It’s one of the most instantly-recognisable locations in the north-east and has had a starring role in major films such as Hamlet, Victor Frankenstein and Brave.
Now Dunnottar Castle is only a few hundred people away from reaching 100,000 visitors in a calendar year for the first time in its history.
Tourists have travellered from as far afield as Australia, Argentina, Mexico, the US and China to visit the iconic building but the castle has seen record numbers since featuring in a Visit Scotland campaign this year.
Staff are getting set to celebrate the milestone by promising a special prize to the person who helps them reach the magic number.
Castle custodian Jim Wands said: “Our small team works hard to make sure all visitors see the Castle at its best throughout the year and take away the best experience and memories of a visit to this fantastic part of Scotland.
“We are delighted we’ve been able to attract so many people and would urge those nearer to home to come and experience the Castle for themselves too”.
The prize will be presented at the Castle and according to Jim, will let the person “treat themselves to something nice or even help with the Christmas shopping”
He added: “If you’ve been thinking about giving the Castle a look then now is the time to do it as you could get a lot more from the visit than you expected.”
The Castle is open every day between 10am and 3pm throughout December, with the last entry at 2.30pm. It will be closed 21st December, Christmas Day and Boxing Day and 1st and 2nd January