Dunnottar Castle Facts: Scottish History Details Unveiled For Kids

Dunnottar Castle is located around 2 mi (3.2 km) south of Stonehaven.

Dunnottar Castle was created back in 1392. It has stood the test of times and attacks for 630 years.

The castle stands on a picturesque cliff that overlooks the North Sea. It also had defensive qualities, which many kings and monarchs used throughout history.

The castle also faced many attacks, starting from Vikings to Oliver Cromwell, who overthrew the monarchy. Read on to know more about the Dunnottar Castle.

Location Of Dunnottar Castle

The Dunnottar Castle is a medieval fortress located at a picturesque clifftop around 2 mi (3.2 km) south of the town of Stonehaven in Scotland. The clifftop overlooks the North Sea as the castle acts as a defense structure.

The ruins of this clifftop fortress of the medieval period are located upon an impregnable rocky headland. The steep cliffs of the ruins, spread over around 3 acres (1.2 hectares), drop about 164 ft (50 m) below the North Sea.

The headland formations and the cliff extends to the south and the north. This notable sanctuary for pelagic birds can only be accessed through a narrow road that joins the steep road which leads up to the castle's gatehouse with the mainland.

The distance from Edinburgh to Dunnottar Castle is about 113.5 mi (182.7 km) and will take you about 2-2.5 hours to reach the castle by car.

Many wonder whether dogs are allowed in the castle. The answer is that they are, but it's recommended that you keep them on a short leash at all times, because the drop from the castle to the sea is quite steep and accidents need to be avoided.

The site where this beautiful Scottish castle sits has defensive qualities. That's why the castle played an important role in the history of the Middle Ages. The castle is situated on a narrow coastal area that provides access to the south coastal lands through Portlethen Moss to Aberdeen. The castle also overlooked the shipping lane towards northern Scotland.

History Of Dunnottar Castle

The Dunnottar Castle has a tremendous historical value that goes back to the fifth century. It has seen many wars and is still standing tall. It has served as the center of Viking attacks, political agendas, house of most precious jewels, and more.

According to legends, in the fifth century, St Ninian built a chapel in the place of Dunnottar Castle for the first time.

The earliest mention of the castle in written form was found in the records of a siege in 681 of Dún Fother, the previous name of the Dunnottar Castle. These records are in a book called 'Annals of Ulster.'

In 900 AD, the castle became a victim of an attack by the Vikings. A battle commenced between the Danish Vikings and King Donald II. The King died in this battle, and the Vikings also destroyed the Dunnottar Castle.

The first great battle between the English and the Scots dates back to 934 AD, when the British Isles were split into two great power blocks. As mentioned in the accounts of the Symeon of Durham, the King Athelstan of Wessex raided Scotland as far north as Dunnottar by sea and land with his force.

The then King of Scotland, Constantine II, defied the siege for a month, staying in the castle.

In 1276, the Bishop of St. Andrews, William Wishart, made and declared a stone church at the place where the original chapel of St Ninian stood. This church was consecrated in the Norman style on top of the outcrop. This new stone church is the oldest part of the Dunnottar Castle now.

In 1336, the eighth Baron of Roslin, Willam Sinclair, sailed eight ships with a corps of carpenters and masons, horses, and 160 soldiers to the partially ruined Dunnottar Castle upon the order of King Edward III of England. The King wanted to rebuild the castle to use it as a supply base for his northern campaign.

However, these efforts went in vain when Sir Andrew Moray, the Scottish Regent, led a force to the castle and destroyed the castle's defenses yet again.

In the late 1300s, the fourth Earl Marischal, Sir William Keith, replaced the previous defenses of the castle, which were made up of stone and wood. He built the wall surrounding the clifftop site and the Tower House that still stands today, known as the Keep.

In 1639, the then-owner of the Dunnottar Castle, the seventh Earl Marischal, William Keith, joined the Covenanters. Covenanters were the opposition of the Episcopal Church and, thus, of King Charles I.

At that time, the first Marquess of Montrose, James Graham, was an ally of Earl Marischal, but he switched sides in 1645 and became the head of the royalist army. He then tried to return the seventh Earl Marischal to the royalist side, but the Earl refused.

Montrose attacked the castle and set fire to the fields surrounding it in response. The Earl Marischal defied the attack, but the castle again sustained some structural damage.

In 1651, the Dunnottar castle was considered the best place to keep the Scottish crown jewels, the Honors that included the sword of state, scepter, and the crown. These Scottish crown jewels were moved to the castle to wait till the monarchy's restoration.

However, Cromwell got the news and raided the castle, which was led by General Overton. One myth says that while he was laying siege, the Honors were lowered with a rope onto the beach from the castle.

Fletcher's servant then collected them. Another myth says that the minister of Kinneff Parish Church, James Granger's pregnant wife smuggled the Honors by hiding them among sacks of goods and carrying them away.

