There has been activity on the Stirling castle volcanic hill since prehistoric times. Because the hill is stategically located in Scotland, heavy…
Statue dedicated to Scottish King Robert the Bruce.
The bowling green: area between the outer defense wall and the forwork, it was a bowling green in the 17th century.
Forework gatehouse, ca. 1500.
Grand entrance gateway built for king James IV.
The original gatehouse was twice the height of the current gatehouse.
Grand entrance gateway built for king James IV.
The original gatehouse was twice the height of the current gatehouse.
Palace (ca. 1540)
Royal lodging built for king James V and his French bride, Mary of Guise. Mary Queen of Scots lived there.
Royal lodging built for king James V and his French bride, Mary of Guise. Mary Queen of Scots lived there.
Palace.
Courtyard.
Great hall, ca. 1503.
Used for grand occasions, turned into barracks in the 1790s.
The color is the original color of the building. All other buildings used…
Used for grand occasions, turned into barracks in the 1790s.
The color is the original color of the building. All other buildings used…
Great hall.
Timber roof, without any metallic part. It is built in the same fashion as a boat.
Great hall.
Chapel royal, ca. 1594.
Built for James VI.
Built for James VI.
Tapestry waven in the 21st century based on a medieval design ("the hunt of the unicorn") to ornament the chapel.
The tapestries contained many symbols well-recognized by the medieval person. In particular, the unicorn is a typical symbol for Jesus Christ.
The royal gardens were at some time a jewel of the castle, but they have been almost completely lost with time.
