Dunnottar Castle
Encyclopedia
Dunnottar Castle is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-east coast of Scotland
, about two miles (3 km) south of Stonehaven
. The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th–16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been an early fortress of the Dark Ages. Dunnottar played a strategic role in the history of Scotland
from the Middle Ages
through to the Enlightenment
, because of the location: it overlooked the shipping lanes to northern Scotland; and is situated on a narrow coastal terrace that controlled land access to the coastal south via Portlethen Moss
to Aberdeen
during the medieval period. The site, owned by private interests, is open to the public, visited annually by hundreds of thousands of tourists
.
The ruins
of the castle are spread over 3 acres (1.2 ha), surrounded with steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea
50 metres (164 ft) below. The L plan castle
is accessed via a narrow strip of land, joining the mainland to a steep path leading up to the gatehouse
. The cliff and headland formations, which extend to the north and south, is a notable bird sanctuary to pelagic birds.
or tower house
, which shows damage from Cromwell's cannon bombardment. The other principal buildings are the 17th century chapel
; a quadrangle structure on the east side; and the "Whigs Vault", shaped in a barrel vault
design, which was the setting of a 17th century mass imprisonment.
There are two entrances for the castle. The first is through the well-defended main gate set in a cleft in the rock, where attackers would have been assaulted by defenders. The second access is through a rocky cove, the aperture to a marine cave on the north side of the Dunnottar cliffs. From here a steep path leads to the cliff top, which is the well fortified postern gate
.
which records a siege of Dún Fother in 681. Dunnottar is also mentioned as a site for a battle between King Donald II and the Danish
Viking
s in 900 AD. A raid into Scotland via land and sea by King Aethelstan of Wessex
in 934 included an attack on Dunnottar. William the Lion used Dunnottar as an administrative complex. King Domnall II
was the first man to have been called rí Alban (i.e. King of Alba), when he died at Dunnottar in 900 AD. All his predecessors styled themselves as either King of the Picts or King of Fortriu. Such an apparent innovation in the Gaelic chronicles is construed by some to spell the birth of Scotland.
William Wallace
is said to have led the Scots to victory over the English at Dunnottar in 1296. The outcome was completed by Wallace's imprisonment and incineration of the defeated English soldiers in the castle church.
By 1336 the resources of Edward III of England
ordered Willam Sinclair, 8th Baron of Roslin to sail eight ships to the partially ruined Dunnottar for the purpose of rebuilding and fortifying to use as a forward resupply base for the northern campaign. Sinclair took with him 160 soldiers, horses, and a corps of masons and carpenters. The English efforts were undone the same year when the Scottish Regent Sir Andrew Moray led a Scottish force that captured and again destroyed the defences of Dunnottar. By the close of the 14th century, Dunnottar was firmly under Scottish control, under the Clan Keith
, whose chiefs were hereditary Earls Marischal
of Scotland. The castle was rebuilt and augmented over generations by the Earls Marischal, including a large scale reconstruction under George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal
(d. 1623), founder of Marischal College
, Aberdeen (1593).
Early in the 16th century the Keiths added a new block to the east of the keep. Mary, Queen of Scots, visited Dunnottar in 1562 and again in 1564. In 1575 a stone gatehouse was constructed, which serves as the present day visitor's entrance. James VI
was in residence for a portion 1580. From 1580 to 1650 the Earl Marischals converted a medieval style fortress into a decorative castle, constructing ranges of edifices around a quadrangle on the northeast. These resulted in luxurious living quarters. Between 1582 and 1584 a west wing to the fortress was erected. Also, during the 16th century, a new chapel was introduced. Then, early in the 17th century two other wings to the chapel were added.
In 1639 the owner of Dunnottar was William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal
, who that year joined the Covenanters, in opposition to the established Episcopal Church
and consequently to Charles I
himself. James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
, an ally of Marischal, attempted to return him to the Royalists
. Unsuccessful in his attempt, Montrose attacked the fortress, and set fire to the fields. Nonetheless, Marischal held the fortress which sustained structural damage. Simultaneously the Covenanters met at a conference in nearby Muchalls Castle
. Events at Dunnotar and Muchalls Castles were important during the English Civil War
, and played a role in the reconciliation between the monarchy and the Covenanters.
