Dunnottar: the Fort on the Shelving Slope

High above the beach, this magnificent hilltop fortress overlooking the North Sea is Dunnottar Castle. Steeped in history dating back to the origins of Scotland itself, the site has had prominence in Scottish history for over 1200 years. Back in the 17th century, Dunnottar hid the Scottish crown jewels from Oliver Cromwell's invading army. What blows me away about the United Kingdom, is how many of these amazing ruins, castles, and keeps are usually right out in the open. There is a farm across the street, some houses just around the corner, and the town of Stonehaven just about 2 miles north. Can you imagine having this monstrous piece of history in your backyard? It's incredible!

To get to Dunnottar from the car park, you have to traverse a steep half mile staircase to the beach and then up again to the castle guardhouse. You are then led through a tight set of twists and turns before making it to the main grounds. There are so many interesting things about Dunnottar that I haven't yet seen in other castles and ruins here. Dunnottar has staff quarters, beautiful gardens, and even a cistern for collecting rain so the castle had potable water. The views looking out over the water are absolutely breathtaking from any location.

After touring the castle, we hiked back down to the very rocky beach. I did some rock hopping and ended up in a cave!

Dunnottar has some recent significance having either appeared in or been the inspiration for movies and TV shows. Hamlet (1990, with Mel Gibson and Glenn Close). Mary Queen of Scots (2013), and Victor Frankenstein were filmed here! The Amazing Race, Ride with Norman Reedus (Boondock Saints/The Walking Dead), and the World From Above all make stops at Dunnottar! It even served as inspiration for locations in Disney Pixar's Brave!

Even though we're horribly out of shape and the trek to the castle made our legs burn, I would absolutely visit Dunnottar again for the amazing views of both the castle and the sea. As a bonus, we got to see a little of Aberdeen for dinner that night. It's only a 30 minute drive from the castle and is definitely a city we are going to visit very soon! If you're interested in learning more about this amazing castle, visit dunnottarcastle.co.uk!

Click on any of the photos below to be taken to the full album!