East Coast Scottish Castles

East Coast, Scotland

Scotland has no shortage of castles, that’s for sure. It’s been estimated that there are over 2000 castles in all of Scotland! While we didn’t see them all – not even close! – we did manage to visit a few east coast Scottish castles which were all equally impressive in very different ways.

East Coast Scottish Castles

Stirling Castle

Technically Stirling isn’t on the east coast, but it’s an easy less than an hour drive from Fife. The earliest records of this castle date back to the early 1100’s, though most of the buildings still standing today were constructed between 1490 and 1600.

Stirling Castle is built upon Castle Rock and the cannons that line the tower walls sweep over the town below. You can even see the memorial for William Wallace in the distance.

Touring the castle’s interior gives you an idea of the lavishness that was a daily occurrence in the 1500s. The King and Queen each had their own bedroom and waiting room. The rooms weren’t ornately decorated (as compared with Versailles for example), but the cavernous spaces really showed off the wealth and luxury of royalty.

Practical Information

Price: £15 per adult

Opening Times: 9:30am – 5:00pm (winter), 6:00pm (summer)

More Information: Stirling Castle Website

Explorer Pass: If you plan on visiting several historical sites during your stay in Scotland, consider purchasing an Explorer Pass for £42. More info can be found here.

Dunnottar Castle

This impressive east coast Scottish castle is located about an hour south of Aberdeen near a town called Stonehaven. Dunnottar Castle has quite the history. Though the castle buildings that are still standing today are mostly in ruins, most of them were constructed in the 15th century. Dunnottar Castle was home to the Keith clan – one of the most important families in Scotland. The Earls Marischal lived in Dunnottar from 1394 to 1717.

Dunnottar Castle played an important role in history with the hiding of the Honours of Scotland. After Charles II was crowned in 1651, the Honours of Scotland (the crown, sword, and sceptre) were unable to be returned to Edinburgh because of the eight-month seige by Oliver Cromwell’s army. The Earl of Marischal had responsibility over the Honours and so they were hid within Dunnottar. The Scottish Crown Jewels were smuggled in, and later, out of the castle and were thus protected from thievery. They remained hidden in the nearby Kinneff Chuch until 1660.

The rock on which Dunnottar Castle sits provides an impressive viewpoint of the nearby beaches and cliffs. It’s not hard to see why this castle remained an important part of Scottish history for so long. It’s been said that even William Wallace and Mary Queen of Scots paid Dunnottar a visit!

Practical Information

Price: £7 per adult

Opening Times: 9:00am – 5:30pm (summer), 10:00am – 3:00pm/4:30pm (winter – check website)

More Information: Dunnottar Castle Website

Dunrobin Castle

Nestled down a tree-lined laneway, between the beach and forest is Dunrobin Castle. This privately-owned estate has been home to the Sutherland clan on and off since 1400. Elizabeth Sutherland – the 24th Countess of Sutherland –  aged 97, currently owns the estate. She has had tenure of the castle for 55 years.

Dunrobin Castle boasts an impressive 189 rooms, most of which are open to the public. The rooms are kept time period-correct and there is no lack of attention to detail. Some highlights of our walk through the castle included the dining room, the library (home to 10,000+ books), and one of the many bedrooms.

Architect Charles Barry designed and remodeled most of the building as it stands today in the mid-1800s. Though there have been records showing that the original keep of the castle dates back to the early 1275.

The castle itself is incredibly impressive, but what I enjoyed the most was the falconry display in the castle gardens. The gardens were inspired by those at Chateaux de Versailles and are home to a colourful display of flowers as well as vegetables. It remains mostly unchanged from Barry’s design more than 150 years ago.

Falconry at Dunrobin

We met the resident falconer – Andy Hughes – and our quick chat was enough to convince us that we should stay for one of the twice-daily falconry shows. Andy is extremely knowledgeable about birds of prey; he’s been learning about them since he was 12! The show consisted of Andy flying three birds – a Harrys Hawk, and two falcons (one of which was a peregrine falcon!).

Andy used his lure which baited the birds to fly right over the audience!! We even got a close-up view of the hawk; much to the surprise and chagrin of my bird-fearing father. (Who knew watching Hitchcock’s Birds at a young age would have such a lasting impact?!)

Our trip to Dunrobin Castle was so memorable and I’d highly recommend paying it a visit if you’re in the area.

Practical Information

Price: £11.50 per adult

Opening Times: 10:00am – 5:00pm (summer), 10:30am – 4:30pm (winter)

More Information: Dunrobin Castle website

These three east coast Scottish castles were each so different – not only in their state of ruin (or not!) but also for the defining moments of history of which each one played a part. Scottish history is so vast and well beyond my current state of apprehension, but the more castles and historical sites I visit, the more I’m keen to learn all I can about this incredible country. Who knows, maybe one of these days I’ll actually watch Braveheart!!

What castles have you visited? Have you ever seen Braveheart?

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]

Never Miss a Post!

Enter your email address to subscribe to A Taste of Trace and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Email Address:

Sign Me Up!

[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]