Dunnottar Castle

Situated on a rocky outcrop on the north east coast of Scotland, a few miles south from the town of Stonehaven, is Dunnottar Castle. Surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs to the North Sea and only accessible via a narrow strip of land, it is clear from the first glance that the castle holds an impressive defensive position. It is for this reason a castle has stood on the rock for over 1300 years. The castle is one of the most visually impressive in the country.



Originally a wooden Pictish fort which is long gone, the earliest part of the stone castle which remains today is the church, built during the 13^th century. The castle has been destroyed and rebuilt several times over history in battles to control it. The final battle at the castle took place in 1651 when Oliver Cromwell’s army attacked it. Cromwell had earlier executed King Charles 1, king of both England and Scotland, and upon hearing that Charles’ young son had arrived in Scotland and was journeying south to claim the crowns, Cromwell led an invasion on Scotland. Charles II was hastily crowned at Scone Palace near Perth. The Scottish crown jewels should have been returned to Edinburgh following the event, but Cromwell’s forces had already taken Edinburgh, and so they were sent north to Dunnottar. Cromwell’s army attacked the castle for eight months, but an army of just seventy Scots held it. Eventually Cromwell brought heavy guns to the battle, and after being shelled by the canons for ten days, the castle was surrendered. By that time the crown jewels had been successfully smuggled out of the castle and so Cromwell failed in his attempts to take them.

The remains of the castle were later used as a prison where around one hundred and eighty men and women were imprisoned in the building now known as the Whig’s Vault. The Whigs were a political party that opposed the Stuart Kings, and because of their refusal to acknowledge the king they were taken to the vault, where they were held for over two months in the cellar in terrible conditions and with almost no food or water. Thirty seven of the Whigs eventually took the oath to the King and were released. Twenty five escaped, although fifteen were recaptured, and two fell to their deaths. Five prisoners died inside the vaults due to the conditions. Those who survived were deported to the West Indies.

With so much death and destruction in the castle’s history, it is not surprising to learn that it is considered to be the home of several spirits. The ghost of a young girl wearing a tartan skirt is frequently witnessed in the brewery within the castle walls. The tartan she is said to wear is dull, making it impossible to identify the clan it could belong to. Little else is known regarding the identity of this girl, although it is likely she is connected to another ghost seen in the same area described as a lady in green. It is even possible they are the same ghost with people misinterpreting what they see. The lady if green is also witnessed in the bakery area of the castle and is described as looking upset. She is believed to date back to Pictish times and to be seeking the Picts, who converted to Christianity in the 5th century when St. Ninian established a church at Dunnottar as one of the bases to spread Christianity. These Picts are referred to as ‘her lost children,’ implying she may be the spirit of an important religious figure from Pictish times who was saddened by some of her followers moving to a different religion, although with so little records belonging to Pictish times, it is not possible to establish who she may be.

Another phantom of Dunnottar is a soldier who has been seen around the guardroom and main entrance of the castle. He is normally described as a tall man, sometimes said to be of Scandinavian appearance, suggesting he may date back to the time of the Viking invasions. He is said to stand looking out to sea, possibly still guarding against an attack on the castle.

At night, when the castle is quiet, it is also said that cries of pain and terror can be heard within it’s walls, cries that are associated with the suffering endured by the Whigs during their time of imprisonment in the Whig’s vault.

A visit to Dunnottar is well worth the journey, although the steep access path that winds first down the hillside and then back up to the castle is not suitable for those with any mobility issues. However, the most impressive feature of the castle is indeed the location, which can be appreciated without having to enter the castle itself. It is easy to see why the position of the castle made it almost impenetrable to invading forces. At the time of my visit to the castle, I felt nothing untoward although, with such a long history, if any castle is truly haunted, I suspect Dunnottar is very high up on the list.

 

Written by Greg Stewart - Extract from Greg's new book (Haunted Scottish Castles and Houses http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00EG47ZKY).