Dunnottar Castle

A pleasant, 20-minute walk along the clifftops south of Stonehaven harbor leads to the spectacular ruins of Dunnottar Castle, spread out across a grassy promontory 50m above the sea. As dramatic a filmset as any director could wish for, it provided the backdrop for Franco Zeffirelli’s Hamlet (1990), starring Mel Gibson. The original fortress was built in the 9th century; the keep is the most substantial remnant, but the drawing room (restored in 1926) is more interesting.