We have been here before but this sort of setting cannot be visited too often. And this was the end of a beautiful day so the walk there was peaceful and sunny. Not a normal mix for early evening in Scotland!
The advantage of visiting Dunnottar is that is does not matter what time you arrive. Well, it does if you want to actually go in to the castle, and maybe one day we will do that! But the iconic views are all taken from the cliffs so it is not really necessary to go in. (But I really do want to go in one day! It is quite a steep downhill and then up hill to get there, then the return. Probably why I haven't done it yet!)
There is a lot of history contained in the walls of Dunnottar Castle. But the link I shared explains how the Scottish Crown Jewels were protected from Cromwell. These jewels are housed in Edinburgh Castle and were always supposed to be there. When visiting Edinburgh Castle years ago, I remember them saying that the Scottish Crown Jewels were the authentic and original ones. But the English Crown Jewels were melted down by Cromwell and had to be replaced. I was never sure how this could come to be, but in reading the link I shared, it explains that the Scottish jewels were taken from Edinburgh and stored at Dunnottar!
Once we left Dunnottar, we stopped at a campsite in Stonehaven, right on the beach but not a scenic beach. Just for the night and then got up and went home!
What an amazing and epic journey. Maybe the Aberdeenshire coast and castles were overkill, but in Scotland, you just can't have too much of a good thing.
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