Slains Castle

Slains Castle, also known as New Slains Castle, crowns a dramatic clifftop overlooking the North Sea near Cruden Bay in Aberdeenshire. The castle's core is a 16th-century tower house built by the 9th Earl of Erroll, significantly rebuilt in 1837 as a Scots Baronial mansion, serving as the ancestral home of the Hay family and Earls of Erroll for over three centuries. Though now a roofless ruin, visitors can explore its multi-level interiors and ascend to the lookout tower for spectacular coastal views. The castle holds literary significance as the rumored inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula, with Stoker visiting the area regularly in the late 19th century. Admission is free year-round.