Stirling Castle Facts & Worksheets

• The castle was also a royal home. Joan Beaufort, the wife of James I, took shelter here after his murder in 1437, and the young James II grew up at Stirling. The castle held tournaments, royal events, and important political moments, including the death of the Earl of Douglas in 1452. James III was born there and later improved the chapel and gardens.

Renaissance and Royal Residence (15th – 16th centuries)

• Between 1490 and 1600, Stirling Castle was turned into one of Scotland’s main royal homes. The Stewart kings – James IV, James V, and James VI – improved the castle. The new buildings show a mix of English, French, and German styles, showing the Scottish kings’ connections with Europe.
• James IV (1488–1513) maintained a busy Renaissance court at Stirling, which included artists, scholars, and alchemists. He wanted the castle to be a palace worthy of Europe. His work included the King’s Old Building, the Great Hall, and the Forework. He also rebuilt the chapel royal and started a college of priests. The castle welcomed important guests, like Perkin Warbeck in 1495, and was even used for experiments in alchemy and early flight.
• James V (1513–1542) continued building, creating the Royal Palace at the centre of the castle with help from French masons. He grew up at Stirling under Lord Erskine and sometimes travelled in disguise as the “Gudeman of Ballengeich”. James V also cared for the castle gardens and kept exotic birds for the royal table. After he died young, his wife, Mary of Guise, finished the construction.
• Their daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots, was brought to Stirling for safety and crowned in the chapel royal in 1543. She spent her early years at the castle before going to Inchmahome Priory and later to France. In the 1550s, Mary of Guise added artillery defences to the castle, including the French Spur, designed by Italian engineer Lorenzo Pomarelli. Michael Gardiner managed the castle’s artillery from 1534 to 1584.
• Mary, Queen of Scots, returned to Scotland in 1561 and visited Stirling often. She cared for Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, who became her husband, and their son James VI was baptised at the castle in 1566 with fireworks, mock battles, and celebrations. During James VI’s childhood, the castle was used to protect him and keep him under the supervision of Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar, and the scholar George Buchanan. A timber tennis court was even built for him in 1576.
• The castle also saw conflicts among nobles. Alexander Erskine of Gogar was forced out in 1578, the Earls of Mar and Angus seized the castle in 1584, and the king had to surrender in 1585. In 1593, Anne of Denmark came to Stirling to give birth, and the palace was repaired. Her son, Prince Henry, was born at the castle in 1594, and the Chapel Royal that stands today was built for his baptism, finishing the Inner Close quadrangle. Henry grew up at Stirling Castle until 1603, when his father James VI became King of England and the family moved to London.

Military Significance (17th – 18th centuries)

• After the royal family stopped living at Stirling Castle, it became mainly a military fortress. In the 1600s, it was used as a prison for important people and kings visited only rarely. James VI & I stayed briefly in 1617, and later the castle was prepared for Charles I, who only visited for a short time in 1633.
• During the wars after Charles I was executed, his son Charles II stayed at the castle in 1650. In 1651, General Monck attacked the castle. Cannons were set up in the nearby churchyard, and after a mutiny, the garrison had to surrender. You can still see damage from this siege on the Great Hall and the church.
• After Charles II returned to the throne, the castle continued as a military site and prison. It held several Covenanters. In 1681, James, Duke of Albany (later James VII and II), visited. During this time, the castle’s military role grew: a powder magazine was built, and soldiers were permanently stationed there from 1685.
• In 1715, during the Jacobite rising, John Erskine, 6th Earl of Mar, supported James Stuart, the “Old Pretender”. Government troops quickly occupied the castle to stop Mar’s forces. Later, in the Jacobite rising of 1745, Charles Edward Stuart’s army marched past Stirling on their way to Edinburgh. After retreating from England, the Jacobites came back to Stirling in 1746. The town surrendered, but the castle governor refused to give in. Even though the Jacobites won at Falkirk, they had to leave because they could not capture the castle.
• From 1800, Stirling Castle was owned by the War Office and used as a barracks. Many buildings were changed for soldiers: the Great Hall became living quarters, the Chapel Royal a lecture hall and dining room, the King’s Old Building an infirmary, and the Royal Palace the Officer’s Mess. New buildings, including a prison and powder magazine, were added in 1810. 
• In 1873, the castle served as the base for the 72nd and 91st Regiments. In 1881, the 91st and 93rd combined into the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, which were based at Stirling Castle.

