Dunnottar: A Medieval Experience

Castle Rock

Scotland is renowned for having strategically located castles. The list is a long one, with fortresses stretching from the highlands all the way to the English border. As well, these strongholds cover the breadth of the land from coast to coast. Few would argue that Dunnottar Castle, located in the Northeast two miles south of Stonehaven, tops the list of strategic locations. Dominating a rocky headland which protrudes into the North Sea, it occupies the narrowest point between the mountains and the sea, making it a easily defendable gateway.

The significance of this location was well known long before a castle was built there. As early as the fifth century it is believed a Pictish settlement claimed this rock as home. In that same century St. Ninian, Apostle to The Southern Picts, established a missionary station there. In 900 AD King Donald II was killed at Dunnottar by an invading Viking force that also destroyed the buildings there. Other than this brutal event, most of the dark ages remained quiet on the rock, at least as far as recorded history is concerned. But, then again, that is why it was called the Dark Ages!

Cometh The Warriors

Chapel Remains

In 1276 William Wishart, Bishop of St. Andrews, consecrated a stone chapel. Twenty years later, King Edward invaded Scotland, beginning decades of the ‘Wars of Independence.’ William Wallace and his army fought the British on many fronts and defeated them in Stirling and elsewhere. In 1297, as many as four thousand British troops were garrisoned at Castle Rock, and in the chapel. According to legend, William Wallace attacked and killed them all. Many of them were driven off the shear cliff sides of the rock. Many others were burned alive when Wallace set fire to the chapel, trapping the British soldiers inside. You won’t catch Mel Gibson doing that! English forces temporarily seized the stronghold forty years later as a show of support for Edward Balliol’s efforts to obtain the crown.

The Keep with The Smithy in the foreground.

However, it was not until 1392 that Sir William Keith built the castle, or keep, which towers over the rest of the structures. Dunnottar Castle would remain in the Keith family for over four hundred years. During that time an entire village would develop on the rock, complete with a new chapel, storehouse, a Smithy, stables, plush lodgings for the Earls and their families, as well as other structures and out-buildings.

Many historical events transpired here. In November of 1592, Mary, Queen of Scots, then nineteen years of age, stayed in the castle for a couple of days, following the battle of Corrichi. She would return for another visit two years later. But she was not the first monarch to stay at the castle. King James I spent 10 days there in 1580.

In 1645 the castle was the scene of a fierce battle, as negotiations broke down between William Keith, 7^th Earl Marischal and James Graham, Marquis of Montrose. Montrose embarked upon a savage rampage with his forces, laying waste to nearby Stonehaven and attacking Dunnottar as well. The Earl defended his castle, but much of it was plundered and burned. The Earl was able to survive the onslaught.

One very noteworthy event transpired at Dunnottar in 1651. Oliver Cromwell invaded Scotland and soon took Edinburgh Castle. Before this happened, the Honours of Scotland, also known as the Scottish Crown Jewels, were smuggled from Edinburgh Castle to Dunnottar.  These consisted of the crown, sword and sceptre. It was the duty of the Earl Marischal to protect these emblems of the monarchy. That is until he was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Custody of Dunnottar now fell upon a trusted ally, George Ogilvy, and so the protection of the honours became his as well.

Soon all of Scotland, Except for Dunnottar, was under British rule. Cromwell laid siege to the castle. Supplies were cut off and artillery bombardments ensued. The small castle Garrison held out until May of 1652 before surrendering. However, by this time the Honours of Scotland had been smuggled out by being lowered down the side of Castle Rock. A minister and his wife buried them for eight years, until they could be safely returned to Edinburgh.

The history of Dunnottar is not free from religious prosecution. The Whigs were an anti-Catholic and anti-royalist faction which fell into disfavor once King Charles II imposed episcopacy in the latter 1600’s. When King Charles II died in 1685, King James succeeded him. The Whigs, along with the Covenanters, supported a rebellion against the new King. They were rounded up and brought to Edinburgh to swear allegiance to the King. Those who refused were taken to the dungeon at Dunnottar, which would become known as “The Whigs Vault.” 167 men, women and children were imprisoned there in the most inhumane conditions. A few of them gave in and signed the oath of allegiance. A dozen others escaped but were captured and tortured or fell from the cliff face. After ten weeks of unspeakable misery 120 survivors were left to be shipped off to The West Indies Penal Colony. But another seventy would die on the journey.

