Dunnottar Castle, Stonehaven

Name: Dunnottar Castle
Address: Stonehaven, AB39 2TL, Stonehaven, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 1569 766320

#1 among attractions in Stonehaven

Top attraction, Forts and castles, History museum, Romanesque architecture

Gallery (16)

Map

Gallery

Photo details 1. Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Qmin / URL • 2. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / MariuszMatuszewski / URL • 3. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Dirtsc / URL • 4. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Simon Burchell / URL • 5. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / MariuszMatuszewski / URL • 6. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Dirtsc / URL • 7. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0 / Alonso de Mendoza / URL

Facts and practical information

Dunnottar Castle is a dramatic and evocative ruin perched on a giant rocky outcrop on the edge of the North Sea. Located near the coastal town of Stonehaven in Scotland, this fortress holds a place of great significance in the history of Scotland. The castle's origins can be traced back to the early Middle Ages, with the current buildings dating from the 15th and 16th centuries.

A visit to Dunnottar Castle is a journey through Scotland's past, where visitors can explore the extensive ruins that include a 14th-century tower house, a 16th-century palace, and various other buildings that served as barracks, stables, and storehouses. The castle's strategic location on a cliff-top promontory made it an important stronghold for several Scottish clans and a key defensive position throughout its history.

Dunnottar is perhaps best known for its role in the 17th century when a small garrison held out against the might of Oliver Cromwell's army to protect the Scottish Crown Jewels. The castle also played a pivotal role during the Jacobite risings and has been visited by many notable historical figures, including Mary, Queen of Scots, and King Charles II.

The ruins of Dunnottar Castle offer breathtaking views of the surrounding land and seascapes, making it a photographer's paradise. The rugged beauty of the site and its fascinating history make it a must-visit for tourists interested in Scotland's past and lovers of dramatic landscapes.

Alternative names: Coordinates: 56°56'46"N, 2°11'49"W

Address

Stonehaven, AB39 2TLStonehaven United Kingdom

Contact

+44 1569 766320

Website

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Stonehaven

Day trips

Dunnottar Castle – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: Stonehaven Open Air Pool, Stonehaven Tolbooth, Doonie Point, Cowie Chapel.

1.7 miN
Water park, Amusement park, Sport venue
Stonehaven Open Air Pool, Stonehaven
43 min walk • Stonehaven Open Air Swimming Pool, Queen Elizabeth Park, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, is an Olympic sized heated open air public pool opened in 1934. It is the northernmost lido in the UK.
1 miN
Specialty museum, Museum
Stonehaven Tolbooth, Stonehaven
27 min walk • The Stonehaven Tolbooth is a late 16th-century stone building originally used as a courthouse and a prison in the town of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
4.6 miN
Climbing
Doonie Point
119 min walk • Doonie Point is a rocky headland situated approximately 1.5 kilometres south of the village of Muchalls in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The clifftop of Doonie Point yields views to the north of Grim Brigs, Brown Jewel and the coast of Newtonhill.
2.1 miN
Ruins
Cowie Chapel, Stonehaven
55 min walk • The Chapel of St. Mary and St. Nathalan is a ruined chapel overlooking the North Sea immediately north of Stonehaven, in the Mearns of Scotland, along the northern shoreline of Stonehaven Bay.
5 miN
Forts and castles
Muchalls Castle
127 min walk • Muchalls Castle stands overlooking the North Sea in the countryside of Kincardine and Mearns, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The lower course is a well-preserved Romanesque, double-groined 13th-century tower house structure, built by the Frasers of Muchalls.
2 miN
Forts and castles
Cowie Castle
52 min walk • Cowie Castle is a ruined fortress in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The site lies at the northern end of Stonehaven on the North Sea coast. To the immediate south is the Cowie Bridge crossing of the Cowie Water. Evidence of prehistoric man exists in the vicinity dating to the Iron Age in the form of ring cairns.
2.6 miW
Forts and castles
Fetteresso Castle, Stonehaven
66 min walk • Fetteresso Castle is a 14th-century tower house, rebuilt in 1761 as a Scottish Gothic style Palladian manor, with clear evidence of prehistoric use of the site.
1.4 miNW
Church
Dunnottar Parish Church, Stonehaven
36 min walk • Dunnottar Parish Church is a parish church of the Church of Scotland, serving Stonehaven in the south of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is within the Church of Scotland's Presbytery of Kincardine and Deeside. During 2020, the congregation united to the South Parish Church in Stonehaven to form Carronside Church of Scotland.
5.6 miNW
Stela
Lang Stane of Auquhollie
143 min walk • The Lang Stane of Auquhollie is an Ogam-inscribed standing stone some 6 kilometres north-west of Stonehaven in Scotland. Situated on south side of Meikle Carew Hill at a height of about 140 metres above sea level, the stone is approximately 3 metres in height and 0.75 metres in diameter, an unshaped monolith of gneiss.
2.3 miS
National park
Fowlsheugh
59 min walk • Fowlsheugh is a coastal nature reserve in Kincardineshire, northeast Scotland, known for its 70-metre-high cliff formations and habitat supporting prolific seabird nesting colonies. Designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest by Scottish Natural Heritage, the property is owned by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
4.6 miNW
Archaeological site
Raedykes
118 min walk • Raedykes is the site of a Roman marching camp located just over three miles northwest of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. National Grid Reference NO 842902. It is designated as a scheduled monument.