Dunsinane is the traditional site of a 1054 battle in which Siward, Earl of Northumbria defeated Macbeth of Scotland.

The much earlier Iron Age hill fort has long been known as Macbeth's Castle, though there is no archaeological evidence that it was in use by him or anyone during the mid eleventh century.

To facilitate the rhyme in the couplet "I will not be afraid of death and bane, Till Birnam forest come to Dunsinane" the pronunciation usually employed for Shakespeare's play has the accent on the first or third syllable, with a long "a" (i.e. /ˈdʌnsɪneɪn/ or /ˌdʌnsɪˈneɪn/).

The derivation is Gaelic, "the hill of ants"; possibly a reference to the large number of people it took to build the fortress.

There is a small parking area there suitable for 4 or 5 cars, from which a steep, but clearly defined path leads directly to the summit.