King Charles II
was received in a visit to Earl Marischal in 1650; however, in 1651 the English General Overton began a siege of Dunnottar seeking the prize of Scotland's Regalia
, the royal crown, sword and sceptre
used in the coronation of Charles II at Scone Palace
. The Dunnottar fortress was defended by a small garrison of approximately 70 men. The small garrison held out against the beseiging army for 8 months until heavy cannon were brought up. After 10 days of bombardment Governor Sir George Ogilvy of Barras
surrendered to Overton's predecessor, General Morgan; however, the English were denied the Regalia, smuggled away during the siege by Anne Lindsay, related to Ogilvy by marriage. The Honours of Scotland being hidden below the floor of Kineff Parish Church where they remained for 11 years.
In 1685, during the rebellion of Argyll and Monmouth
, 122 men and 45 women were herded into the dungeon
known as the "Whigs
Vault" in Dunnottar fortress. They were detained there because of their refusal to acknowledge the king's supremacy in spiritual matters. 25 of the prisoners escaped, however 2 fell from the cliffs to their deaths doing so and a further 15 were recaptured. 37 also capitulated and after taking oaths of allegiance they were released. It is known that a further 5 perished in the prison, although accounts of those numbers vary greatly. The survivors were transported
to the West Indies, although it is believed that approximately 70 of them died of fever either during the voyage or shortly after arrival.
and Hanoverians used Dunnottar Fortress. In 1689 during Viscount Dundee's campaign, fourteen suspected Jacobites from Aberdeen were held in the fortress for approximately a year, including George Liddel, professor of mathematics
. In 1715 the Dunnotar cannons were utilized by the Jacobites; following this uprising all the possessions of the Earl Mariscal were forfeit, and the fortress was dismantled three years later.
about £80,000. )
The Hon Charles Anthony Pearson
, the younger son of the Third Viscount Cowdray
, currently owns and runs Dunnottar Castle which is part of the larger Dunecht Estates. Dunecht Estates extends to 53000 acres (214.5 km²) and comprises seven different Estates – Dunecht Estate
, Ramoir and Campfield Estate, Dunnottar Castle, Forest of Birse
, Edinglassie Estate, West Durris Estate and Bucharn Estate.
). The second is a 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) path from a street behind Stonehaven Harbour going south along the cliff top to the castle. This path is narrow and steep in places, but offers marine views. The castle is open to the public on a daily basis.
starring Mel Gibson
and Glenn Close
were shot there. An episode of The US Television show The Amazing Race
featured Dunnottar Castle.
In summer 2009, a landscape photograph of the castle was chosen as one of the desktop wallpaper images included in the 'United Kingdom' desktop theme in Microsoft
operating system
Windows 7, thus bringing an image of the castle to millions of desktop PCs.
On November 30th 2010, a photo of the castle was the featured on the Bing (search engine) homepage.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, about two miles (3 km) south of Stonehaven
Stonehaven
Stonehaven is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It lies on Scotland's northeast coast and had a population of 9,577 in 2001 census.Stonehaven, county town of Kincardineshire, grew around an Iron Age fishing village, now the "Auld Toon" , and expanded inland from the seaside...
. The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th–16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been an early fortress of the Dark Ages. Dunnottar played a strategic role in the history of Scotland
History of Scotland
The history of Scotland begins around 10,000 years ago, when humans first began to inhabit what is now Scotland after the end of the Devensian glaciation, the last ice age...
from the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
through to the Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
, because of the location: it overlooked the shipping lanes to northern Scotland; and is situated on a narrow coastal terrace that controlled land access to the coastal south via Portlethen Moss
Portlethen Moss
The Portlethen Moss is an acidic bog nature reserve located to the west of the town of Portlethen, Aberdeenshire in Scotland. Like other mosses, this wetland area supports a variety of plant and animal species, even though it has been subject to certain development and agricultural degradation...
to Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
during the medieval period. The site, owned by private interests, is open to the public, visited annually by hundreds of thousands of tourists
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
.
The ruins
Ruins
Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction...
of the castle are spread over 3 acres (1.2 ha), surrounded with steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
50 metres (164 ft) below. The L plan castle
L Plan Castle
An L-plan castle is a castle or towerhouse in the shape of an L, typically built in the 13th to the 17th century. This design is found quite frequently in Scotland, but is also seen in England, Ireland, Romania, Sardinia, and other locations. The evolution of its design was an expansion of the...
is accessed via a narrow strip of land, joining the mainland to a steep path leading up to the gatehouse
Gatehouse
A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance.-History:...
