Few ruins in Britain hold the eye like Dunnottar. It sits alone on a flat-topped sea stack south of Stonehaven, cut off from the mainland on almost every side by sheer cliffs and grey North Sea water. You see it first from the coast path, then lose it, then round a headland and there it is again, a broken crown of towers on the rock. Dunnottar is one of the most photographed castles in Scotland, and it is also the natural gateway to something bigger: Aberdeenshire, a county with more castles per acre than anywhere else in the UK, and Scotland's only signposted Castle Trail linking the best of them.
This is a guide to actually visiting. How to get there, how to tour the trail by car, which castles welcome you inside, and where to sleep in between.
Getting to Aberdeenshire
The gateway is Aberdeen International Airport (ABZ), on the north-western edge of the city with regular UK domestic links and a handful of European routes. From the terminal you are roughly 20 miles from Dunnottar and well placed for the whole trail.
One thing to be clear about: the Castle Trail is a rural driving route, and a hire car is essential. The castles are scattered across farmland, river valleys and small towns with limited or no public transport between them, so pick up a car at the airport and treat it as the whole point rather than an add-on. Roads are good but often single-lane and slow, so plan on shorter days than the map suggests.
Dunnottar itself is the one exception you can reach without a car. Stonehaven has a railway station on the Aberdeen to Dundee line, and from the town it is a scenic coast-path walk of around 30 to 45 minutes to the castle. Everything else on the trail, though, wants four wheels.
Driving the Castle Trail?
The trail links castles across rural Aberdeenshire with little public transport between them, so a hire car is essential. Pick one up at Aberdeen Airport and go at your own pace.
Dunnottar Castle: the clifftop fortress
Dunnottar sits about 1.6 miles south of Stonehaven, signposted off the A92. There is a small free car park at the top, and from there the approach is the part people underestimate. You walk down a steep path and a long flight of steps to the neck of the headland, then back up onto the rock itself. It is a proper little hike of roughly 15 to 20 minutes each way, uneven underfoot, and genuinely not suitable for wheelchairs or anyone unsteady on steps. Wear sturdy shoes and give yourself time.
The reward is a sprawling ruin you can wander freely: the gatehouse, the chapel, the drawing rooms, the Whigs' Vault where Covenanters were once imprisoned, and grass ramparts with a straight drop to the sea. This was the stronghold that hid the Scottish Crown Jewels from Cromwell's army in the 1650s, and the scale of it surprises most first-time visitors.
A few practical notes to confirm before you go, as they change seasonally. The castle is open most of the year but keeps shorter hours in winter and can close at short notice in bad weather for safety, so check the official site on the day. There is a paid admission to go inside the ruins, and card payment only at the kiosk, though the coast-path viewpoints over the castle are free and spectacular in their own right. Last entry is typically an hour before closing.
The Castle Trail
Beyond Dunnottar, the wider region is often called Scotland's Castle Country, and the Castle Trail is the way to see the best of it. It is the only route of its kind in Scotland, a signposted driving trail marked with brown castle signs that links a large cluster of properties. Sources differ on the exact count, commonly cited as anywhere from around 14 up to 19 depending on which castles are included, so treat it as a generous menu to build a route from rather than a fixed checklist, and confirm current openings before setting off.
Craigievar Castle, the pink fairy-tale tower · Illustration generated with AI The star for many is Craigievar Castle, near Alford. This is the pink, turreted tower said to have helped inspire the fairy-tale castle in Walt Disney's Cinderella, and it is cared for by the National Trust for Scotland. It reopened in 2024 after a major conservation project that restored its distinctive 'Craigievar pink' harling. Inside, visits are by guided tour only, run first come first served with limited places each day and no advance booking, so arrive early in peak season. The grounds and woodland walk are lovely even if tour places have gone.
A short drive away, Crathes Castle near Banchory pairs a well-preserved tower house with famous walled gardens and painted ceilings, and Castle Fraser near Inverurie is one of the grandest of the Scottish Baronial castles, both National Trust for Scotland properties. To the north, Fyvie Castle is a romantic, much-extended pile with a great collection and its own set of ghost stories. Out on the far north-east tip at Fraserburgh, Kinnaird Head is a former castle converted into Scotland's first mainland lighthouse and now home to the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses. Ruined counterparts like Kildrummy and Huntly round out the trail for those who prefer their castles roofless and atmospheric.
Because opening days vary by property and season, and some smaller sites close over winter, always check each castle's own page before you build a day around it.
Where to base yourself
You have two sensible strategies. Base in Aberdeen for the widest choice of hotels, restaurants and easy airport access, and treat the trail as a series of day trips radiating out; the city centre is within an hour of most of the eastern castles. Or base in a smaller hub like Stonehaven, Banchory or Inverurie to wake up closer to the countryside and cut your daily driving.
Stonehaven is the pick if Dunnottar and the coast are your priority: a handsome harbour town with places to eat, an outdoor Art Deco sea pool in summer, and the castle almost on its doorstep. Banchory on Royal Deeside works well for the Craigievar, Crathes and Balmoral cluster. Whichever you choose, book ahead in summer, as rooms in the smaller towns are limited.
Find a base near the castles
Stay in Aberdeen or coastal Stonehaven and reach Dunnottar and the Castle Trail within the hour. Compare hotels and guesthouses for your dates.
When to go
Late spring to early autumn, roughly May to September, is the sweet spot. Castles keep their longest opening hours, Craigievar and the National Trust gardens are at their best, and the coast path to Dunnottar is at its most walkable in daylight and dry footing. It is also the busiest time, so start castle days early, especially for Craigievar's first-come tours.
Spring and autumn shoulder seasons bring thinner crowds and good light for photography, but shorter hours and the odd closure. Winter is quiet and moody, and Dunnottar's exterior is arguably at its most dramatic under grey skies, but many trail castles reduce hours or close, and weather can shut Dunnottar itself at short notice. Whenever you come, pack layers and waterproofs; this is the North Sea coast, and conditions turn quickly.
Plan the rest of your trip
Castle-hunting in Aberdeenshire slots neatly into a wider Scottish itinerary. For the bigger picture and other fortresses across the country, start with our guide to Scotland's castles. If you are already this far north-east, Speyside is right next door, so pair the trail with our Speyside whisky distilleries guide for a castles-and-drams week. And to plan your arrival, browse Aberdeen Airport or compare your options across all our airport guides.
Opening hours, admission prices, tour arrangements and the exact castles on the trail change seasonally. Please confirm the latest details with Dunnottar Castle, the National Trust for Scotland and VisitAberdeenshire before you travel.