Rev. Robert Wodrow wrote of the imprisoned Whigs at Dunnottar in “The History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland,” claiming, ‘They had not the least accommodation for sitting, leaning or lying, and were perfectly stifled or want of air. They had no access to ease nature, and many of them were faint and sickly…The barbarities of their keepers and soldiers were beyond expression.’

A stone marker in the nearby graveyard is a testament to those who did not survive the ordeal. It reads, “A bairn of nyn years lyes here. 1685.”

George Keith 10th Earl Marischal

By 1715, George Keith, 10^th Earl Marischal was in possession of Dunnottar. He was a supporter of the Jacobite cause and when King George I ascended to the thrown over Prince James, a Jacobite rising ensued. Both George and his younger brother fought for the Jacobite cause in the battle of Sheriffmuir. The cause was lost though, when Prince James sailed for France, never to return.

The 10^th Earl forfeited his estates, including Dunnottar. It was abandoned and fell from use by 1718. The Keith family was able to take possession again from 1761 until 1873 but it saw little or no use. By the late 1800’s Castle Rock became a tourist attraction of sorts and has remained ever since. In 1919 Lord and Lady Cowdray purchased Dunnottar and began a conservation program, protecting the ruins from further deterioration. Much of what is left today is due to their efforts.

The Ruins of History

It is a nice little hike to Dunnottar. A steep trail descends almost to the sealine, then climbs back up to the top of Castle Rock. The top of the rock is covered in grass, from which the stone ruins rise. Sticking to the trail, one of the first things you will come across once on Castle grounds, is The Lion’s Den. Yes, a lion actually lived in it! George Keith, 5^th Earl, Marischal, had a pet lion brought to Dunnottar in the late 1500’s. It is recorded that the lion would roar at night, keeping the Earl’s wife awake. At her demand, the lion was done away with and replaced by a bear.

Also, at this end of the rock is Benholm’s Lodging, a multi-story structure built into the side of the cliff. The top floors were comforting lodgings for James Keith of Benholm, son of the 5^th Earl Marischal. The lower floors were a defense of the castle’s main entrance. Skirting the side of this building is Wallace’s Postern, reportedly the way William Wallace and company entered the grounds to massacre the English army in 1297.

From there it is onward to the keep. The old stone stairs are still intact enough to allow you to explore most parts of this 14^th century relic. Moss covers fireplaces, window frames and the towering walls, only adding to the medieval ambiance.

Inside the keep.

Beyond the keep is the village itself.  It is a large accessible area, and you are free to roam the stables, Smithy, Marischal lodgings, chapel and other impressive stone structures. Hike on up to the Drawing Room and you will find it has been restored with a fine wooden paneled ceiling, windows, table, chairs, and a tribute to George Ogilvy over the fireplace. Restored in the 1920’s it would be considered old in a place like America where most things come and go in such a short span of time, but in these feudal remains it is a new restoration.

Restored ceiling in the Drawing Room.

For more information on this, or anything else regarding Dunnottar, visit https://www.dunnottarcastle.co.uk/

Make sure to allow yourself ample time (several hours) to explore and reexplore the vast and numerous remains. Just down from the rock is a most picturesque beach and rocky outcroppings with a variety of birds and sometimes seals. Visible from the Castle is the Stonehaven War Memorial, on a near distant hill.

Don’t expend all your energy on the rock. You’ll need a little leftover for the hike back. All well worth it and the word disappoint does not exist there. Remember, Dunnottar is located on the Scottish coast. This translates to potential rain at any time. I was lucky enough to visit on a partly cloudy, windless day. Dress warm and enjoy!

If you would like to read another Outerrelamz post about a Scottish Castle check out https://outerrealmz.com/hermitage-castle/‎