Stunning Dunnottar Castle 12 Pics & Video
Dunnottar Castle is a ruined cliff-top fortress which stands on the Aberdeenshire coast, just 1.6 miles south of Stonehaven and only 54 miles from Peterhead
Find the castle:
- what3words: rubble.desiring.paying
- postcode: AB39 2TL
Getting to the castle involves a walk, steep climb, and a steeper one back.
Castle open all year, for more visit – www.dunnottarcastle.co.uk
The Castle has played host to some of the nation’s greatest historical figures including William Wallace and Mary Queen of Scots and is famous for its role in saving the Honours of Scotland (the Scottish Crown Jewels) from Oliver Cromwell’s army in the 1650s.
The ruins of the castle are spread over 1.4 hectares (3+1⁄2 acres), surrounded by steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea, 160 feet (50 metres) below. A narrow strip of land joins the headland to the mainland, along which a steep path leads up to the gatehouse.
The various buildings within the castle include the 14th-century tower house as well as the 16th-century palace. Dunnottar Castle is a scheduled monument, and twelve structures on the site were listed buildings.
On a precipitous sea-girt promontary, Dunnottar Castle is one of the most spectacular medieval castles in Scotland, long a property of the Keith Earls Marischal, scene of the famous siege involving the Scottish Crown Jewels, and with an impressive fortified entrance.
Dunnottar Castle has been used as a film location for Zeffirelli’s ‘Hamlet’, ‘Victor Frankenstein’ and was the inspiration for the family castle in the animated film ‘Brave’.
History of Dunnottar Castle
- 1297 William Wallace and the Wars of Independence
In the first of these struggles, after the invasion of Scotland by English forces, William Wallace attacks an English garrison at Dunnottar, taking it back under Scottish control. Legend has it that Wallace showed no mercy to the soldiers and set fire to the Chapel where they had taken refuge, condemning all inside to a terrible death. Others were driven over the cliff edges, with no survivors.
- 1651–52 The Honours of Scotland
During the war between Scotland, England and Ireland in the mid-1640s, known as the War of Three Kingdoms, King Charles II is a guest of the 7th Earl Marischal. The young King’s arrival to Scotland prompts an invasion by the Parliamentary Army, led by Oliver Cromwell. Dunnottar Castle plays a vital role in the safekeeping of the Scottish crown jewels, the Honours of Scotland.
The Honours of Scotland are on display at Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh.
