Scotland Guide
Northeast Scotland
Dunnottar Castle
The stunningly capricious Dunnottar Castle (Easter– Oct Mon– Sat 9am–6pm, Sun 2–5pm; Oct– Easter Fri– Mon 9am– sunset; £5) is one of Scotland's finest ruined castles, a huge ninth-century fortress set on a three-sided sheer cliff jutting into the sea – a setting striking enough to be chosen as the backdrop for Zeffirelli's movie version of Hamlet. Once the principal fortress of the northeast, the ruins are worth a good root around, and there are many dramatic views out to the crashing sea.