. The cliff and headland formations, which extend to the north and south, is a notable bird sanctuary to pelagic birds.
Site
Dunnottar has eleven buildings built between the 13th and 17th centuries. The dominant building, viewed from the land approach, is the 14th century keepKeep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
or tower house
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
, which shows damage from Cromwell's cannon bombardment. The other principal buildings are the 17th century chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
; a quadrangle structure on the east side; and the "Whigs Vault", shaped in a barrel vault
Barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
design, which was the setting of a 17th century mass imprisonment.
There are two entrances for the castle. The first is through the well-defended main gate set in a cleft in the rock, where attackers would have been assaulted by defenders. The second access is through a rocky cove, the aperture to a marine cave on the north side of the Dunnottar cliffs. From here a steep path leads to the cliff top, which is the well fortified postern gate
Postern
A postern is a secondary door or gate, particularly in a fortification such as a city wall or castle curtain wall. Posterns were often located in a concealed location, allowing the occupants to come and go inconspicuously. In the event of a siege, a postern could act as a sally port, allowing...
.
Middle Ages
Possibly the earliest written reference to the site is to be found in the Annals of UlsterAnnals of Ulster
The Annals of Ulster are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years between AD 431 to AD 1540. The entries up to AD 1489 were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, under his patron Cathal Óg Mac Maghnusa on the island of Belle Isle on Lough Erne in the...
which records a siege of Dún Fother in 681. Dunnottar is also mentioned as a site for a battle between King Donald II and the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s in 900 AD. A raid into Scotland via land and sea by King Aethelstan of Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
in 934 included an attack on Dunnottar. William the Lion used Dunnottar as an administrative complex. King Domnall II
Donald II of Scotland
Domnall mac Causantín , anglicised as Donald II was King of the Picts or King of Scotland in the late 9th century. He was the son of Constantine I...
was the first man to have been called rí Alban (i.e. King of Alba), when he died at Dunnottar in 900 AD. All his predecessors styled themselves as either King of the Picts or King of Fortriu. Such an apparent innovation in the Gaelic chronicles is construed by some to spell the birth of Scotland.
William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
is said to have led the Scots to victory over the English at Dunnottar in 1296. The outcome was completed by Wallace's imprisonment and incineration of the defeated English soldiers in the castle church.
By 1336 the resources of Edward III of England
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
ordered Willam Sinclair, 8th Baron of Roslin to sail eight ships to the partially ruined Dunnottar for the purpose of rebuilding and fortifying to use as a forward resupply base for the northern campaign. Sinclair took with him 160 soldiers, horses, and a corps of masons and carpenters. The English efforts were undone the same year when the Scottish Regent Sir Andrew Moray led a Scottish force that captured and again destroyed the defences of Dunnottar. By the close of the 14th century, Dunnottar was firmly under Scottish control, under the Clan Keith
Clan Keith
Clan Keith is a Scottish clan associated with Aberdeenshire and Caithness.-Origins:It is said that a Scottish warrior slew the Danish General Camus at the legendary Battle of Barrie in 1010. For this, King Máel Coluim II of Scotland dipped three fingers into the blood of the slain and drew them...
, whose chiefs were hereditary Earls Marischal
Earl Marischal
The title of Earl Marischal was created in the peerage of Scotland for William Keith, the Great Marischal of Scotland.The office of "Marischal of Scotland" had been held heritably by the senior member of the Keith family since Hervey de Keith, who held the office of Marischal under Malcolm IV and...
of Scotland. The castle was rebuilt and augmented over generations by the Earls Marischal, including a large scale reconstruction under George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal
George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal
George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal was a Scottish nobleman and Earl Marischal. He succeeded as earl on 7 October 1581, upon the death of his grandfather, William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal....
(d. 1623), founder of Marischal College
Marischal College
Marischal College is a building and former university in the centre of the city of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland. The building is owned by the University of Aberdeen and used for ceremonial events...
, Aberdeen (1593).
