Dunnottar: The approach

Quite a while back, I booked tickets to travel north to see Dunnottar castle again. I realised, as I was on the train, that it had been a little over ten years since I had last seen it! I couldn't believe it had been that long. When I reached the station in Stonehaven, I wasn't sure which direction would be best to take. I asked a woman and her two young children, who were on bicycles, and she said I could walk with them, as they were going nearly as far as the castle, and she would tell me how to go the rest of the way. It was very kind of her, so I accompanied them. Her children were very polite and well behaved. She had a daughter, who was probably about six, named Isla, and a son, probably about eight, whose name was Alasdair. We walked about a mile, and then she pointed the rest of the way for me, and I went on (about a mile and a half further) to the castle.

It was a very misty day, with limited visibility, and I kept searching for the castle, wondering when I would see it, hoping it hadn't disappeared Brigadoon-like into the fairy mist.

On the path leading towards the castle - the town of Stonehaven nestled around the harbour (which you can't really see, but it's there!).

The harbour!

There were benches above the town and this one caught my eye. I didn't realise they did memorial benches as far back as the 1890s!

This isn't a good picture, but it's hard to catch a photo of a robin, so I tried my best!

Finally, along the road, I saw a sign for the castle, convincing me at last that it might possibly still be there.

Daffodils along the small path that leads to the castle.

Finally, it began to emerge through the mist. I made this black & white to add to the mystery. If anything, it made the image more clear. It really was very misty!