Dunnottar Castle, 2 miles south of Stonehaven on the North East coast of Scotland was the location for the film version of Hamlet starring Mel Gibson and, because of the film, it's outline became known worldwide.
But the film doesn't do justice to the scale and splendor of the ruins.
I've visited the castle on many occasions.
This is not a tourist trap sanitized for overseas consumption.
This is real history in the raw.
And when the wind blows in from the North Sea and the waves whip up around you, it can be very raw indeed.
You reach the castle from a car park on the Stonehaven to Montrose coast road.
Entering through a swing gate you walk down a causeway towards the ruins, and it is not until you are almoston top of the castle that you realize the scale and scope of it.
It sits on a huge rock with sheer cliffs all around and is over a hundred feet above the sea, its walls clustered on top of the rock like a badly fitting hat.
The buildings are of various ages, and anumber of different kinds of rock and boulder have been used in their construction, with one population using the materials from those that came before.
The rock has a long history of occupation.
In the Iron Age there was already a hill fort here, and early Christian monks visited the site in the 7th Century.
But the most famous chapter in the Castle's long history came during a siege by Cromwell's army, when the small group of defenders held out for many months and managed to spirit the Scottish Crown Jewels away from Cromwell's clutches.
The castle was dismantled in 1718 after the Jacobite uprising of 1715, and only in 1925 were repairs begun by Viscountess Cowdray, whose family still owns the castle today.
Modern concrete steps lead you down to the foot of the cliffs.
Many tourists find the steps too daunting, and content themselves with pictures taken from the clifftop, but to do this is to miss out on the magic of the Dunnottar experience.
When you reach the bottom, the castle looms over you and you may even feel a chill, for the path at this point is almost always deep in shadow.
A steep, ancient, set of steps leads you up to a huge oak door and in to the castle proper where you'll find a solitary guard sitting in a wooden hut.
He'll take your money and give you a guidebook, but don't expect a guided tour here - this is a do-it-yourself experience.
If you take the steep stairs on your left, past the cave where lions and bear used to be kept, you'll come across a small room where you can have a seat, sign the guestbook, and see some of the archaeological finds which have been found in the castle.
There's also an excellent view of the bay and surrounding cliffs from the small casement windows.
From here, it is a steep climb up to the main level.
Once inside the castle proper, the dominant building to be viewed is the 14th century Keep constructed in 1392 by Sir William Keith, Great Marischal ofScotland.
Here you get a real sense of the history of the place, There are little nooks and crannies everywhere, and you can step inside huge fireplaces and gaze up the chimney to the sky far above.
A word of warning - check for nesting birds first - they can get a bit anxious.
To the south-east of the keep are the stables and barracks, and as you follow the path around you come to the best preserved part of the site, an elegant quadrangle.
This is bounded on three sides by domestic buildings of the 17th Century.
The fourth side is formed by the Castle's 13th century chapel - a relic of the time that William Wallace burnt the early wooden Castle with the occupying English garrison inside.
The chapel, one of the very few stone buildings of that time, has survived to tell the tale and is still used, especially by overseas visitors, for weddings and functions.
A darker chapter in the history of Dunnottar is that of the 'Whig's Vault' which can be found in the bowels of the quadrangle on the eastern side.
You can still see the gloomy, airless cellar where in 1685, 167 Covenanting prisoners were held without food or sanitation from 24 May to the end of July.
You might want to take a walk down the cell to see the view out of the back window where the sea lashes some exposed rocks and cormorants regularly sit and preen.
Me, I always avoid this room.
There seems to be an air of despair hanging around it that affects me deeply, but I suppose that's what I get for having a Grannie who was a seventh daughter.
Give yourself plenty of time to explore.
There is much to see, from the great circular well to the ancient ovens and brewery vats.
There are spiral staircases that lead into banqueting rooms now open to the sky, and more impressive fireplaces to marvel at.
The views all around are spectacular, whatever the weather, but I like it best when the wind is blowing and the spray is flying.
There tends to be fewer tourists on days like this, and you can have large areas of the castle to yourself.
Then you can imagine yourself back in the days of its pomp and glory.
Just don't be tempted to paint your face blue and scream "Freedom!" All that'll get you is strange looks from the locals.
When you've finally seen the castle, take some time to soak in the scenery.
The bay in which the castle stands has many caves and inlets in its cliffs, and seals are regularly seen swimming there.
If you're very lucky, a pod of dolphins might even pass through Once you've climbed back up the modern steps, take a breather - you'll need it.
Then take a walk north along the cliff path.
Besides some breathtaking cliff views and a chance to watch gulls nesting close up, the path takes you, in half an hour's walk, along to Stonehaven.
There's a stunning view across the breadth of Stonehaven harbor, and some public seats on which to rest your weary limbs, but if you head down into the old harbor there are pubs and restaurants to help you recharge.
Spend the rest of the day sitting on the harbor walls.
Fritter away the time supping a drink from one of the fishermen's pubs.
