Is It Worth Going Inside Dunnottar Castle in Scotland?

Dunnottar Castle can be seen — free of charge — from several beautiful viewpoints near the car park. Its dramatic clifftop location makes for stunning photos. But is it worth paying to see inside Dunnottar Castle?

Yes, it absolutely is worth it.

From far away, Dunnottar Castle might seem like just a pile of ruins, but there’s actually more to it than you can see from the road.

Several structures are still standing, and the drawing room is even fully restored.

Dunnottar Castle deserves to be explored, so here’s why you should devote as much time as you can to this gorgeous castle on the cliffs.

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About Dunnottar Castle

Dunnottar Castle covers about 3.5 acres and is surrounded by cliffs that drop over 160 feet into the North Sea. Its location is a prime spot for defending the area, which was once a key route for getting to and from northeast Scotland.

How hard is it to reach Dunnottar Castle? There are over 200 concrete steps that first descend, then ascend to the entrance of Dunnottar Castle. It’s roughly a 15-20 minute walk from the car park, with no ramp, making it pretty inaccessible for those with mobility issues.

If you are able to make the trek to see inside Dunnottar Castle, it will be worth it.

What does “Dunnottar” mean? The word comes from the Gaelic and Pictish languages, meaning “fort on the falling slope.”

A person with long hair and a brown backpack stands by a wooden fence, looking at the ruins of a cliffside castle overlooking the sea under a cloudy sky. — Dunnottar Castle view (outside ticket area)

Quick Facts about Visiting Dunnottar Castle

Location: Stonehaven AB39 2TL
Months Open: Open all year, except during Christmas and New Year’s holidays
Hours: Varies throughout the year, between 9-10 a.m. to 3-6 p.m.
Cost: £13 for adults
How to Get Tickets: Purchase online OR on site, on the day of visit.
(Check the official website for more info)

Stone ruins of a castle sit atop a steep, grassy cliff overlooking the sea. A narrow path winds up the hill, with people walking toward the historic site under an overcast sky. — Dunnottar Castle

View through a stone archway window, looking out onto a cloudy sky, greenery, and a wooden fence outside. The stone walls are dark, creating a sharp contrast with the light outside. — Dunnottar Castle

How Long to Spend at Dunnottar Castle

You don’t need to buy a ticket to Dunnottar Castle until you’re all the way inside. So there’s a lot you can see and explore before even reaching the ticket booth. You can even spend as much time outside of the castle as inside it.

Estimated times spent on activities at Dunnottar Castle:

Viewing the castle from various viewpoints: 30 minutes
Walking along the coastal paths: 1 hour
Walking to the entrance of Dunnottar Castle from the car park: 15-20 minutes (each way) including over 200 steps
Exploring inside Dunnottar Castle: 1-2 hours

A walking path winds uphill through grassy terrain with people hiking along the trail and scattered on the hill under a pale blue sky. — Dunnottar Castle

A dirt path with wooden railings leads to the ruins of a stone castle perched on a grassy cliff overlooking the sea under a partly cloudy sky. — Dunnottar Castle

A person with a brown backpack stands on a gravel path beside a grassy hillside, smiling at the camera, with the ocean and rocky shoreline visible in the background. — Dunnottar Castle

Reasons Why You Should Go Inside Dunnottar Castle

Explore very old ruins. Some of Dunnottar Castle’s earliest buildings, such as the first stone tower (the keep, built in 1392) and the stone chapel (built in 1276), are still standing (in parts).

Take in the coastal views. Dunnottar Castle sits on the edge of dramatic cliffs, where you’ll find incredible views of the ocean. Get closer, because it’s truly stunning.

Be part of history. Dunnottar Castle has seen some famous visitors, such as William Wallace and Mary Queen of Scots. If they saw fit to visit the castle, why not you?

Ruins of a stone castle sit on a grassy hill overlooking the sea under a cloudy sky, with people walking and exploring the area near the old stone structures. — Dunnottar Castle

A person stands on a stone pathway among ancient ruins on a hillside, overlooking the sea with green cliffs in the background under a cloudy sky. — Gateway, Dunnottar Castle

Map of Dunnottar Castle

Illustrated map of a cliffside castle with numbered locations, labeled facilities, grassy areas, and pathways. Key sites like the Gateway, Great Hall, and Drawing Room are marked, with You are here near the castle entrance. — Map of Dunnottar Castle

Highlights to See Inside Dunnottar Castle

Restored drawing room. The 1st Viscountess Cowdray restored this room in the 1920s, adding a panelled ceiling, a stone floor laid in the style of castles in the 15th century, and a fireplace with a new inscribed lintel. It’s your best chance of seeing what the castle might have once looked like.

The keep. This is the oldest building on site, built in 1392. It originally had three additional stories and a small loft. What remains now is the room that was once the Great Hall, a stone-vaulted basement, a kitchen, and several private bedrooms.

The gateway. This is where you’ll first enter Dunnottar Castle as it’s right by the ticket office. The gate blocks a gap in the cliffs and has a portcullis.

Benholm’s Lodging. Right next to the gatehouse is a 5-story building built into the rock that was once a prison.

The palace (west, east, and north ranges). This part of the castle was built in the late 1500s around a courtyard to offer more space and comfort than the keep. The courtyard has a cistern, or a pond, that is about 25-feet deep.

Chapel. The chapel was built before the castle, in 1276, but all that remains are some old walls, two windows, and a graveyard.

Silver House. This is one of the only buildings in the castle to have a roof as it was repaired in the 1920s.

