Scotland
Dunnottar Castle
A clifftop fortress crumbling into the North Sea, where Scotland's crown jewels hid from Cromwell.
The approach to Dunnottar requires descending into a ravine and climbing back up the other side — there is no gentle way in. The castle occupies a flat-topped sea stack on the Aberdeenshire coast, ringed on three sides by cliffs that drop fifty metres into North Sea spray and surge.
Dunnottar is where the Honours of Scotland — the Scottish Crown Jewels — were hidden from Oliver Cromwell's army, smuggled out during an eight-month siege that ended in 1652; tradition credits a serving woman who carried them past the besiegers. The Whigs' Vault, a dark chamber in the rock, held 167 Covenanter prisoners through a brutal summer of captivity in 1685. The sea-girt promontory has carried fortifications since the Early Medieval period, and the ruins span centuries of military architecture, from gatehouse to keep to barracks. The coastal path from Stonehaven crosses open farmland until the headland appears all of a sudden — the dramatic reveal is part of the experience, and in storms the spray reaches the highest walls.
Solo
The clifftop approach, the roofless halls and the crash of waves below make a solitary experience of genuine atmospheric power.
Couple
The dramatic approach, the crown-jewels story and the coastal path from Stonehaven build a half-day of physical effort and historical romance.
- The Scottish Crown Jewels were spirited past Cromwell's besieging army from these walls.
- The only way in descends a ravine and climbs the sea stack — no gentle entrance exists.
- The Whigs' Vault held 167 Covenanter prisoners in one dark room through 1685's summer.
- Storm spray reaches the highest walls — the castle is more cliff than building.
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