On Sunday, the plan had been to take a walk along the bay after breakfast. However, with the rain chucking down, I only did half of the bay, under the safety of a brolly supplied by the B&B. From Stonehaven, I headed to Dunnottar Castle. It is quite dramatic as it sits perched on a rock high above the sea.
William Wallace, Mary Queen of Scots, the Marquis of Montrose and King Charles II were among some of the better known guests at the Castle. However, during Cromwell's time, a garrison managed to hide the Scottish crown jewels hidden here, keeping them safe from destruction,
On a darker note, in 1685, Dunnottar also served as a prison to a group of Covenanters.
The Castle was once home to the Earls of Marichal, the last being convicted of treason for his part in the 1715 Jacobite rising. The castle and the rest of the Earl's lands were seized as punishment.
From Dunnottar, it was off to Fife to spend some time in Culross. Culross is a lovely, well preserved royal burgh in Fife. The village is under the care of the National Trust of Scotland and most recently has become famous as one of the filming locations in Outlander. The palace is available to tour for the ridiculous price of £10.50. Given that it is actually not a palace, but was, rather, the home of a wealthy merchant. There really isn't much to see and certainly not £10.50 worth, when you consider that the entry to Glamis Castle was less and has a great deal more to offer. The rest of the village is definitely well worth a visit, however.
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