Historic Site

Dunnottar Castle

A medieval rock castle on a headland on the coast at Stonehaven, classed as both castle and promontory fort and protected today as a scheduled monument.

Typical visit
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Coming with kids
Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult and kept under supervision at all times.
OUR FAMILY ASSESSMENT

Family Intelligence

Dunnottar Castle stands on a headland on the coast at Stonehaven: a rock castle and a promontory fort, founded in 1400 and protected today as a scheduled monument. It is a defended site rather than a furnished country house, and that is a useful frame to give children before you arrive.

The month matters more than the hour. The castle keeps a much shorter daily window in winter than in high summer, and the times step up and down more than once across the year rather than changing on a single date, so the same trip in November and in July is not the same length of visit.

Why kids will love it

The draw for children is that Dunnottar is a stronghold rather than a house: a castle on a coastal headland, where the shape of the ground explains the history before anyone reads a sign. It has held that spot since the early fifteenth century. Children and teenagers have to be accompanied by an adult and kept under supervision the whole time they are on site, so this is a walk the family does together rather than one where anyone ranges ahead.

Plan your visit

Also compare: Dunnottar Castle tickets on Tiqets (affiliate link)

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