44 viking dinner at  the Carlsten fortress in Marstrand last night. The cannon was fired before the guests could enter the castle. Wine was drank from horns….and a good time was had by all!

Positioned at the top of the hill in Marstrand, history says no-one locally was prepared to do the hard work of carting the heavy stones up the hill to construct the Fort, so instead it was decreed that inmates were sentenced to hard labour and the task of carrying the stone. If they refused they were reportedly made wear extra heavy shackles around the neck, arms, waist and ankles weighing 36 kilos – as well as carrying the stone! If they behaved they got to wear the lighter shackles, just 17 kilos!

The fortress was built on the orders of King Carl X of Sweden in 1658 to protect the newly acquired province from hostile attacks. The site of Marstrand was chosen because of its location and its access to an ice free port for navy ships. Initially a square stone tower was constructed, but by 1680 it was reconstructed and replaced by a round shaped tower. The fortress was attacked and sieged twice falling into enemy hands. In 1677 it was conquered by the Danish and in 1719 by the Norwegians.