Dunnottar Castle, Scotland




This evening, my focus is on the magnificent medieval stone castle at Dunnottar which is located near to Stonehaven, about eighteen miles south of Aberdeen on Scotland's east coast.There are records of a fortification on this site going back to the 7th century but the current building originated in the 1290s under Sir William Keith, and to this day remains associated with Clan Keith. The name translates as 'fort slope'. This castle’s illustrious military career can be summarised as follows:
  • Fell to Edward I of England in late 13th C.
  • Stormed by William Wallace in 1297.
  • Back under English control in 1330s
  • Regained by the Scots under Sir Andrew Moray in 1330s.
  • Attacked by the Duke of Montrose in 1645.
  • Attacked by English Parliamentarian army in 1651 at which time the Crown Jewels of Scotland were spirited out of the castle and hidden from The English. Used as a prison on 1685 when 167 men and women were held in appalling conditions.
 Interior view with well

The castle was not restored after the 1651 bombardment and hence it’s ruinous state today.
The images above and below give an appreciation for the size and standing of this once important fortification.

Castle interior
 Access route to castle



Visitors should note that access entails navigating steep flights of steps.

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