Dunnottar Castle, Medieval fortress in Stonehaven, Scotland
Dunnottar Castle is a ruined fortress on a rocky headland about 3 km south of Stonehaven. A narrow strip of land connects the headland to the mainland, and a steep path leads up to the gatehouse. The surviving buildings, largely of the 15th and 16th centuries, include a 14th-century tower house and a 16th-century palace arranged around a courtyard.
William Wallace recaptured the site from the English in 1297 during the Scottish Wars of Independence. In the 17th century, religious prisoners were held here and endured harsh conditions in the vaulted cellars.
The name Dùn Fhoithear means "fort on the shelving slope" in Scottish Gaelic. The 13th-century chapel, consecrated in 1276 by William Wishart, Bishop of St Andrews, was rebuilt and folded into the palace courtyard by George Keith, 4th Earl Marischal, around 1581. The castle was the seat of the Earls Marischal, who held it until the 18th century.
Access follows a narrow path leading down to the clifftop and then up to the fortress. Sturdy footwear is recommended, as the path can become slippery when wet and there are no ramps available.
A group of women smuggled the Scottish Crown Jewels out of the besieged site in 1652 hidden in bundles of linen. The regalia were then concealed beneath the floor of a nearby church until the danger passed.
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