STIRLING CASTLE | The ROYAL Stronghold That Shaped a NATION

STIRLING CASTLE | The ROYAL Stronghold That Shaped a NATION

hey everyone and welcome back to the channel 
in this week’s video we are so excited to be in Scotland’s smallest city with a visit to the 
iconic and mighty Sterling Castle a castle that is crucial to the nation’s story that story 
is filled with icons of Scotland’s historic fighting spirit bursting with incredible stories 
of warfare and bloody seizures its formidable walls breathe hundreds of years of captivating 
and exciting history it’s rustic historic and has grit just like the Scots themselves so 
join us here for a walk around Sterling Castle the stories of Scotland and Sterling Castle 
are intertwined the castle has played host to some of the most dramatic and important 
events in Scottish history it has been a military stronghold and a royal palace a place 
of coronation and celebration and it overlooks the sites of two pivotal battles for Scottish 
independence Sterling Bridge and Banukburn everyone from Kelts to Romans to Scottish kings 
have had an enduring attraction to Sterling Castle and much of it because of its location the craggy 
peak the castle stands on starts with a volcanic eruption over 350 million years ago over the 
ensuing millennia the lava was buried beneath sandstone and ice like much of the rest 
of Scotland’s dramatic landscape the rock owes its current shape to the end of the last 
ice age incredibly around 10,000 years ago as the ice sheets retreated they sculpted the 
rock into the iconic high perch that it is now the first building we enter inside are the palace 
vaults which are found in a passageway underneath the royal palace each room or vault was once 
designated for a different section of the royal household and nowadays there are five areas that 
give more information with interactive exhibitions for visitors the various rooms share information 
on those specific sections there is a room named the musicians vault which houses an exhibit 
on music and instruments of the 16th century the Jester’s vault where jokes games and tricks 
were made for the royals the painters vault what and how colors were made for paints and dyes 
the Carver’s vault the tools for the joiners and the stonemasons and how they were used to 
create the wooden panels and stone carvings that you can see in the royal palace and finally 
the Taylor’s vault which is all about the clothes the jewelry and what the kings and queens would 
wear this is a great idea to repurpose the vault rooms for these impressive exhibits that are 
worthy of taking the time on your trip around the castle the very geography of Sterling made it 
indispensable situated on a formidable volcanic plug it offered natural defenses on three sides 
with the river forth looping around its base creating a natural barrier this strategic choke 
point controlled access between the lowlands and the highlands making it a vital military and 
economic hub from this lookout point which is also referred to as the ladies lookout you can 
see the area that overlooked the jousting ground which also has great views of the king and queen’s 
knots down below this location is where the queen with her ladies in waiting would look out over the 
knights whilst they would compete in tournaments the king and queen knots are earthwork mounds 
in the original gardens that were built around 1265 for Alexander III and later remodeled for 
Charles I’s Scottish coronation in 1633 there are of course many theories which shroud the area and 
some which are linked to King Arthur and the round table beyond its military function the castle 
was a self-contained community daily life within its walls was a bustling affair encompassing 
hundreds of people the royal family and their immediate attendance high-ranking nobles soldiers 
craftsmen cooks servants and entertainers it was here that James IVth James V and Mary Queen of 
Scots spent significant periods of their lives each leaving a lasting mark on its fabric entering 
into the Royal Palace we explore the rooms fit for kings and queens a true walk towards royalty the 
royal palace which lies within the castle walls is considered to be one of the best preserved 
Renaissance buildings in Great Britain it was built by James V who together with his French wife 
Mary of Geese would present themselves as wealthy and sophisticated the palace consists of royal 
lodgings for the king and queen and each apartment has three sizable rooms in ascending order of 
privacy they are an outer hall an inner hall and a bed chamber following a major program of research 
the palace had been extensively restored to look much as it may have looked during the 16th century 
the coat of arms over the fireplace represents the two royal lines that of Scottish King James and 
his French wife Mary of Geese interestingly in the king’s side of the palace only his line would 
have been represented she was after all only a woman and a foreigner at that next the queen’s 
inner hall is so very beautiful and grand the visual delight inside this palace is amazing as it 
features bright decor and expensive detailing this was an age in which most people’s lives would have 
been exceedingly drab and one of the ways that the wealthy and the powerful could set themselves 
apart was by extravagant use of expensive color at the palace the effect is slightly over the 
top to now modern-day eyes but it must have also been simply stunning to those who saw it in 
the 1540s the Queen’s inner hall was a much more secluded space this is where the chosen few would 
be honored to have an audience with the queen who would sit on her chair raised on a plinth and 
