Dunnottar Castle

Dunnottar Castle
©2022 Gazetteer for Scotland

Dunnottar Castle

The ruins of Dunnottar Castle sit on a rocky headland on the outskirts of Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire. The castle was the seat of the Keiths until 1716, the 10th Earl losing the castle for his support of the Jacobite uprising. Eventually sold along with its extensive estates to the Viscount Cowdray in 1925, the Viscountess consolidated and restored the castle and it remains the property of her descendants. Entered by way of two tunnels from the entrance pathway, the castle sits amidst a grassed courtyard with its own bowling green and kirkyard. The oldest remains are those of the chapel which date back to the mid 14th Century. In 1650 the Scottish regalia were deposited here for safekeeping. The castle was subsequently besieged by Cromwell's troops and the regalia were smuggled out to be hidden under the floorboards of Kinneff Parish Church to the south.

One of the earliest depictions of the picturesque ruins of Dunnottar was drawn in 1815 by William Daniell (1769 - 1837) with the resulting aquatint published in his Voyage Round Great Britain.


Use the tabs on the right of this page to see other parts of this entry arrow

If you have found this information useful please consider making
a donation to help maintain and improve this resource. More info...

By using our site you agree to accept cookies, which help us serve you better