Travel back 400 years as castle ‘rebuilt’ for armchair travellers
We may not be able to go anywhere - but we can always travel back in time.
Dunnottar Castle, one of Scotland’s most scenic and photographed castles, has been ‘rebuilt’ by digital artists and architects to show how the ruin would have looked more than 400 years ago.
The castle, near Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire, was one of seven chosen by a project to reconstruct some of the world’s oldest and most dramatic landmarks for the digital age.
Travel firm Budget Direct commissioned the work to offer some “escapism” as the realities of the Covid-19 outbreak bear down.
A company statement said: “Over the centuries, many of these magnificent castles have fallen into ruin. Some were abandoned after suffering war damage, while others just fell out of use.
“Budget Direct chose seven of the most unique ruined castles of Europe and, working with a team of designers and architects, created a series of architectural renders and reconstruction animations that bring them back to their former glory.
“As efforts to contain the effects of the COVID-19 crisis ramp up, millions of people across the globe are stuck at home. This project offers a slice of escapism and muchneeded armchair travel inspiration.”
The castle has played a supporting role in many of Scotland’s key periods of history, from the Picts, to Oliver Cromwell’s invasion to the Jacobites.
But centuries of sieges, invasions and then ultimately abandonment have taken their toll on the coastal fortress, with much of the landmark now a ruin.
The destruction of Dunnottar was first noted in 900AD when Donald II, King of Scots, was reportedly killed by Vikings after they invaded the coastal fortress.
From the 14th Century onwards Dunnottar Castle was home to the Keiths, one of the most powerful families in Scotland.
The Earl Marischal, a title bestowed on the family, was the protector of the Crown Jewels and it was at Dunnottar the Regalia of Scotland were hidden from Oliver Cromwell’s army in the 17th Century. It’s role as place of power and associated risks effectively came to an end when the 10th and last Earl Marischal George Keith had his estates seized given his support for the 1715 Jacobite Rising.
For 200 years, the castle was effectively abandoned with the pile slowly slipping away.
It was bought in 1919 by Weetman Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray, the great-great grandfather of the current landowner, following years of neglect. The Pearson publishing house is now the family business.