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Dunnottar Castle is a ruined fortress occupying a dramatic rocky promontory near Stonehaven in Kincardineshire, Scotland. The castle's origins lie in the early medieval period, with evidence of a Pictish settlement on the site, though the surviving stone structures date primarily from the medieval period onwards, with major construction and rebuilding occurring from the fourteenth century through to the seventeenth century. The fortress comprises a substantial stone curtain wall enclosing the promontory, along with the ruins of a keep, chapel, and various domestic buildings constructed over several centuries. Dunnottar holds particular historical importance as a stronghold of the Earls Marischal and as the location where the Scottish crown jewels were hidden during Cromwell's occupation in the seventeenth century.
Dunnottar Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM986. View the official record →
Dunnottar Castle is a ruined fortress occupying a dramatic rocky promontory near Stonehaven in Kincardineshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM986.
Dunnottar Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM986.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Gallow Hill,cairn (2 km), Castle of Cowie (3.3 km), St Ciaran's Church,old parish church,Fetteresso (3.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dunnottar Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Dunnottar Castle stands on Devonian claystone, bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is claystone.