Dunnottar Castle
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Dunnottar Castle is a castle on the east coast of Scotland, near the town of Stonehaven. The castle is open to the public, with car parking available.
The castle is perched atop a rocky outcrop, almost an island, accessible only by a narrow neck of land and a steep path upto the gatehouse. The sides of the outcrop are cliffs, and the North Sea waves crash against them.
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The castle was home to the Keith family, who were the hereditary holders of the title Earl Marischal of Scotland. During the Civil Wars the Scottish Crown Jewels were hidden there, under the orders of Charles II, to protect them from destruction by Cromwell.
More recently, it was used as a location in the 1990 movie Hamlet (directed by Franco Zeffirelli, and starring Mel Gibson and Glenn Close).
The castle is a prominent landmark and its image is often reproduced on Scottish tourist literature..
See also
External links
- Dunnottar Castle at Caledonian Castles (http://www.caledoniancastles.co.uk/castles/grampian/dunnottar.htm)