dates from the sixteenth century. It is on the site of an earlier castle that was built by the Keiths from the fourteenth century. Dunnottar Castle stands on a cliff-girt promontory above the sea a couple of miles south of Stonehaven, Kincardineshire. There has been a strong-hold there since the twelfth century, although it was held by the Keiths from 1382 after they exchanged their property of Struthers with the Clan Lindsay for Dunnottar. The present ruins at Dunnottar include a tower, courtyard, chapel and the entrance to the castle that is up a steep ascent through a tunnel. Donald, King of Scots was killed there in 900 and William Wallace captured the castle from the English in 1297. Mary, Queen of Scots stayed at the castle in 1562 and James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose unsuccessfully laid siege to the castle in 1645. William Keith, 9th Earl Marischal entertained Charles II of England at the castle in 1650 and the Scottish regalia was kept there when Oliver Cromwell invaded in 1651. Cromwell besieged the castle in 1652 and it only capitulated after eight months by starvation and mutiny. The castle garrison had then been commanded by Sir Robert Keith, fourth son of the 6th Earl Marischal. The castle was held for William of Orange in 1689 and many Jacobites were imprisoned in it. The Duke of Argyll partly slighted the castle after George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal had supported the Jacobite rising of 1715. Keith Hall in Aberdeenshire, once known as Caskieben, is the current seat of the chief of Clan Keith. It is a Z-plan tower house dating from the sixteenth century. Fetteresso Castle passed from the Clan Strachan to the Clan Keith chief, Earl Marischal during the early 14th century. Ackergill Tower, a couple of miles north of Wick, Caithness is a tower and mansion that dates from the fifteenth century. It rises to five storeys and was originally held by the Cheynes but passed to the Keith Earls Marischal in about 1350. The Keiths who inhabited Caithness had a long and bitter feud with the Clan Gunn. In 1556 the Keiths were besieged in the castle by the Clan Sinclair before eventually selling it to them in 1612. Sir Robert Keith of Benholm had also once attacked the castle during a family dispute. Notes and references Bibliography References from the 1911 Encyclopædia: See Calendar of Documents