Scotland, much like the rest of the countries that make up the UK, is full of old castles. Some castles have withstood the passing times better than others. Yet out of all of the castles that I have visited so far in my time studying here, none beat the beauty or magnitude of Dunnottar Castle in Stonehaven. Stonehaven is a small village just south of Aberdeen on the east coast of Scotland. Once I arrived at the train station I made my way to the city center to find the path to the castle. To my surprise I found that once at the city center I still had a forty minute hike to get to the foot of the castle. So I set off on the hopes to reach the castle before the sun was trapped behind the stereotypical gray clouds that fill the Scottish sky. After trekking up the first major hill I took a much needed break and also took in the view provided by its outlook. I found myself looking upon a beautiful view of Stonehaven from above. The sun was still shining down
providing a cinematic look as the people could be seen swarming the city center and trains made their way out of the station. Once my breaths were back to normal I continued up the path. At around the halfway point to the castle there was a large memorial to the men who lost their lives from both World Wars. It stood alone at the top of a lone hill, like ancient roman ruins in a field of green. I paid my respects and went on with the castle now in sight. Finally after fifty minutes of hiking I found myself in front of the most beautiful castle I had ever seen. It stood on a small
island just off a cove in the coast and was the foreground of the blue ocean behind it. Once inside the castle I learned about its history while also standing on the ground of that history. By the end I felt a great sense of appreciation to the beauty that Scotland has to offer not only in its natural landscape, but its man made structures as well.