From Stonehaven to Dunnottar Castle

The last castle

Lying just to the south of Stonehaven, Dunnottar was the last Scottish castle to fall to Oliver Cromwell’s invading army during the Civil War of the mid-17th century. It held out for eight months, and it’s easy to see why it was such a hard nut to crack – it perches atop a 160 ft (49m) crag above the North Sea, and only a narrow spine of rock connects it to the mainland. It's a natural fortress.

Jewels in the crown

Cromwell wanted Dunnottar not just for military reasons but for its hidden symbols. The Honours of Scotland – the nation’s crown jewels – had been sent here for safe keeping in 1651. The Sword of State was forged for James IV in 1507 and has a silver encrusted scabbard lined with red velvet. The gold crown, made for James V in 1532, is encrusted with precious stones and pearls and rimmed with ermine. Oldest of all is the sceptre, made in 1494 and topped with a globe of pearl and rock crystal. Today, they can be seen at Edinburgh Castle.

A treasure in hiding

Dunnottar surrendered on 26 May 1652 – but to Cromwell’s chagrin the regalia had already been smuggled out (beneath the skirts of a local minister's wife) and hidden beneath the altar of nearby Kinneff Church, where they remained until the restoration to the throne of Charles II in 1662.

This walk leads you along breezy clifftops, over fields and through woodland before returning you to the fishing village that was the birthplace of Robert William Thomson (1822–1873) – the man who invented the inflatable tyre. Stonehaven also claims to be the birthplace of another famous Scottish invention – the deep-fried Mars Bar.

From the Market Square in Stonehaven, walk back on to Allardyce Street, turn right and cross over the road into Market Lane. Continue along Market Lane and when you come to the beach, turn right to cross the footbridge. Turn right at a sign to Dunnottar Castle to reach the harbour. Cross here to continue down Shorehead, on the east side of the harbour. Pass the Ship Inn, then turn right into John Street, then turn left into Marischal Street, right into Love Lane.

Turn left into Castle Street which becomes a steep path. You then emerge at the main road and maintain your direction walking along the road until it bends. Continue ahead, following the enclosed tarmac path, between arable fields and past a war memorial on the right-hand side. Cross the middle of the field, then above Strathlethan Bay. The path turns right across the middle of a field and then over a footbridge. You now pass a path going down to Castle Haven and continue following the main path around the cliff edge. Cross another footbridge and bear uphill. You’ll soon reach some steps on your left that run down to Dunnottar Castle.

Your walk bears right here inland, past a waterfall, through a kissing gate and then up to a house. Pass the house to reach the road into Stonehaven by the Dunnottar Mains, turn right, then take the first turning left, to walk alongside the farm. Follow this wide, metalled track past East Newtonleys on the left-hand side, to the main A957. Turn right and walk downhill, then take the first road on the left signed ‘Dunnottar Church’. Follow this over the Burn of Glaslaw to a path on the right signed ‘Carron Gate’. Take this path into the woods but at once fork right, following the lower path that runs by the burn. Continue until you reach the Shell House Monument on the left. 

Just past the Shell House, continue along the lower path, which then turns uphill to join a higher path. Bear right here, to reach the end of the woods at Carron Gate. You then walk through a housing estate and join Low Wood Road and Carron Water.

Cross the footbridge with the green railings. Turn right and walk by the water. You’ll soon pass the striking art deco Carron to Mumbai Restaurant on the left-hand side, then turn left into Barclay Street, then turn right to return to the Market Square.