Is Dunnottar Castle worth a visit?

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Perched 160 feet above the crashing North Sea on a sheer rocky promontory, Dunnottar Castle is one of the most dramatically situated fortresses in Europe — and one of Scotland’s most unforgettable historical landmarks.

Located just 1.6 miles south of the fishing town of Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire, and only 20 miles from Aberdeen International Airport, it is far more than a pretty ruin. For over a thousand years, Dunnottar stood at the heart of Scotland’s most turbulent moments: Viking raids, the Wars of Independence, religious persecution, and the rescue of the Scottish Crown Jewels. The short answer to whether it is worth a visit is an emphatic yes. Here is why.

The Setting: A Fortress Like No Other

The rock on which Dunnottar stands is remarkable in itself. A flat-topped promontory of red sandstone, it is surrounded on three sides by the North Sea and connected to the mainland only by a narrow neck of land. To make the castle even more defensible, the natural causeway was deliberately hacked away, leaving a single vertiginous access route cut into the cliffs — a twisting, tunnel-like path with blind corners and arrow loops designed to give defenders every possible advantage over attackers. Few approaches to any castle in the world are quite so dramatic.

Ancient Origins

The site’s history stretches back to at least the 5th century, when St Ninian is said to have founded a chapel here — though no trace of it remains. The earliest confirmed historical reference appears in the Annals of Ulster, a medieval Irish manuscript recording two military assaults on Dunnottar in 681 and 694 AD, suggesting the site was already fortified by that time. In 900 AD, Viking raiders attacked the fortress, an event that would mark the beginning of centuries of conflict at this site. 

William Wallace and the Wars of Independence

Edward I of England took Dunnottar in 1296, and William Wallace took it back in 1297, in the process burning down the church with the entire English garrison still in it. Whether strictly historical or embellished by the centuries, the story underscores how fiercely contested this stretch of the Scottish coast was. In 1336, the English again took Dunnottar, which was visited by Edward III, before it was recaptured for the Scots by Sir Andrew Murray. 

The Keiths: Builders and Guardians

The castle as visitors see it today — a sprawling complex of towers, halls, and courtyards covering three and a half acres — was largely the work of the Keith family, Great Marischals of Scotland. Sir William Keith, Great Marischal of Scotland, built the first stone castle at Dunnottar, now known as The Keep. King James II created Sir William Keith 1st Earl Marischal, a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title. Royal visitors followed: Mary, Queen of Scots, visited the castle in 1562 and 1564, and James VI stayed in 1580. Between 1580 and 1650, the Earls Marischal converted what had been a grim and forbidding castle into a much more opulent mansion, building ranges of buildings around the Quadrangle.

Saving the Honours of Scotland

Dunnottar’s most celebrated chapter began in 1651. The Honours of Scotland — the Scottish Crown Jewels, consisting of the crown, ceremonial sword, and sceptre — were the most potent symbol of Scotland’s monarchy. With Cromwell’s forces occupying Edinburgh after the coronation of Charles II at Scone, the Honours could not be returned there safely. They were smuggled into Dunnottar hidden in sacks of wool. 

By May 1652, Dunnottar Castle was the only place left in Scotland still holding out for Charles II against Cromwell’s forces under General George Monck. When the castle finally surrendered after an eight-month siege, Cromwell’s men found the Crown Jewels were gone. The Honours had been lowered down the cliffs to a local woman pretending to collect seaweed, and were then hidden under the floor of nearby Kinneff Old Church until the Restoration of the Monarchy. They are now on permanent display at Edinburgh Castle. 

The Whigs’ Vault: A Darker Chapter

In 1685, during the Earl of Argyll’s rebellion against King James VII, 167 Covenanters were held in a cellar at Dunnottar Castle. As Whigs — an anti-Royalist faction within the Covenanter movement — they refused to swear allegiance to James VII. Held from late May to late July, twenty-five escaped, two fatally fell from the cliffs, and fifteen were recaptured. The cellar beneath the King’s bedroom in the 16th-century buildings became known as the Whigs’ Vault. Visitors today can descend into it — a sobering and deeply affecting experience. 

The Fall of the Keiths

In 1689, Dunnottar was garrisoned for William III and Mary II. In the Jacobite Rising of 1715, George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal, took an active role with the rebels and then fled to the Continent, eventually entering the service of Frederick the Great of Prussia. In 1716, his titles and estates, including Dunnottar, were declared forfeit to the Crown. The castle was sold to the York Buildings Company, who stripped it bare. 

The forfeited estates were purchased in 1720 for £41,172 by the York Buildings Company, who dismantled much of the castle. It was briefly reacquired by the Earl in 1761 before being sold five years later to Alexander Keith, an Edinburgh lawyer and Knight Marischal of Scotland. It passed through several subsequent owners over the following century.

Restoration and the Cowdray Family

In 1925, Dunnottar was purchased by Weetman Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray, whose family embarked on a systematic programme of consolidation and repair. Since then the castle has remained in the family and has been open to visitors. The current owner and custodian is the Hon. Charles Anthony Pearson, younger son of the 3rd Viscount Cowdray, and owner of the 210-square-kilometre Dunecht Estates. 

On the Silver Screen

Dunnottar’s cinematic grandeur has not gone unnoticed. Portions of the 1990 film Hamlet, directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starring Mel Gibson and Glenn Close, were filmed here, using the castle’s dramatic silhouette to striking effect. Its brooding clifftop presence continues to attract photographers and filmmakers from around the world.

What to See on Your Visit

Visitors today can explore a range of buildings, including what remains of the chapel and Earl’s Hall, stables, smithy, storehouse, barracks, and the early stone Keep. You can also visit the Whigs’ Vault and a restored Drawing Room. The Quadrangle — the heart of the Earls Marischal’s opulent 17th-century residence — is also open to explore. 

The castle is proud to be open all year round, though it may close in bad weather for safety reasons. It sits just off the A92, about two miles south of Stonehaven, with a car park and a short walk down and up the cliffs to the entrance. It is also accessible on foot from Stonehaven along a beautiful coastal path — though check conditions before setting out, as sections can be closed due to landslides. 

The Verdict

Dunnottar Castle is not merely a picturesque ruin. It is a place where the full sweep of Scottish history — from Pictish fortifications and Viking raids, through the Wars of Independence and the anguish of the Covenanting era, to the extraordinary rescue of the Scottish Crown Jewels — comes vividly to life. The setting alone is worth the journey. The history makes it unforgettable. If you are travelling to Scotland’s northeast, Dunnottar Castle is essential.

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