Castles · Central Scotland
Dunbar Castle
Dunbar Castle — castle in East Lothian, Scotland, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Dunbar · 0.9 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Dunbar Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Records date its origin to 1070. Designed by Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Owned by Earl of Angus. Part of Dunbar Castle & fort. Wikidata describes it as: "castle in East Lothian, Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 56.0060°, -2.5157°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Dunbar Castle was one of the strongest fortresses in Scotland, situated in a prominent position overlooking the harbour of the town of Dunbar, in East Lothian. Several fortifications were built successively on the site, near the English-Scottish border. The last was slighted in 1567; it is a ruin today.
From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Dunbar Castle was one of the strongest fortresses in Scotland, situated in a prominent position overlooking the harbour of the town of Dunbar, in East Lothian. Several fortifications were built successively on the site, near the English-Scottish border. The last was slighted in 1567; it is a ruin today.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The Votadini or Gododdin are thought to have been the first to defend this site as its original Brythonic name, dyn barr, means 'the fort of the point'. By the 7th century, Dunbar Castle was a central defensive position of the Kings of Bernicia, an Anglian kingdom that took over from the British Kingdom of Bryneich.
Architecture
The body of buildings measured in excess of 165 feet from east to west, and in some places up to 210 feet from north to south. The South Battery, which Grose supposes to have been the citadel or keep, is situated on a detached perpendicular rock, only accessible on one side, 72 feet high, and is connected to the main part of the castle by a passage of masonry measuring 69 feet. The interior of the citadel measures 54 x within the walls. Its shape is octagonal. Five of the gun-ports remain, which are called the 'arrow-holes'. They measure 4 feet at the mouth and only 16 inches at the other end. The buildings are arched and extend 8 feet from the outer walls, and look into an open court,…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 56.0060, -2.5157
- District
- East Lothian
- Postcode
- EH42 1HT
- Parliamentary constituency
- Lothian East
- Established
- 1070
- Nearest railway station
- Dunbar — 0.9 km
- Official site
- www.jmbt.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q2969165 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Dunbar Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Dunbar Harbour and Castle, 1987.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Dunbar Castle?
- Dunbar Castle is in central Scotland, United Kingdom (postcode EH42 1HT).
- When was Dunbar Castle built?
- Built or established in 1070. Designed by Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria.
- Who owns Dunbar Castle?
- Dunbar Castle is owned by Earl of Angus.
- Is Dunbar Castle a listed building?
- Dunbar Castle is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Does Dunbar Castle charge admission?
- Dunbar Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Dunbar Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Dunbar, about 0.9 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode EH42 1HT.