Ruined clifftop castle that was once used to hide jewels A clifftop castle in Scotland, pivotal to the nation's extensive history, began its descent into ruin in the 1720s when its owner got entangled in the Jacobite rebellion.
After the war of independence, the castle started to crumble until 1336, when King Edward III of England commanded its restoration and fortification to serve as a supply base for his Northern campaigns backing Edward Balliol's claim to the Scottish throne.
Around the same time, the castle featured in the Arthurian romance Roman de Fergus, where the protagonist must retrieve a magical shield from Dunnottar.
By around 1359, William Keith had taken possession of the castle following his marriage to Margaret Fraser, Robert the Bruce's niece.
Keith then finished building the tower house at Dunnottar but was excommunicated by the Pope for constructing on sacred ground without church approval.
