Dunnottar Castle is a ruined medieval fortress located on a rocky headland on the north-eastern coast of Scotland, about three kilometres south of the town of Stonehaven and 30 kilometres from Aberdeen.
As you can see, it’s a long walk down and then up to the castle from the mainland. The path follows a narrow strip of land with steep cliffs on both sides dropping down to the North Sea.
The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been fortified in the early Middle Ages. Dunnottar has played a pivotal role in the history of Scotland through to the 18th-century Jacobite risings because of its strategic location and defensive strength.
Earlier, in 1297, Scottish warrior William Wallace led a rebellion against the English invasion brought on by King Edward I, capturing Dunnottar Castle and the English troops holding it.
