#stonehaven

[scotianostra]

26th May 1652 saw the surrender of Dunnottar Castle, the last Royalist stronghold in eastern Scotland.

The ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-east coast of Scotland, about two miles south of Stonehaven. The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th to 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been an early fortress of the Dark Ages.

Dunnottar played a strategic role in the history of Scotland from the Middle Ages through to the Enlightenment, because of the location: it overlooked the shipping lanes to northern Scotland; and is situated on a narrow coastal terrace that controlled land access to the coastal south via Portlethen Moss to Aberdeen during the medieval period.

The Castle was home to one of the most powerful families in Scotland, the Earls Marischal, from the 14th century when Sir William Keith, the 1st Earl Marischal, built his Tower House, also known as the Keep. The Earl Marischal was an office bestowed on the Keiths by James II. The role was one of the 3 great offices of State, along with the Constable and the Steward. The Earl Marischal had specific responsibility for ceremonial events, the Honours of Scotland and for the safety of the King's person within parliament. Consequently it was not unusual for the monarchy, including Mary Queen of Scots, to spend time and stay at Dunnottar

In 1649 Charles Stewart was executed by the English under Oliver Cromwell, the self-proclaimed Lord Protector. In 1650, his young son Charles II arrived in North East Scotland, and stayed a night in Dunnottar on his journey south to give battle for his fathers' two kingdoms.

In England, on hearing of the young Kings arrival, Oliver Cromwell was so enraged that he ordered the invasion of Scotland. In some haste Charles II was crowned at Scone, but the "Honours of Scotland", the crown and other regalia, could not be returned to Edinburgh Castle, as it had been taken by Cromwell's Army. Having already destroyed the English crown jewels, the Honours of Scotland were the most potent icon of monarchy, and as such were next on Cromwell's list. Cromwell's army was fast approaching, so Charles II ordered William the 7th Earl Marischal to take the Honours to Dunnottar and secure them there.

It was not long before Dunnottar was under siege, and a scratch, aged garrison of seventy men held out for eight months against the invading might of Cromwell's army until heavy cannons arrived. Following 10 days of heavy fire, surrender was made. This was not however before the Honours of Scotland were smuggled out of the Castle and taken to Kinneff Church, where they were buried in the Church.

It was symbolic that on this day in 1819 the Honours of Scotland were put on display in Edinburgh Castle after they had been rediscovered from their 1707 burial place after a campaign led by Sir Walter Scott, the jewels have been on a more or less permanent display there ever since. When I was a bairn I recall a visit to the castle, which in the early 1970's was free to get in, and my mum and her best pal discovered that they had to pay to see the jewels back then, they quickly rushed back to the gatehouse to get tickets for the two of them, us bairns were not really interested in these things and played away round the battlements as they went to see them, nowadays the Honours are included in the entrance fee.

[pershing100]

Stonehaven harbour

[virtualscotland]

Hi everyone! I recently visited the beautiful coastal town of Stonehaven near Aberdeen in the north east of Scotland, with its lovely beaches, and then took a walk over to the stunningly located Dunnottar Castle - one of the most picturesque I've seen and one of my favourites! 😍

Dunnottar Castle has played a large part in Scottish history for over 1000 years and hosted some of the nation's greatest historical figures including William Wallace and Mary Queen of Scots, is famous for its role in saving the Honours of Scotland (the Scottish Crown Jewels) from Oliver Cromwell's army in the 1650s.

@doricloon @scotlandscalling @scotianostra @scotland-forever

[amp-memories-and-experiences]

[deviajeconcarlos]

[julieconnelly]

Nostalgic Walks

 Nostalgic walks Going on nostalgic walks isn’t something I usually do. This is a deeply unashamedly nostalgic walk.  Starting from the West end of Newcastle to the suburbs of Jesmond Dene, I managed a 10-mile walk. The past is a different country.  A place is sometimes worth revisiting. As Nostalgic walks go this was the best. A tale of remembering Starting from Newcastle Central Station…

[timelyslapintheface]

[maypoleman1]

31st December

New Year’s Eve

Allendale Tar Barrel Burning. Source: Pinterest uploaded by Catherine Donaldson.

Today is New Year’s Eve. The turning of the year was traditionally marked by fire customs, some of which survive. In Allendale in Northumberland a parade of gaudily-attired Guisers still takes place on the night of 31st December. Shortly before midnight the all-male procession sets out with each Guiser balancing a barrel of burning tar on his head, the conclusion of which results in the barrels being thrown onto a huge bonfire. This is followed by singing and dancing until the midnight bells chime. In Stonehaven in Grampian, the revellers launch fireballs into the air, or whirl the cloth balls, lit by paraffin, around their heads, the balls being attached to them by strings. The whole event is highly dangerous.

These ceremonies are of course memories of pagan practices designed to light the skies in midwinter to encourage the return of the sun in spring. Bonfires were common, and households should keep their New Year fire burning for at least 24 hours to ensure the coming year is a prosperous one. The horse and bull-worship of the ancient Celts was maintained by men dressed in bull hides and horse costumes who visited homes throughout the Christmas season in order to bestow good fortune in return for alms. The Church objected to such blatant pagan survivals and most died out, but on New Year’s Eve the horse-skull totems of Mari Lwyd visit the farmhouses of Wales still, although the tradition may owe as much to old mumming plays as it does to pagan memories.

Bell ringing is a very prevalent Christian-era New Year’s Eve tradition, and the New Year is rung in to this day at midnight by the chimes Big Ben in London.

[flumenfluxicrochet]

row 4 update on the stonehaven blanket!

[scrapblring]

Dunnottar Castle

[therelignedstars]

"It's way too quiet in here."

[amp-memories-and-experiences]

[vox-anglosphere]

Perched above the North Sea, Dunnottar was a key Scottish fortress.

[reitsportportal]

Internationale Marbacher Vielseitigkeit 2025

Louise Romeike (Foto:TOMsPIC) Louise Romeike siegt in der Vier-Sterne-Prüfung (pbb) Start-Ziel-Sieg für die Schwedin Louise Romeike in der Vier-Sterne-kurz-Prüfung um den Preis der Firma iWEST Tiernahrung: Nach ihrem Spitzenplatz in der Dressur (25,0 Punkte) verteidigte die Schwiegertochter von Peking-2008-Olympiasieger Hinrich Romeike ihre Führung am Samstag im Gelände (3,6). Am Sonntag…

[onlyheatinguk]

New Boiler Finance Aberdeen, Flexible Payment Stonehaven, Portlethen

ONLYHEATING.COM in Aberdeen, Portlethen, Dyce and Cove Bay offers interest free finance that you can afford to upgrade your boiler or central heating. https://www.onlyheating.com/finance.html

[timelyslapintheface]