Once home to the Honours of Scotland – the nation’s crown jewels – the ruined medieval fortress of Dunnottar Castle is an iconic backdrop and one of Scotland’s most breathtaking historical sites. The jagged cliffs of the North Sea hoist up the ruins, where you’ll find a dungeon, restored dining room, watering hole and stables. The castle is now in the care of the Pearson family and is open to tourists during the spring and summer seasons. From a months-long 17th century siege by Oliver Cromwell’s army to the savage wind and spray of the North Sea, Dunnottar’s dishevelled remains have withstood quite a battering.Once home to the Honours of Scotland – the nation’s crown jewels – the ruined medieval fortress of Dunnottar Castle is an iconic backdrop and one of Scotland’s most breathtaking historical sites. The jagged cliffs of the North Sea hoist up the ruins, where you’ll find a dungeon, restored dining room, watering hole and stables. The castle is now in the care of the Pearson family and is open to tourists during the spring and summer seasons. From a months-long 17th century siege by Oliver Cromwell’s army to the savage wind and spray of the North Sea, Dunnottar’s dishevelled remains have withstood quite a battering.
Once home to the Honours of Scotland – the nation’s crown jewels – the ruined medieval fortress of Dunnottar Castle is an iconic backdrop and one of Scotland’s most breathtaking historical sites. The jagged cliffs of the North Sea hoist up the ruins, where you’ll find a dungeon, restored dining room, watering hole and stables. The castle is now in the care of the Pearson family and is open to tourists during the spring and summer seasons. From a months-long 17th century siege by Oliver Cromwell’s army to the savage wind and spray of the North Sea, Dunnottar’s dishevelled remains have withstood quite a battering.

7 Scottish ruins with a fascinating history, echoes of Scotland’s past

When you think of historical Scottish ruins, most of us picture an endless array of castles but delve a little deeper and you’ll find a diverse collection of decades or centuries-old sites with unique stories to tell.

Thomas Mackay
By Thomas Mackay
Published 27th Feb 2023, 15:25 BST
Updated 7th Jul 2023, 09:33 BST

Scotland is a country with fascinating heritage and a dark history which is why – on top of its award-winning scenery – the country is a tourist hotspot for visitors worldwide.

The following 7 Scottish ruins exemplify how beautiful yet somber Scotland’s buildings and history can be.

The A-listed remains of Inchdrewer Castle were sold to a private buyer for approximately £400,000 following its abandonment in the early 1900s and weatherproofing in the 1970s. From the historical records that remain, it is believed to have been built in the early 1500s and bought by Sir Walter Ogilvie of Dunlugas in 1557 from the Curror family. Lord Banff lived in the castle until 1713, when he was murdered and left to burn as a fire raged at Inchdrewer Castle. More misfortune befell the place when, in 1846, the Duke of Cumberland lay siege to the castle while hunting for Bonnie Prince Charlie.

5. Inchdrewer Castle (Banff)

The A-listed remains of Inchdrewer Castle were sold to a private buyer for approximately £400,000 following its abandonment in the early 1900s and weatherproofing in the 1970s. From the historical records that remain, it is believed to have been built in the early 1500s and bought by Sir Walter Ogilvie of Dunlugas in 1557 from the Curror family. Lord Banff lived in the castle until 1713, when he was murdered and left to burn as a fire raged at Inchdrewer Castle. More misfortune befell the place when, in 1846, the Duke of Cumberland lay siege to the castle while hunting for Bonnie Prince Charlie. Photo: via Geograph

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While the drydock that used to accompany the offices was filled in during the 1960s, the Art Deco Meadowfield Shipyard Offices remain. David Tod and John McGregor, proclaiming themselves the “fathers of iron shipbuilding on the Clyde,” set up shop at Meadowfield, where the River Kelvin joins the Clyde. Tod and McGregor built one of the first drydocks in Scotland, and also a slip dock for repairs. David and William Henderson, who owned engineering works in Finnieston, bought the yard from Mr Tod Jr in 1873 after the deaths of the original founders, before selling to Harland & Wolff in 1917. The depression between the two World Wars pushed it into closure in 1935. The offices, once occupied by several other companies, now lie empty.

6. Meadowfield Shipyard Offices (Partick)

While the drydock that used to accompany the offices was filled in during the 1960s, the Art Deco Meadowfield Shipyard Offices remain. David Tod and John McGregor, proclaiming themselves the “fathers of iron shipbuilding on the Clyde,” set up shop at Meadowfield, where the River Kelvin joins the Clyde. Tod and McGregor built one of the first drydocks in Scotland, and also a slip dock for repairs. David and William Henderson, who owned engineering works in Finnieston, bought the yard from Mr Tod Jr in 1873 after the deaths of the original founders, before selling to Harland & Wolff in 1917. The depression between the two World Wars pushed it into closure in 1935. The offices, once occupied by several other companies, now lie empty. Photo: Submitted

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An archipelago deep in the North Atlantic around 40 miles north west of Uist, St Kilda’s first traceable inhabitants date back to the Iron Age. St Kilda’s last human residents left in 1930; the island is now populated by gannets, fulmars and puffins, among other seabirds. About 180 people lived on St Kilda during its most populous spell in the late 1600s, with land latterly rented from the Macleods of Dunvegan in Skye, whose factor would visit once a year to collect rent and sell imported goods. St Kildans gradually lost their self-sufficiency, and as residents began to rely on imports on the island they began to see the island as a prison. In 1852, 36 islanders emigrated to Australia, but many died en route. Further emigration followed and the island economy broke down to the point where 36 islanders requested an evacuation to the mainland in 1930.

7. St Kilda

An archipelago deep in the North Atlantic around 40 miles north west of Uist, St Kilda’s first traceable inhabitants date back to the Iron Age. St Kilda’s last human residents left in 1930; the island is now populated by gannets, fulmars and puffins, among other seabirds. About 180 people lived on St Kilda during its most populous spell in the late 1600s, with land latterly rented from the Macleods of Dunvegan in Skye, whose factor would visit once a year to collect rent and sell imported goods. St Kildans gradually lost their self-sufficiency, and as residents began to rely on imports on the island they began to see the island as a prison. In 1852, 36 islanders emigrated to Australia, but many died en route. Further emigration followed and the island economy broke down to the point where 36 islanders requested an evacuation to the mainland in 1930. Photo: IrenicRhonda via Flickr

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