Dunnottar Castle, Scotland

One of the most spectacular castles in Scotland sits upon a large rock 160 feet above the sea. A courtyard castle, parts of Dunnottar date back to the 13th century. and was likely occupied long before that.
Even if there was no castle at Dunnottar, the site would immediately catch the eye - an enormous flat-topped rock with sheer cliffs on three sides. This site was chosen in Pictish times as place of strength and by Saint Ninian as a place of retreat. Dunnottar is more than a topographical curiosity since this rock and the buildings on it have reflected in miniature much of the rich and tragic story of Scottish history. William Wallace, Mary Queen of Scots and the Marquis of Montrose have all graced the Castle with their presence. Most famously though, it was at Dunnottar Castle that a small garrison held out against the might of Cromwell's army for eight months and saved the Scottish Crown Jewels, the 'Honours of Scotland', from destruction. The L-plan keep dates from the 15th century.
Dunnottar Castle is a dramatic and evocative ruin. As you wander around the extensive buildings you are almost surrounded by sea with gulls and other seabirds wheeling and   screaming around the cliffs below you.
Dunnottar Castle was the home of the Earls Marischal of Scotland, once one of the most powerful families in the land. The Earl Marischal oversaw all ceremonial activities in the Scottish Court, including the coronations. He was also responsible for the security of the Scottish Crown Jewels, known as the 'Honours of Scotland'. The story of how a small garrison in Dunnottar Castle saved the Honours of Scotland from certain destruction is one of the most captivating in Scottish history.
From the car park the dominant building viewed is the 14th century Keep or Tower House, a little battered by Cromwell's cannons, but still intact. This is just one of the eleven different buildings which comprise Dunnottar Castle which also includes barracks, lodgings, stables and storehouses.
A darker chapter in the history of Dunnottar is that of the 'Whig's Vault'. Visitors can still see the gloomy, airless cellar where in 1685 a body of Covenanting prisoners, 122 men and 45 women, were held without food or sanitation from 24 May to the end of July. Their crime was that they had refused to acknowledge the King's supremacy in spiritual matters. Twenty brave souls attempted to escape, fifteen of whom were recaptured and tortured. The remainder were eventually transported to the West Indies. The ruins of the castle are spread over a three acre area virtually surrounded by sheer cliffs which drop to the North Sea 50 metres below. This castle is accessed via a narrow strip of land joining the mainland and a steep path leading up to the massive gatehouse. The cliffs and headland formations which extend miles to the north and south are home to tens of thousands of pelagic birds, making this stretch of Scottish coast a notable bird sanctuary of northern Europe from the standpoint of total bird populations and diversity of species. The 1990 film Hamlet starring Mel Gibson and Glenn Close was shot there.

The Castle is located less than two miles south of Stonehaven