The Tolbooth - Heritage
The Tolbooth, situated on the old pier is the oldest building in Stonehaven,
was built at the end of the 16th Century by George the 5th Earl Marishal
as a storehouse for nearby Dunnottar Castle.
It was converted to a Courthouse and Tolbooth in 1600. In its time the
Tolbooth held
condemned prisoners, rioters and notable members of the local Barclay
family.
The Tolbooth court continued to sit until it was moved in 1767.
After 1767 it reverted to its use as a storehouse for merchants and
fishermen. Latterly it suffered damage when a mine exploded against the
Harbour pier and the dilapidated state was further accelerated by the
great storms of 1953.
The Tolbooth Restored
On 11th September 1963, the restored Tolbooth was reopened by Her Majesty,
the Queen Mother with the ground floor becoming a museum and the upper
floor a restaurant.
This was just as well as the building had become something of a shrine
to the Scottish Episcopal Church, one of its rooms having become a Church
Room.
As a historic relic in its own right, and having resisted so many shocks
and ferocious gales for more than 375 years, the Tolbooth is part of
Stonehaven’s cultural heritage, handed down by its stormy past.
For further details on the history of Stonehaven, visit www.stonehaven-heritage.org.