16th and 17th centuries
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
was in residence for a portion 1580. From 1580 to 1650 the Earl Marischals converted a medieval style fortress into a decorative castle, constructing ranges of edifices around a quadrangle on the northeast. These resulted in luxurious living quarters. Between 1582 and 1584 a west wing to the fortress was erected. Also, during the 16th century, a new chapel was introduced. Then, early in the 17th century two other wings to the chapel were added.
In 1639 the owner of Dunnottar was William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal
William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal
William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal was a Scottish nobleman and Covenanter. He was the eldest son of William Keith, 6th Earl Marischal...
, who that year joined the Covenanters, in opposition to the established Episcopal Church
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....
and consequently to Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
himself. James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
, an ally of Marischal, attempted to return him to the Royalists
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
. Unsuccessful in his attempt, Montrose attacked the fortress, and set fire to the fields. Nonetheless, Marischal held the fortress which sustained structural damage. Simultaneously the Covenanters met at a conference in nearby Muchalls Castle
Muchalls Castle
Muchalls Castle stands overlooking the North Sea in the countryside of Kincardine and Mearns, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The lower course is a well preserved double groined 13th century towerhouse structure, built by the Frasers of Muchalls. Upon this structure, the 17th century castle was begun by...
. Events at Dunnotar and Muchalls Castles were important during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, and played a role in the reconciliation between the monarchy and the Covenanters.
King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
was received in a visit to Earl Marischal in 1650; however, in 1651 the English General Overton began a siege of Dunnottar seeking the prize of Scotland's Regalia
Regalia
Regalia is Latin plurale tantum for the privileges and the insignia characteristic of a Sovereign.The word stems from the Latin substantivation of the adjective regalis, 'regal', itself from Rex, 'king'...
, the royal crown, sword and sceptre
Honours of Scotland
The Honours of Scotland, also known as the Scottish regalia and the Scottish Crown Jewels, dating from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, are the oldest set of crown jewels in the British Isles. The existing set were used for the coronation of Scottish monarchs from 1543 to 1651...
used in the coronation of Charles II at Scone Palace
Scone Palace
Scone Palace is a Category A listed historic house at Scone, Perthshire, Scotland. It was constructed in 1808 for the Earls of Mansfield by William Atkinson...
. The Dunnottar fortress was defended by a small garrison of approximately 70 men. The small garrison held out against the beseiging army for 8 months until heavy cannon were brought up. After 10 days of bombardment Governor Sir George Ogilvy of Barras
Barras
Barras may refer to:* Barras, Aberdeenshire, Scotland* Barras, Cumbria, England* Barras, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France* Duas Barras, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil* Sete Barras, São Paulo, BrazilIn other fields:...
surrendered to Overton's predecessor, General Morgan; however, the English were denied the Regalia, smuggled away during the siege by Anne Lindsay, related to Ogilvy by marriage. The Honours of Scotland being hidden below the floor of Kineff Parish Church where they remained for 11 years.
In 1685, during the rebellion of Argyll and Monmouth
Monmouth Rebellion
The Monmouth Rebellion,The Revolt of the West or The West Country rebellion of 1685, was an attempt to overthrow James II, who had become King of England, King of Scots and King of Ireland at the death of his elder brother Charles II on 6 February 1685. James II was a Roman Catholic, and some...
, 122 men and 45 women were herded into the dungeon
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
known as the "Whigs
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
Vault" in Dunnottar fortress. They were detained there because of their refusal to acknowledge the king's supremacy in spiritual matters. 25 of the prisoners escaped, however 2 fell from the cliffs to their deaths doing so and a further 15 were recaptured. 37 also capitulated and after taking oaths of allegiance they were released. It is known that a further 5 perished in the prison, although accounts of those numbers vary greatly. The survivors were transported
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
to the West Indies, although it is believed that approximately 70 of them died of fever either during the voyage or shortly after arrival.
Jacobite era
Both the JacobitesJacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
and Hanoverians used Dunnottar Fortress. In 1689 during Viscount Dundee's campaign, fourteen suspected Jacobites from Aberdeen were held in the fortress for approximately a year, including George Liddel, professor of mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
. In 1715 the Dunnotar cannons were utilized by the Jacobites; following this uprising all the possessions of the Earl Mariscal were forfeit, and the fortress was dismantled three years later.
