The rock
Sea on three sides.
Holger Uwe Schmitt — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Holger Uwe Schmitt — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Holger Uwe Schmitt — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Holger Uwe Schmitt — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bewahrerderwerte — CC BY-SA 4.0
Dunnottar Castle is a ruined medieval fortress on a rocky headland on the northeast coast of Scotland, about 3 km south of Stonehaven and 23 km south of Aberdeen in a straight line. Its Gaelic name means «fort on the shelving slope». Most of its surviving buildings date from the 15th and 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been fortified in the early Middle Ages. Its strong position gave it a prominent role in Scotland's history, and it is best known as the place where the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels, were hidden in the 17th century. It belonged to the Keith family from the 14th century. The ruins stand on top of a huge flat-topped rock surrounded by sea on three sides, green along its edges, with dark red cliffs dropping straight into the water. From the nearby coastal path comes the classic view: the castle on its rock above a small bay and blue waves. Visitors walk from the car park along the coastal path, then go down a steep stairway and climb up to the castle gate. The coastal walk from Stonehaven takes about an hour, and the castle sometimes closes in stormy weather.
Sea on three sides.
From Stonehaven.
To the gate.
Near Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
It means going down and up steep steps.
Yes, in stormy weather.