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Stonehaven · Castle
Dunnottar Castle
Explore dramatic clifftop ruins south of Stonehaven, with sea views and a demanding stepped approach. This is a visit for confident walkers who can manage exposed ground and the climb back.
- Best ages
- Confident school-age walkers and older
- Entry
- Paid · family tickets available
- Weather
- Mostly outdoors · weather closures
- Allow
- Around 1½–2½ hours
Our family take
Choose Dunnottar for the clifftop setting, sea views and the experience of exploring substantial ruins. The route feels adventurous, but the steps, exposure and uneven surfaces make it a much more physical castle visit than many alternatives.
- Steps. There are 218 steps on the approach, with more between the entrance, ticket kiosk and main ruins. Allow for the climb back too.
- Access. There are no lifts or ramps and wheelchair access is not possible. Pushchairs, prams and luggage cannot be stored.
- Weather. High winds, snow or ice can close the castle. Check the live notice on the day.
The practical details
Plan your visit
- Opening and weather
- Open year-round with seasonal hours. Last entry is one hour before closing. High winds, snow or ice can close the castle at short notice, so check conditions before setting off.
- Tickets and booking
- Buy online or at the castle kiosk, which takes card payments only. Advance booking is an option, not a requirement for a standard visit.Tickets & booking
- Family ticket options
- Family tickets cover one adult and two children or two adults and two children. Child tickets are for ages 5–15. Compare your family’s total with individual tickets before paying.
- Before you book
- The paid visit involves hundreds of steps and uneven ground. There is no wheelchair route and no storage for prams or pushchairs.
- Address
- Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire AB39 2TL.
- Parking
- Free parking for castle visitors, including two Blue Badge spaces. The car park is small, and the approach still involves a rough path and extensive steps.
- Allow
- Around 1½–2½ hours for the approach, ruins and return. Add extra time if you walk from Stonehaven.
16 September 2026
A little more detail
Make it work for your family
Steps, accessibility and the approach
The clifftop viewpoint lets you see the castle without entering the paid grounds. It is reached by roughly 300m of relatively flat earth path from the car park. Going inside means descending towards the sea and climbing up to the castle, then doing the route in reverse on the way back.
If a younger child is likely to need carrying, think about whether you can manage that return climb. There is nowhere to leave a pushchair or luggage. Keep children close on uneven ground and exposed sections, and wear sturdy shoes with grip.
- Route to the entrance
- After around 300m of earth path, the approach has 180 concrete steps, about 40m of earth path and 38 uneven steps.
- Inside the site
- There are 17 more steps to the kiosk and 48 further steps into the main castle area, plus cobbles, grass and uneven ground.
What children will enjoy
Dunnottar is a ruin rather than a furnished castle. Families explore roofless buildings, passages and open ground while the sea and cliffs provide much of the drama.
The route is mostly outdoors, with low light in some interior spaces. Benches inside give useful pauses before tackling the return climb.
- Children and dogs
- Under-16s must be accompanied and supervised. Dogs are welcome on short leads.
Weather, food and toilets
Rain makes the earth paths, grass and some steps slippery. With so much of the visit outside, this is a better plan for a settled day than a wet-weather backup.
Toilets are inside the paid castle grounds, beyond the stepped approach. Plan a toilet stop before arriving if your children may not manage that wait. Ask the castle about baby changing if you need it.
C&L Catering sells food and drinks beside the car park; there are no refreshments to buy inside the castle. Bring water for the walk and check the catering opening before relying on it for lunch.
Walking from Stonehaven
The coastal path from Stonehaven harbour passes the war memorial on the way to the castle. It adds an uphill walk before the castle steps, so choose it only if everyone has enough energy for the return. Stonehaven is also the nearest railway station; check onward travel before setting off.
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