Dunnottar Castle has origins dating back to 400 AD when it was occupied by Saint Ninian as a place of worship. The settlement at Dunnottar was disrupted in 900 AD when King Donald II was killed here by an invading Viking force which went on to destroy the buildings. During the Wars of Independence, William Wallace attacked an English garrison at Dunnottar, taking it back under Scottish control. Legend has it that Wallace showed no mercy to the soldiers and set fire to the Chapel where they had taken refuge. Others were driven over the cliff edges, with no survivors. In 1392 Sir William Keith, Great Marischal of Scotland, built the first stone castle, now known as The Keep. In 1562 Mary, Queen of Scots visited the Castle for the first time. She returned two years later and spent two nights there. During this century, George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal, continued to add buildings to Dunnottar. This included a pet lion which was housed in what we know as The Lion’s Den. Most famously though, it was at Dunnottar Castle that a small garrison held out against the might of Cromwell’s army for eight months and saved the Scottish Crown Jewels from destruction. After the war, Dunnottar was retained by the army until returned to the Keith family in 1695. During this period the ruling Stuart dynasty had been overthrown and replaced with the dual Protestant monarchs of William of Orange and Mary. Although widely accepted, a Jacobite movement emerged and in 1707 William Keith, 9th Earl Marischal was implicated and imprisoned. Although released, his son George later participated in the 1715 Jacobite rebellion including fighting at the Battle of Sherrifmuir. With the defeat of the uprising he fled abroad, only returning in 1763 after a pardon granted at the request of Frederick the Great of Prussia. During this period Dunnottar had been sold into the hands of the York Building Company who plundered the ruined remains. In 1919, Lord and Lady Cowdray purchased the castle and began a programme of restoration. #Scotland #castle #reels #explore #braveheart #History #visitscotland #beautiful #lotr #outlander #magical #bucketlist #fy #castlesofscotland #inspirational #ocean - @castlesofscotland