overhung by a canopy from where the queen could read the room the walls and ceilings are lavishly 
decorated the walls painted to look as if they are covered by red hangings and the main drawer is the 
gorgeous unicorn tapestry which tells the story of the hunt of the unicorn which hangs at high level 
all around the room james’ personal collection included two sets of the unicorn tapestry as 
this mythical beast with its powers held special significance in Scotland and it would feature 
in royal heraldry directly from the inner hall is the queen’s bed chamber the most private room 
of the queen’s apartment surrounding this room you can see the furnishing and decoration of the 
queen with its sumptuous textures complex and deep colors that were of course very fashionable 
when Mary of Geese lived here in the 1540s the walls were lined with curtains to prevent any 
conversations being overheard from the inner hall and no visitor would have been left alone with 
the queen its furniture includes a beautiful four poster bed which the queen wouldn’t have 
actually slept in she more than likely would have slept in a small adjoining room called the closet 
which unfortunately hasn’t survived to this day it is also thought that the bed would have later 
been inherited by her daughter Mary Queen of Scots the king’s bed chamber is in the next room over 
from the queen’s again this wouldn’t actually be the king’s bed chamber but one that was on 
display to Courtias note the unicorn is missing Mary’s eagle over the fireplace the king’s bed 
chamber is linked to the queen’s by a single door but interestingly enough it could only be 
locked or unlocked from her side the bed chamber does contain a bed like we can see but without the 
elaborate bed linen and hangings this is more than likely because the palace has been recreated as if 
it may have looked after James V’s death in 1542 the intricate carvings and elaborate 
fireplaces within the palace showcase the artistic sophistication of the era and the Stewart 
monarchs desire to emulate European Renaissance courts bringing a touch of continental grandeur 
to Scotland and they certainly did with its high level of decoration probably the most notable 
and interesting room is the king’s inner hall similar to the queens it would have been used for 
meetings of advisers and for more intimate meals but the room’s real highlight is the sterling 
heads the heads are a series of beautifully carved and painted bosses that decorate the ceiling of 
the inner hall the heads in the hall are actually replicas but you can see many of the originals in 
a special gallery on the top floor of the palace the heads depict a number of themes from royalty 
to worthies characters from history from the Bible and from myth who embodied the virtues of 
chivalry there are several heads depicting Roman emperors including Julius Caesar james IV must 
have been particularly fond of the Hercules myth for the classical hero is depicted on four heads 
finally the king’s outer hall would have been his most public room accessed via the lion’s 
den the room is very sparsely furnished but still decorated well and above the fireplace is 
again a painting of the royal coat of arms with unicorn supporters very similar to the queen’s 
outer hall people would wait in the hope of an audience with their king but depending on your 
status life at the court could involve a lot of [Music] waiting it is likely that there has been a chapel 
within Sterling Castle for as long as there has been a castle here the earliest evidence for a 
castle was the installation of a chapel within it by Alexander I in 1110 there are frequent later 
references to chapels at Sterling Castle and at times it seems possible that there may have been 
more than one perhaps most famously it was in the chapel royal at the castle that the infant Mary 
Queen of Scots was crowned on the 9th of September in 1543 and where she controversially celebrated 
mass on her return from France in 1561 but rather confusingly none of this happened in the Chapel 
Royal that we see today the first of the current existing royal buildings surrounded the inner 
close was the king’s old building built by James IV in 1496 at the same time he tried to establish 
a chapel royal but was caught in the battle of Faudin fast forward to 1594 james IV wanted a 
venue suitable for the christristening of the boy born to inherit the unified crowns of Scotland 
and England Prince Henry the new Chapel Royal was completed in time for the christristening which 
took place on the 30th of August in 1594 it’s a simple rectangular singlestory building on 
a sloping site that completes the now neat square of the innerlo in the following century 
the chapel was heavily decorated by the artist Valentine Jenkins in preparation for the visit 
of Charles I Scottish coronation built for James IV around 1503 the great hall at Sterling is the 
largest medieval hall in Scotland notable for its vast size and very impressive hammer beam roof 
the hammer beam roof reproduced is magnificent and there can’t be many places where you can see 
one as it would have looked when relatively l with its lovely windows decorated with stained glass 
heraldic devices that fill the room with light this grand space served as the primary venue for 
royal banquetss parliaments and elaborate state ceremonies reflecting the power and prestige of 
the Stewart monarchy the hall was part of a major building work at the castle aimed at creating 
an impressive venue for royal gatherings and no doubt to impress James’s new queen Margaret 
Tuda the hall is arranged with a high days at one end where the royal couple sat in state and 
no fewer than five fireplaces would provide heat as well as the main hall there are storage 