Sir Patrick Keith-Murray
The castle of Dunottar, was sold by Sir Patrick Keith-Murray, Bart., in July 1873, to Major Innes, of Cowie and Raemoir, forabout £80,000. )
Cowdray family
After the seizure of Dunnottar from the Earl Marischals, the castle was neglected until it was purchased by the Cowdray family in 1925. The 1st Viscountess Cowdray embarked on a programme of repair. Since that time the Castle has remained in the Cowdray (Pearson) family, and has been open to visitors.The Hon Charles Anthony Pearson
Charles Anthony Pearson
The Hon Charles Pearson is the younger son of the Third Viscount Cowdray and owner of Dunecht estate in Aberdeenshire.-Early life and education:...
, the younger son of the Third Viscount Cowdray
Viscount Cowdray
Viscount Cowdray, of Cowdray in the County of West Sussex, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1917 for the industrialist Weetman Pearson, 1st Baron Cowdray, head of the Pearson conglomerate...
, currently owns and runs Dunnottar Castle which is part of the larger Dunecht Estates. Dunecht Estates extends to 53000 acres (214.5 km²) and comprises seven different Estates – Dunecht Estate
Dunecht estate
The Dunecht Estate is one of the largest private estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland at . It is owned by The Hon Charles Anthony Pearson, the younger son of the 3rd Viscount Cowdray...
, Ramoir and Campfield Estate, Dunnottar Castle, Forest of Birse
Forest of Birse
The Forest of Birse is the name given to a remote upland area in the upper catchment of the Water of Feugh, which forms the south-western portion of the Parish of Birse, Aberdeenshire, Scotland...
, Edinglassie Estate, West Durris Estate and Bucharn Estate.
Access and local setting
There are two access trails to Dunnottar. The first is an 800 metres (2,624.7 ft) steep footpath with modern staircases connecting the castle to a car park along the coastal road (that connects to the A92A92 road
The A92 is a major road in Fife and Angus, Scotland. It runs from Dunfermline to Stonehaven.Starting at its junction with the M90 motorway near Dunfermline, it runs north east past Cowdenbeath, Lochgelly, Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes, Ladybank and Newport-on-Tay...
). The second is a 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) path from a street behind Stonehaven Harbour going south along the cliff top to the castle. This path is narrow and steep in places, but offers marine views. The castle is open to the public on a daily basis.
Media coverage
Portions of the 1990 film HamletHamlet (1990 film)
Hamlet is a 1990 drama film based on the Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet. It was directed by Franco Zeffirelli, with Mel Gibson as the young Prince Hamlet...
starring Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
and Glenn Close
Glenn Close
Glenn Close is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and...
were shot there. An episode of The US Television show The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of two people, who have some form of a preexisting personal relationship, race around the world in competition with other teams...
featured Dunnottar Castle.
In summer 2009, a landscape photograph of the castle was chosen as one of the desktop wallpaper images included in the 'United Kingdom' desktop theme in Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
Windows 7, thus bringing an image of the castle to millions of desktop PCs.
On November 30th 2010, a photo of the castle was the featured on the Bing (search engine) homepage.
See also
- Allardice CastleAllardice CastleAllardice Castle is a sixteenth century manor house in Kincardineshire, Scotland. This monument is resided in by the Cowie family and is situated approximately 1.5 kilometres northwest of the town of Inverbervie...
- Cowie CastleCowie CastleCowie Castle is a ruined fortress in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The site lies at the northern end of Stonehaven near 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...
- Stonehaven TolboothStonehaven TolboothThe Stonehaven Tolbooth is a late 16th century stone building originally used as a courthouse and a prison in the town of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland...
- Christian FletcherChristian FletcherChristian Fletcher, Lady Abercrombie, was a Scottish minister's wife who saved the Honours of Scotland from Cromwell's troops during the English invasion of Scotland.-See also:...
- Charles Anthony PearsonCharles Anthony PearsonThe Hon Charles Pearson is the younger son of the Third Viscount Cowdray and owner of Dunecht estate in Aberdeenshire.-Early life and education:...
- Dunecht Estates
- Dunnottar Parish ChurchDunnottar Parish ChurchDunnottar Parish Church is a traditional church in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in the Mearns.- Future :The Rev Rosslyn Duncan is due to become minister of Stonehaven South Parish Church when its current minister, Rev...