The 13th century castle in Argyllshire has been used to hold a number of prisoners over the years, but this pair of American tourists hadn't expected they would be next in the Scottish castle clink.
Niki Ghofranian and Ritta Nielsen from California were visiting Dunstaffnage castle near Oban as part of a tour of the British Isles.
They were so captured by the castle's history and historic connections to Robert the Bruce that they didn't notice the staff locking up for the night, leaving them trapped inside.
Niki Ghofranian and Ritta Nielsen were rescued from the 13th century Dunstaffnage Castle, near Oban. Photo / Getty Images, Facebook
The castle which is looked after by Historic Environment Scotland is one of Scotland's oldest buildings and notoriously difficult to escape. The castle walls are over eighteen metres high, and have kept their fair share of marauders out or – in this case – in.
The pair of trapped tourists didn't seem too worried by the predicament. Having phoned the local police and firefighters from nearby Oban, they took to Facebook to document their rescue.
Spotting a fire engine approaching the castle, Ghofranian recorded the incident on her phone:
"Looks like the fire brigade is here to help us. I don't know if we're going to have to climb the castle walls or what?"
"It's still fun but I can't believe the mess we're causing," she can be heard saying.
Scottish fire fighters were able to open the ancient castle gates with minimal damage. Photo / Facebook, Niki Ghofranian
Having finally made their way home in the back of a police van to their local accommodation, Nikki Ghofranian posted the story to her Facebook Page, explaining how they almost accidentally spent the night at the castle.
"I walked the walls for hours thinking of how many hundreds of years this castle was defended from invaders and how impenetrable it was," she wrote.
It seemed almost laughable when the fire brigade said that they "might have to break down the castle door."
The tourists where almost resigned to sleeping on the battlements when the Oban fire fighters found a way in.
They were able to open both of the castle door's large medieval locks with minimal damage.
"They then managed to open the second lock, it was slightly damaged but it has been repaired," said a spokesperson for the castle grounds.
This must have been quite some task.
Members of the Oban fire service rushed to the aid of the trapped tourists. Photo / Facebook, Niki Ghofranian
The last person to be imprisoned in the impregnable castle keep was Flora MacDonald in 1746 Bonnie Prince Charlie. She was arrested for her part in helping Bonnie Prince Charlie escape Scotland, during the Jacobite Rebellion. A story made famous in the Skye Boat Song and later in the 2014 TV series Outlander.
Historic Environment Scotland was relieved to hear their guests were not trapped like MacDonald, telling The Daily Mail in a statement:
"While spending a night in a historic castle such as Dunstaffnage might seem like a once in a lifetime opportunity, we'd like to thank those visitors for their patience and hope that their visit wasn't spoiled too much!"