Watch the boats come in and out.
Reflect on the depth of history around you.
Relax.
This is what Scotland is all about.
But the film doesn't do justice to the scale and splendor of the ruins.
I've visited the castle on many occasions.
This is not a tourist trap sanitized for overseas consumption.
This is real history in the raw.
And when the wind blows in from the North Sea and the waves whip up around you, it can be very raw indeed.
You reach the castle from a car park on the Stonehaven to Montrose coast road.
Entering through a swing gate you walk down a causeway towards the ruins, and it is not until you are almoston top of the castle that you realize the scale and scope of it.
It sits on a huge rock with sheer cliffs all around and is over a hundred feet above the sea, its walls clustered on top of the rock like a badly fitting hat.
The buildings are of various ages, and anumber of different kinds of rock and boulder have been used in their construction, with one population using the materials from those that came before.
The rock has a long history of occupation.
In the Iron Age there was already a hill fort here, and early Christian monks visited the site in the 7th Century.
But the most famous chapter in the Castle's long history came during a siege by Cromwell's army, when the small group of defenders held out for many months and managed to spirit the Scottish Crown Jewels away from Cromwell's clutches.
The castle was dismantled in 1718 after the Jacobite uprising of 1715, and only in 1925 were repairs begun by Viscountess Cowdray, whose family still owns the castle today.
Modern concrete steps lead you down to the foot of the cliffs.
Many tourists find the steps too daunting, and content themselves with pictures taken from the clifftop, but to do this is to miss out on the magic of the Dunnottar experience.
When you reach the bottom, the castle looms over you and you may even feel a chill, for the path at this point is almost always deep in shadow.
A steep, ancient, set of steps leads you up to a huge oak door and in to the castle proper where you'll find a solitary guard sitting in a wooden hut.
He'll take your money and give you a guidebook, but don't expect a guided tour here - this is a do-it-yourself experience.
If you take the steep stairs on your left, past the cave where lions and bear used to be kept, you'll come across a small room where you can have a seat, sign the guestbook, and see some of the archaeological finds which have been found in the castle.
There's also an excellent view of the bay and surrounding cliffs from the small casement windows.
From here, it is a steep climb up to the main level.
Once inside the castle proper, the dominant building to be viewed is the 14th century Keep constructed in 1392 by Sir William Keith, Great Marischal ofScotland.
Here you get a real sense of the history of the place, There are little nooks and crannies everywhere, and you can step inside huge fireplaces and gaze up the chimney to the sky far above.
A word of warning - check for nesting birds first - they can get a bit anxious.
To the south-east of the keep are the stables and barracks, and as you follow the path around you come to the best preserved part of the site, an elegant quadrangle.
This is bounded on three sides by domestic buildings of the 17th Century.
The fourth side is formed by the Castle's 13th century chapel - a relic of the time that William Wallace burnt the early wooden Castle with the occupying English garrison inside.
The chapel, one of the very few stone buildings of that time, has survived to tell the tale and is still used, especially by overseas visitors, for weddings and functions.
A darker chapter in the history of Dunnottar is that of the 'Whig's Vault' which can be found in the bowels of the quadrangle on the eastern side.
You can still see the gloomy, airless cellar where in 1685, 167 Covenanting prisoners were held without food or sanitation from 24 May to the end of July.
You might want to take a walk down the cell to see the view out of the back window where the sea lashes some exposed rocks and cormorants regularly sit and preen.
Me, I always avoid this room.
There seems to be an air of despair hanging around it that affects me deeply, but I suppose that's what I get for having a Grannie who was a seventh daughter.
Give yourself plenty of time to explore.
There is much to see, from the great circular well to the ancient ovens and brewery vats.
There are spiral staircases that lead into banqueting rooms now open to the sky, and more impressive fireplaces to marvel at.
The views all around are spectacular, whatever the weather, but I like it best when the wind is blowing and the spray is flying.
There tends to be fewer tourists on days like this, and you can have large areas of the castle to yourself.
Then you can imagine yourself back in the days of its pomp and glory.
Just don't be tempted to paint your face blue and scream "Freedom!" All that'll get you is strange looks from the locals.
When you've finally seen the castle, take some time to soak in the scenery.
The bay in which the castle stands has many caves and inlets in its cliffs, and seals are regularly seen swimming there.
If you're very lucky, a pod of dolphins might even pass through Once you've climbed back up the modern steps, take a breather - you'll need it.
Then take a walk north along the cliff path.
Besides some breathtaking cliff views and a chance to watch gulls nesting close up, the path takes you, in half an hour's walk, along to Stonehaven.
There's a stunning view across the breadth of Stonehaven harbor, and some public seats on which to rest your weary limbs, but if you head down into the old harbor there are pubs and restaurants to help you recharge.
Spend the rest of the day sitting on the harbor walls.
Fritter away the time supping a drink from one of the fishermen's pubs.
Watch the boats come in and out.
Reflect on the depth of history around you.
Relax.
This is what Scotland is all about.
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