Dunnottar Castle
Dunnottar Castle is located on a rocky outcrop along the Aberdeenshire Coastal Trail, just 1.6 miles south of Stonehaven and only 20 miles from Aberdeen International Airport.
Perched atop a 160 foot rock and surrounded on three sides by the North Sea, these dramatic and evocative cliff-top ruins were once an impregnable fortress of the Earls Marischal, once one of the most powerful families in Scotland.
Steeped in history, this romantic and haunting ruin is a photographer’s paradise, a history lover’s dream and an iconic tourist destination for visitors the world over.
Dunnottar Castle is one of North-east Scotland's most iconic locations so it's only natural that filmmakers can't resist its cinematic appeal. The Castle was used as a location in Zeffirelli's adaption of the Shakespeare classic Hamlet (1990) starring Oscar winner, Mel Gibson, during which it doubled as 16th century Elsinore castle in Denmark. Then in 2012 when the Disney Pixar's animators behind the Oscar-winning Brave visited Dunnottar Castle they were so mesmerised by it that they altered their original plans for Merida's family castle, DunBroch, to be moved from a loch in the Highlands to an outpost by the sea. Dunnottar Castle also appeared in the 2015 adaptation of Victor Frankenstein starring Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy and showed off its creepier side.
Visit Dunnottar Castle for your own unforgettable experience and discover the importance of Dunnottar – an impregnable fortress that holds many rich secrets of Scotland’s colourful past.
In October 2020, Dunnottar Castle was ranked second in the top five best castles in the UK by Cottages and Castles based on TripAdvisor reviews.
