Lynchpin of Scotland (Stirling Castle)

Member Name: MagdaDH

Product:	Stirling Castle
Date:	20/09/09 (37 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: views, history, architecture, events

Disadvantages: expensive, windy

Stirling's historic importance is due to its position on a very desirable river crossing on the Forth and effectively guarding the only access to the Highlands from the south. It wasn't possible to go round as the surrounding terrain (Ochil Hills in the east and the Trossachs in the west) was pretty inhospitable. Effectively, the crossing at Stirling was a gateway between the North and the South, between the Lowlands and the Highlands, and ultimately and at least for a period in history, between England and Scotland.

The town of Stirling has grown around the castle and is connected with some of the most important events of Scottish history, notably the battle of the Wars of Independence (Stirling Bridge in 1297 and Bannockburn in 1314). Mary Queen of Scots was crowned here and the castle was the favourite royal residence of the Stewarts in 16th and 17th centuries to then be besieged again during the Jacobite uprisings in the 18th century.

Stirling, and particularly the Stirling Castle is the linchpin of the central belt of Scotland, rising dramatically and - when approached from the west - quite impossibly from the rugged crag of the rock which was first fortified in the Iron Ages. The western face of the rock drops 80 meters down, but the site is naturally well defended form three sides. The castle perches on top, visible from miles afar and overlooking not just that river crossing but a vast expanse of the surrounding area.

Obviously the rock can't be as sheer as that on all sides and indeed it's more accessible from the south where a road connects it to the town centre and where massive fortifications of the Forework have been erected: the Gatehouse, the curtain wall, ditch and several towers.

The defensive location makes for fantastic vistas from every point on the battlements and ramparts. Add to that the ever-fascinating Scottish sky and on a good day the views out of the castle are as good as the monument itself: south to the town itself, raising in crenellations of the chimneys and towers like Edinburgh in miniature, and then to the chimneys and smoke of industrial Falkirk beyond; east to meandering river, the Abbey Craig topped by the Victorian rocket of the Wallace Monument and the velvet greenery of the Ochil Hills, west to the silhouettes of the high peaks on the horizon, the characteristic and easily recognisable shapes of Ben Lomond, Ben Vorlich and Stuc a'Chroin.

The castle itself is a huge structure, which has grown organically through the years and is both interesting and beautiful. There are walls, battlements, tiny windows, towers, gates and other defence structures that surround it and can be largely walked on and explored. You can't walk around the whole castle, but you can climb up and down bits of the fortifications in all sections of the site (those views again!). This itself is fun to do, especially for smaller children (supervision is needed, as some steps don't have railings).

Inside the walls are several buildings and exhibitions of interest.

The Palace is a mid-16th century structure, started by king James IV, but completed after his death by his widow, Mary de Guise. The Palace is currently undergoing major restoration work (which is due to be completed in 2011) but even from outside it's a remarkable building, decorated with grotesque sculptures and other Renaissance stonework.


The Great Hall was built as venue for state occasions and is an impressive building. The vast space was used for state banquets, receptions and even sittings of the parliament and still seems huge to modern visitors. The outside of the Hall has been rendered and limewashed during the recent restoration, to apparently make it look as it did originally. It looks good, and such a restoration is fitting for a complete, and functional building. An added bonus is a good contrast with the bare stones of the rest of the castle. The restored Hall looks quite cheerful, and the large windows, graceful shapes and elegant decorations give it a touch reminiscent of a French chateau. A row of lions and unicorns, with gleaming gold crowns, adorns the roof of the Hall and draws the visitor's gaze up to the towerlets and chimneys.

The Great Hall and the Palace form two sides of the Upper Square. The other two are The Chapel and King's Old Building.

The chapel was built by James VI for the christening of his son, and is simple one-storey building with lovely decorative frescoes on the upper parts of the walls. The finished tapestries made in the studio in the Nether Bailey are hanging on the walls of the Chapel in their admirable glory.

King's Own Building completes the Upper Square and is one of the older on site, dating to the end of 15th century. It sits at the edge of the rock face and offers impressive views to the west. Sadly, inside isn't restored or even left bare but houses the regimental museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, a reminder of the long period when the Stirling Castle was mostly an army barracks (the military left finally only in the 60's).

The Great Kitchens are located in the basement of the building near the North Gate, and contain a wax-work like reconstruction of what the kitchens would be like when working at full steam, complete with hanging hams, baskets of fish and a recipe books for delicacies like dressed peacock.

The North Gate leads below the Great Hall to the Nether Bailey, an area located in the lower part of the castle rock. It's a separate and quieter area, with large parts of natural rocks visible and somehow incorporated into the wall and provides great views north of Stirling as well as good perspective of the main sections of the castle.

At the very end of the Nether Bailey is the Tapestry Studio, where a team of weavers is engaged in a project to recreate The Hunt of the Unicorn Tapestries to be eventually displayed in the restored Palace. Each tapestry takes years to complete and the visitors can watch the image appear (and there are also talks by the weavers about the project and their craft).

Stirling Castle Exhibition in in the Queen Anne casemates by the bowling green tells the history of the castle while guided tours are frequently conducted round the castle (there is also an audio guide available). The castle is managed by Historic Scotland and is a site for frequent their events, little shows, talks and re-enactments.


All in all, the castle is an excellent day out for pretty much everybody, and you can easily spend three to four hours here, especially if one of the events is on or if you bring a picnic/decide to eat in the cafe.

==Practicalities==

The town is easily reached by car (from A9/M9) or public transport from all directions (about half an hour by train from Glasgow or Perth). The castle is well signposted, there is plenty of parking nearby, but on busy days using the town car parks might be necessary.

There is a cafe on site as well as a good bookshop and an excellent whisky shop (apparently some people join Historic Scotland purely to get the 20% members' discount in the whisky shop) as well as a gift shop just outside the castle walls (with relatively low tat quotient).

Admission:

Adult £9.00,
Child £4.50,
Concession £7.00

Historic Scotland members free


Opening hours:

9.30 to 6pm in summer (Apr-Sep)
9.30 to 5pm in winter (Oct-Mar).


Tel: 01786 450000

www.historic-scotland.gov.uk

Post Code for SatNav: FK8 1EJ

Summary: great castle - go if you can