Whatever it be, the Honors reached the Kinneff church, and they were buried under the floor. They were unearthed when the monarchy returned after ten years and can now be seen at Edinburgh Castle.

In 1715, the then-owner of the Dunnottar Castle, George Keith, the 10th Earl Marischal, took part in the Battle of Sheriffmuir. However, George Keith picked the losing side as he aided the rebels that were in favor of King James II and King James VII, so he lost and fled.

Later in the early 17th century, two more wings were added to the chapel.

Characteristics Of Dunnottar Castle

Once, Dunnottar Castle was a marvelous fortress located at the picturesque clifftop south of Stonehaven overlooking the North Sea. The castle has lost its sparkle throughout the years due to many attacks.

The Dunnottar Castle was built in 1392 and is now 630 years old. It stands mostly in ruins, and that's mainly because of the attack it suffered at the hands of Oliver Cromwell.

The preservation work on the castle did not start until 1925. By then, the ruins of the castle left from the bombardment had suffered more from howling winds of the beating sea.

The castle has a total of 11 buildings that were all built between the 13th and 17th centuries. The most dominant building that can be viewed from a distance is the Tower House or the Keep built during the 14th century. It still shows obvious damage from the cannon bombardment done by Cromwell.

However, the way the Tower House still stands to this day shows the greatness of Scottish castle architecture. This Keep or the stone castle was actually built by Sir William Keith, the Great Marischal of Scotland, the fourth Earl Marischal.

One of the other principal buildings built during the 17th century was the stone chapel. There was also a barrel vault-shaped 'Whigs Vault' that was actually the setting of mass imprisonment of that time and another quadrangle-structured building on the east side.

The castle has two entrances, the main gate and the postern gate. The first or the main gate is well-defended, and it's set on a cleft in the rock.

Any attackers that would have tried to invade the castle through the gate would have been met by defenders. The second or the postern gate can be accessed through a rocky cove.

This cove is an opening to a marine cave located north of the Dunnottar cliffs. From this cave, a steep road leads to the top of the cliff where the postern gate can be seen.

Who has lived at Dunnottar Castle?

The palace has accommodated several kings and queens. Several Earl Marischal also owned the castle for many years from when it was built. It even housed the Scottish crown jewels for a brief period of time.

The palace had accommodation that was perfectly fit for a king. Kings like King Charles II or King Domnall II lodged in the castle. In the mid-1600s, King Charles II stayed in the King's Bedroom of the castle.

King William I or William the Lion used the castle as an administrative complex. King Domnall II was called the King of Alba or rí Alban, who died during 900 AD in the castle.

All the predecessors of the King were called King of Fortriu or King of the Picts. They all owned the castle from thereon. They didn't only install more improvements to the castle, like the Keep or the Quadrangle, but they also fought battles staying in the castle.

Queen of Scots, Mary, stayed in the castle in 1562 for the first time. James VI, her son, visited and stayed many times after her, with his most extended stay in 1580. King Charles II stayed at the palace before the monarchy was overthrown.

Dunnottar Castle In Popular Culture

The beauty of the Dunnottar Castle has not eluded the directors of Hollywood, and thus, the castle has been included in many Hollywood movies. It has also inspired creativity in making beautiful sets for many.

'Hamlet' (1990): There have been many adaptations of the classic Shakespearean play, 'Hamlet.' However, the 1990 edition featured the Dunnottar Castle to show off the perfect historical background through the place. Even the actors themselves said that it wouldn't have been the same if the movie was shot anywhere else.

'The World From Above' (2010): 'The World From Above' is a TV program where drones or aerial cameras are used to show an unseen beauty of a place. It featured the castle in an episode back in 2010.

Drones have recently been banned around the castle owing to the noises they make, so this is the only episode where you can enjoy such beauty of the place.

'Brave' (2012): The castle didn't appear in the Pixar movie 'Brave,' but it inspired Brenda Chapman, the movie director. The magnificent Dunnottar cliff was used as inspiration for the animation of the movie.

'Mary Queen Of Scots' (2013): The 2013 version of the movie 'Mary Queen Of Scots' featured the castle as one of its main locations for shooting. The castle is mainly shown as a backdrop but plays a huge role in showing the queen's back and forth traveling between Dunnottar and other places.

'Victor Frankenstein' (2015): 'Frankenstein' is another such classic character and story that has been adapted multiple times for movies. The 2015 edition used the castle as one of its main locations where the scientist does the experiments, and Frankenstein is born in the dark, scary rendition of the castle in the movie.

'Ride With Norman Reedus' (2019): The castle made an appearance in another TV program, 'Ride,' where the beloved American actor Norman Reedus travels around in his motorcycle to many landmarks. In an episode that aired in 2019, Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride visited the Dunnottar Castle.

'The Amazing Race' (2010-2019): The castle is shown many times in the show 'The Amazing Race.' Participants do fun activities in the castle and learn about Scottish culture sitting in one of Scotland's well-known landmarks.