2021 marks 650 years of Royal Dundonald Castle and commemorates the beginning of the reign of King Robert II who was the first Stewart Monarch. To celebrate, the Friends of Dundonald Castle (SCIO31541) team have been running a 650 Stone Painting Challenge as one of our contributions to this important year in the Castle’s history. We thought it would be lovely to brighten up the Castle, Castle Hill and the surrounding area, and have been overwhelmed by the response!
Dundonald Primary School pupils have been busy creating their own unique designs for the call to paint a stone which expresses what Dundonald Castle means to them. The design ideas have been so outstanding that we’ve decided to place them on display inside the ground floor of the Castle for all to see. Unfortunately, we have been forced to close the Castle for the time being but hope to be open again soon, allowing our visitors to be able to come and see this huge collection of painted stones on display in the 14th Century tower house which Robert II is thought to have built around the start of his reign in 1371. Meanwhile, there are 650th Anniversary Stones hidden around the grounds and in the nearby ancient woodlands to find!
Want to get creative and join in? All you have to do is find some stones and decorate them with acrylic paint or paint pens, in a way that expresses what Dundonald Castle means to you; your favourite thing about it or just in a fun medieval themed design!
Just remember to pop the hashtag #DundonaldCastle650 on the back of the stone. Once it has dried, we advise sealing them so that they stand the test of time (and our lovely Scottish rain), to do this, you can use resin, a clear coat or even clear nail polish, and paint this all over your design, maybe go in with a second coat just to be sure!
When your stone is ready, go outside and put it in a place where it can be seen, but be sure to avoid putting it on pathways or areas where the grass gets cut. If you are local to Dundonald, then we welcome you to place your stone on the castle hill (not on the path or grass), or on the woodland walk along the Smugglers Trail or to Auchans!
Please be mindful of the current Covid-19 restrictions and don’t travel unnecessarily – they will look just as lovely in your local area! Once the travel restrictions have lifted, you are more than welcome to come and visit us and bring your artworks with you!
Snap a picture of your artwork and post in on social media and tag us: @dundonaldcastle on Twitter, Dundonald_Castle on Instagram and Dundonald Castle & Visitor Centre on Facebook, and be sure to use #DundonaldCastle650 in your post! We look forward to seeing your designs!