People walk and explore the ruins of old stone buildings surrounded by green grass and low hills, under an overcast sky. The scene appears calm and the ruins suggest a historical site. — Dunnottar Castle

A grassy path leads to stone ruins among green hills, with a wooden fence on both sides. Fog obscures the distant cliffs and sky, creating a serene and slightly mysterious atmosphere. — Dunnottar Castle

History of Dunnottar Castle

If you want history, Dunnottar Castle has got it.

The stone chapel was built in 1276, parts of which still remain.

The first stone tower (the keep) was built in 1392 by Sir William Keith.

A fortification built on sacred land? Because the land was considered sacred (consecrated by the chapel), Sir William Keith was excommunicated from the church for a time. It was such a big dispute about whether a fortified castle could be built in this location that the Pope had to intervene.

For centuries, it was home to a powerful family. Eventually more of the castle was built, and it became the home of the Earls Marischal, once one of the most powerful families in Scotland.

Then the castle was seized in 1715. The last Earl Marischal was convicted of treason for his part in the Jacobite rising of 1715 and as a result, Dunnottar Castle was seized by the government.

It was much neglected until 1925 when the castle was repaired and officially opened to visitors soon after.

*Information courtesy of a sign at Dunnottar Castle.

A stone castle wall overlooks a grassy slope and a wooden railing, with rocky outcrops visible in the calm sea below under a hazy sky. — Dunnottar Castle

A person stands in the grassy courtyard of an old stone castle ruin, surrounded by tall, weathered walls and towers under a cloudy sky. Some grass and stones are visible in the foreground. — Dunnottar Castle

Ruins of an old stone building with gabled walls and empty windows, surrounded by overgrown grass and plants, under a cloudy sky. — Dunnottar Castle

Visit Dunnottar Castle on a Group Tour

I joined this group tour from Aberdeen to see Dunnottar Castle — but we also saw several other places as well, such as Braemar, Royal Deeside, Falls of Feugh, and Muir of Dinnet Nature Reserve.

While I really only wanted to visit Dunnottar Castle, I’m glad I got to see so many other beautiful places in the area.

If you’re looking for a group tour to Dunnottar Castle, consider the following options:

Depart from Aberdeen

1 Day: Rabbie’s Dunnottar Castle and Cairngorms Day Trip (the one I took)

Depart from Edinburgh

2 Days: Timberbush’s Aberdeenshire, Balmoral Castle & Northeast Coast Tour

4 Days: Rabbie’s Scottish Highlands Castle Tour

A white Rabbie’s tour minibus is parked on the edge of a quiet road surrounded by tall pine trees in a lush, green forest under a partly cloudy sky. — Rabbie’s tour bus, Royal Dee Side

A rocky river flows gently through a forested landscape, surrounded by green pine trees and heather. Rolling hills rise in the background under a partly cloudy sky. — Royal Dee Side

A street scene in a small town with stone buildings, parked cars, a group of people walking, a lamppost, and green hills in the background under a bright blue sky with a few clouds. — Braemar

A person stands near a winding dirt path overlooking a river surrounded by green grass, purple heather, and pine trees under a cloudy sky in a scenic, hilly landscape. — Royal Dee Side

Visit Dunnottar Castle On Your Own

Perhaps you want more time to explore Dunnottar Castle at your own pace. (On my group tour to Dunnottar Castle, we were given a little over an hour to see it, and it didn’t feel like enough time.)

In that case, visiting on your own would be best.

Here’s how to get to Dunnottar Castle from either Aberdeen or Stonehaven:

From Aberdeen, take a train to Stonehaven (about 20 minutes). I recommend booking your train tickets on the Trainline app for the most convenience.

From Stonehaven, you can either:

Take a 3-minute bus ride then walk about 7 minutes to the car park at Dunnottar Castle.
Walk the entire way on the 2-mile Stonehaven Coastal Path (with great views of the cliffs and ocean).

A person with long hair stands near a stone building and wooden fence, looking out over a calm, cloudy sea. Green grass and plants line the path leading to the water. — Dunnottar Castle

Where to Stay to Visit Dunnottar Castle

Dunnottar Castle makes for a great day trip from either Aberdeen or Stonehaven.

I stayed in Aberdeen for two nights while visiting Dunnottar Castle and the Cairngorms. I wish I could’ve spent more time there as it was an interesting city.

I’ve only passed through Stonehaven but thought it was such a charming town, it would be nice to stay there, even for just one night.

Recommended hotels in Aberdeen:

Recommended hotels in Stonehaven:

A narrow path with wooden railings leads to the ruins of a medieval castle perched on a grassy cliff overlooking the calm blue sea under a partly cloudy sky. — Dunnottar Castle

What to Pack to Visit the Scottish Highlands

Warm, waterproof wear

If you’re visiting the Scottish Highlands during its cold and rainy season (almost every month of the year besides a few weeks in summer), you should definitely bring a warm waterproof jacket and waterproof walking boots.

This waterproof jacket and these waterproof boots I took with me to Scotland helped me explore no matter the weather. I even hiked to the Fairy Pools in near-hurricane-level winds in this jacket! Be prepared for rainy weather, and dress for it, so you don’t miss out.
Also consider bringing fleece-lined leggings — I loved this pair I packed!

Favorite travel essentials

I no longer hop on a flight without wearing my Sockwell compression socks because they really do help relieve/prevent leg cramps from sitting so long in one place. I have the lotus pattern, but there are other patterns to choose from. See all sock patterns in the Sockwell storefront.

I really recommend these compression packing cubes. They’re very thick and durable and allow you to pack more than you expect.

I also love this travel backpack that opens like a suitcase, fits almost as much as a carry-on, and has tons of pockets as well as a strap to attach to your luggage handle. It makes traveling so much easier and more organized. It also fits nicely under the airplane seats.

I bring this AirFly receiver for AirPods with me on long-haul flights, so I can connect to the plane’s video screen with my own AirPods.