Day 9- Dunnottar, Old Kineff Church, Lunan Bay

Filled morning rolls and strong coffee were my fortification for our morning excursion to Dunnottar Castle.

Perched atop a 160 foot rock and surrounded on three sides by the North Sea, these dramatic cliff-top ruins were once an impregnable fortress of the Earls Marischal, once one of the most powerful families in Scotland.

I’m always amazed at the kitchens and breweries in these places. The enormity of the fire places and perfect placement of these small
Stone openings for baking and roasting. Cooking entirely by look and feel. And the brilliant pulley systems and wenches that had to be used to haul supplies to an almost impregnable fortress.

Joe attempted to find a dragon in the sea cave under the castle and I wasn’t certain he would make it out of there alive.

The Castle has played host to some of the nation's greatest historical figures including William Wallace (who burned hundreds if not thousands of English in the chapel while reclaiming the land for the Scots) and Mary Queen of Scots and is famous for its role in saving the Honours of Scotland (the Scottish Crown Jewels) from Oliver Cromwell's army in the 1650s.

These were sheltered at Kinneff Old Church, which was our next stop.

Just north of Inverbervie, is the kirk- where the Scottish Crown Jewels were hidden during Oliver Cromwell’s siege in 1652. After being smuggled out of Dunnottar Castle, the regalia were secretly buried in the church for nine years until the restoration of Charles II.

From there we traveled to Lunan Bay… passing through the town where the famous clipper ship- the Cutty Sark was built in 1869. It launched from the Scott & Linton shipyard on the River Leven in Dumbarton, Scotland.

Lunan Bay is a stunning, two-mile-long coastal destination in Angus, Scotland, known for its sweeping golden sands, rolling sand dunes, and the 12th-century ruins of Red Castle.

The crumbling ruin of Red Castle stands on elevated ground overlooking the Bay and dates from the 12th century. Originally built for King William (the Lion) of Scotland to defend against Viking invaders, all that remains of this once formidable fortified house is part of the 15th century rectangular tower and the curtain wall.

We enjoyed a beach walk and lunch at the cafe. Gathered small smooth colorful stones.

On to Gourdon where we had a wee dram at the pub and some pistachio ice cream before the drive back to the hotel.

Back at the hotel, we cleaned up and grabbed a quick bite there before our evening concert at Cafe Noir with Susan and Scott Gordon playing fiddle and accordion for the first set and then a second set by Tim Grimm. Music and freshly made crepes! What could be a better way to end the day?Read more