Modern Era (20th century – present)

• In the 20th century, the castle was used less as a military base. It remained the headquarters of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, although since 2014 the regiment’s remaining unit, Balaclava Company, has been based at Redford Barracks in Edinburgh. The regimental museum is still at the castle, showing its military history.
• At the same time, the castle was carefully restored for visitors. Between 2001 and 2011, a £12 million project returned the Royal Lodgings to something close to how they looked in the 16th century. Fireplaces, furniture, and tapestries were all restored. One special project recreated The Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries. The weavers studied the original tapestries at The Cloisters in New York and used traditional weaving techniques, colours, and materials. Four of the recreated tapestries now hang in the Queen’s Presence Chamber.
• Stirling Castle is open to the public year-round and is managed by Historic Environment Scotland. Visitors can explore the Royal Palace, the Chapel Royal, the Great Hall, the castle walls, and the gardens in front of the Prince’s Tower, learning about its long history as both a royal home and a military fortress.
• The castle esplanade, or parade ground, is also used for events and concerts. Famous acts such as R.E.M., Rod Stewart, Wet Wet Wet, Bob Dylan, Ocean Colour Scene, and Runrig have performed there, and some have recorded “in concert” DVDs using the castle and surrounding scenery. The esplanade also hosts Stirling’s Hogmanay celebrations.
• Stirling Castle remains a popular tourist destination, with over 600,000 visitors recorded in 2019. The castle’s cultural importance is also recognised on currency: an illustration of Stirling Castle appears on the back of a £20 note issued by the Clydesdale Bank, alongside Robert the Bruce on horseback.

Architecture and Layout of Stirling Castle

• Stirling Castle is a large, carefully planned fortress with both military and royal buildings. It has different parts, including the Outer Defences, Forework, Outer Close, Inner Close, Royal Palace, Chapel Royal, Nether Bailey, and gardens. These show how the castle was built to protect people and also impress as a royal home.

Outer Defences

• Its outer defences were mostly constructed in the 18th century, though parts like the French Spur go back to the 1550s under Mary of Guise. The French Spur is a curved bastion with gun positions, and a drawbridge over a ditch provided access to the defences. After a failed Jacobite invasion in 1708, the walls were reinforced, creating Guardhouse Square with two defensive walls, ditches, and firing galleries called caponiers. Casemates behind the walls held cannons, and the French Spur was modified to fit more guns. The early 19th-century Esplanade was used for parades and is now a car park and event space.

Forework

• The Forework is the gatehouse that connects the Outer Defences to the main castle. Built by James IV around 1506, it had round towers with conical roofs and battlements. Although partly decorative, it used French-style military design, and its central entrance had two side passages for pedestrians, which was unusual then. Today, the Prince’s Tower still stands on the west side, while the east Elphinstone Tower was reduced to form a gun battery in the 18th century.

Outer Close

• Inside the Forework is the Outer Close, a courtyard with later military buildings like the 18th-century Main Guard House and early 19th-century Fort Major’s House. The North Gate led to the Nether Bailey and once held the original kitchens, later filled with rubble to support gun positions. A small building above the gate may have been the castle mint, called the Cunzie Hoose.

Inner Close

• The Inner Close is the central courtyard of Stirling Castle, surrounded by its most important buildings. It was the main area for the royal court, used for living, official duties, and ceremonies. The quadrangle layout made it easy to move between buildings while keeping the space secure. Its key buildings include:
  • Royal Palace (south side): Built by James V in the 1530s, the first Renaissance palace in the British Isles, combining Renaissance and late-Gothic styles. It has carved stone statues and inside, separate apartments for the king and queen. The Stirling Heads, carved oak roundels, are among Scotland’s finest Renaissance woodwork. A 2011 restoration returned six royal apartments and seven tapestries to their 16th-century appearance.
  • King’s Old Building (west side): Finished around 1497 by James IV as a royal residence, originally L-shaped with rooms above cellars and a stair tower. The north end was rebuilt in Baronial style after an 1855 fire. Some nearby sections may date from James I’s reign.
  • Great Hall (east side): Built by James IV and plastered by 1503, it is a grand late medieval hall with early Renaissance features, large windows, five fireplaces, and a raised dais. Converted into barracks in 1800, it was fully restored from 1965–1999.
  • Chapel Royal (north side): Originally built in 1501, rebuilt in 1594 for Prince Henry’s baptism. Designed by William Schaw with Italian-style windows and decorated by Valentine Jenkin. Later used for military purposes, it has now been restored as a ceremonial space.

Nether Bailey

• The Nether Bailey is at the northern end of Castle Hill, surrounded by defensive walls. It contains a 19th-century guardhouse, gunpowder stores, and the modern tapestry studio. Access from Ballengeich was blocked during the Jacobite period for security.

Gardens

• The castle has two main gardens. The King’s Knot, below the west wall, is a 16th-century formal garden now seen as earthworks. The southern garden had a bowling green. The grounds were used for deer and cattle, and royal events often included hunts, such as at the baptism of James VI.