cellers and a musician’s gallery above the servy when the palace was built a bridge was 
constructed connecting it to the great hall the hall was famously used for a pair of royal 
baptism celebrations the first in 1566 when Mary Queen of Scots celebrated the baptism of her son 
the future James V 6th celebrations lasted for 3 days and culminated in a magical fireworks display 
the first ever held in Scotland the second baptism celebration came in 1594 when James V 6th held a 
lavish gathering in honor of his son Prince Henry the great hall was witnessed to big occasions not 
at least a meeting of the Scottish Parliament in 1578 the hall saw more practical use later as a 
military barrack in the 19th century but after they left it it was restored to its original 16th 
century glory it’s so easy to be taken in with the grandeur that the castle offers its great halls 
its seemingly sturdy and impenetrable fortress and its elegant chambers but an interesting 
place in Sterling Castle are the great kitchens it would have been hectic chaotic and grueling not 
just for the people who worked there but also for the cats the dogs and the rats that would have 
to try and survive by scavenging for scraps on the strawcovered stone floors the exhibitions 
that they have at the royal kitchens are really interesting you almost step into its atmosphere 
you can imagine the chaos unfolding down the chain of command with plenty of name calling 
and shouting but they would have always more than likely delivered fantastic products and food 
in the 1500s ale was the only source of water for people back then even young children would drink 
it it was the only form of water for the people back then as germs were killed during the brewing 
process apparently the small levels of alcohol in the liquid was mild and not intoxicating a 
servant was allowed 1.7 L of ale every day which is actually quite a small amount to feed 
a family if you think about it it was great to have an insight into what sort of food would 
be cooked and eaten from servant to royalty the kitchens were more than just a fireplace or 
two where food was cooked they were a complex of rooms for storage preparation and cooking of 
vast quantities of food as large as the kitchens appear now they were originally even larger the 
Douglas Garden was created on the highest point of Castle Rock where one of the castle’s most 
famous and gruesome events would take place this now beautiful and calm area of the castle 
witnessed a tragic end for a noble the Stewart kings had a longstanding feud with the Douglases 
and an event in 1452 would change things rapidly james II invited the eighth Earl of Douglas 
William to dine with him at Sterling which was pretty normal considering they had previously 
gotten on pretty well but James suspected double dealing and quickly accused William of forging an 
alliance with the king’s enemies the McDonald’s and the Crawfords in a heated argument and through 
sheer rage James stabbed William 26 times in the neck and shoulder the royal courtiers rushed 
in with one apparently dashing the young l’s brains out with a pole axe just like a flicker of 
dust the body was thrown out of a window onto the garden below where we stand there truly is so 
much to experience and enjoy here at Sterling Castle we of course didn’t show you everything 
but that’s all part of the journey so if you do visit or feel encouraged after watching the 
video please leave us a comment down below sterling Castle is a true Scottish gem that 
completely captivated us and we think it will captivate you too it’s more than just a monument 
it’s a living set full of soul history and mystery so if you’re thinking of another dark damp 
medieval castle then think again because Sterling Castle shows the Stewart kings of Scotland at 
their very most opulent Renaissance best or worst depending on your point of view it has been quite 
beautifully restored and in some ways is more enjoyable than its massive cousin Edinburgh Castle 
just down the road so that’s it for this week please support us by clicking on the like button 
hitting the notification bell for more content like this and even consider subscribing to the 
channel if you want to see more about what there is to do in the city of Sterling then check out 
our previous video to team up with Visiting the Castle we’d love to say a big thank you to those 
watching and to our channel members and patreons if you do like what we do then why not consider 
joining us on the channel by looking down in our description box or by hitting the join button 
so we’ll see you on the next one till next time

Stirling Castle, one of Scotland’s most magnificent and historically significant castles, sits dramatically atop Castle Hill, guarding the crossing of the River Forth. With origins dating back to at least the early 12th century, it became a favoured royal residence and a key stronghold due to its strategic location between the Highlands and Lowlands.

Over the centuries, it played a central role in many of Scotland’s most important events, including the Wars of Independence—William Wallace and Robert the Bruce both fought near its walls.

The castle’s golden age came in the 16th century under the Stewart monarchs, who transformed it into a Renaissance palace. James IV, James V, and Mary, Queen of Scots all contributed to its grandeur, with lavish buildings such as the Great Hall and the opulent Royal Palace.

Stirling Castle is one of the best-preserved and most visited castles in Scotland, offering visitors a vivid experience of royal life, turbulent conflict, and architectural brilliance at the heart of the nation’s history.
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