Dunnottar Castle

I had hoped to see Dunnottar Castle the night I arrived in Stonehaven, but the sun was setting by the time I got there, so I simply contacted my couch surf host instead. She showed me the not very intuitive path towards the castle and pointed out areas to watch for landslides, so when I struck out early the next morning I easily found it before it opened. 

The narrow isthmus and high cliffs make this spot ideally defensible. 

As I stood by the door underneath a comparatively new section that could accommodate dozens of cannons, a nice German couple joined me on the stairs. They were also on a castle tour, and were actually sleeping in castles almost every night. There are definite advantages to traveling with a larger budget.

The castle was besieged for eight months, protecting the Scottish crown jewels from a Cromwellian army. The castle only surrendered after the jewels had been smuggled away by a vicar's wife. This well would definitely help surviving a siege:

This window looked like a painting every time I looked at it.

All in all a satisfying castle indeed. But one ruin in a day is never enough! Onward to Elgin Cathedral!