Dunnottar Castle ***
Region: Aberdeen(shire) & Moray
Description:
Dunnottar, although ruinous and a far cry from the impressive castle it once was, is truly a rugged diamond in a fabulous setting. In 1297 William Wallace burned alive an English garrison which was holding the castle and much later, in 1562 and 1564, Mary, Queen of Scots visited Dunnottar. The safe keeping of the Scottish Crown Regalia during the siege by Cromwell in 1650 is a famous event.
An event of a different kind occurred in 1685, when 167 Covenanters were imprisoned in terrible conditions. The Whigs vault where these men and women were kept can be seen today as it was then. After the Rebellion of 1715, the property was fortified and soon fell into disrepair.