15 Interesting Facts About Stirling Castle

Stirling Castle is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. Several Scottish Kings and Queens have been crowned at Stirling Castle, including Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1543. There have been at least eight sieges of Stirling Castle, including several during the Wars of Scottish Independence, with the last being in 1746, when Bonnie Prince Charlie unsuccessfully tried to take the castle.

Interesting Facts About Stirling Castle: The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive volcanic crag, part of the Stirling Sill geological formation.

The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive volcanic crag, part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs, giving it a strong defensive position. It guards what was, until the 1890s, the farthest downstream crossing of the River Forth, This made it an important fortification from eary times.

The first records of Stirling Castle come from the 12th century. King Alexander I died there in 1124, and his successor, King David I, used the castle as a royal administration centre and residence. Stirling continued to be used in this way until the end of the reign of Alexander III (1286).

When Edward I invaded Scotland from England, he found Stirling Castle to be abandoned. The English occupied the castle until it was taken by the Scots in the events that followed the Battle of Stirling Bridge on the River Forth. The ownership of Stirling Castle switched several times between the English and Scots during the Scottish Wars of Independence.

In 1314 The Battle of Bannockburn took place very close to the walls of Stirling Castle. In this conflict, the Scots led by Robert the Bruce, defeated Edward II’s army and eventually captured the castle.

Robert de Bruce kills Sir Henry de Bohun in single combat on the first day of the Battle of Bannockburn on 23rd June 1314

James IV, James V and James VI made Stirling Castle a key royal centre, and most of the castle buildings seen today can be traced back to the the Renaissance period.

James VI grew up within the walls of Stirling Castle and his first child, Henry was born there in 1594. Following the Union of Crowns in 1603, when James VI of Scotland was crowned as King of England (James I), the royal household relocated to London. Stirling Castle was used mainly as a military centre.

James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until his death in 1625. The kingdoms of Scotland and England were individual sovereign states, with their own parliaments, judiciaries, and laws, though both were ruled by James in personal union.

The War Office owned the castle from 1800 until 1964. It was used as a barracks. The Great Hall became an accommodation block and the Royal Palace became the Officer’s Mess.

Today Stirling Castle is still the headquarters of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders infantry regiment, but no troops are actually based in the castle anymore.

Argyll and Sutherland Highlander Officer

Mary, Queen of Scots spent much of her life here - Interesting Facts About Stirling Castle

One of the more notable royal figures, Mary spent much of her youth and adulthood in the castle. The youngest ruler of Scotland - her father, King James V, having died when Mary was only six-days-old - she was crowned at the Royal chapel here. She returned here in her later years, when her son James VI took residence at the palace.

Mary, Queen of Scots.

While we know many killings took place here, none seem as violent and intentional as that of William, 8th Earl of Douglas. In February 1452, James II had the Earl assassinated with the help of his courtiers. He was stabbed 26 times, and then his body was flung from a castle window down into the gardens.

Interesting Facts About Stirling Castle - The first attempt at flight in Scotland happened here

In 1507, the very first record of an attempted flight took place on the Stirling castle walls. An Italian alchemist by the name of John Damian was in attendance at the court of James IV. He believed that with the aid of feathered wings, he would be able to take flight, and jumped from the battlements. Of course, this failed spectacularly and instead, John landed in a dunghill and broke his thigh bone.

Mary, Queen of Scots loved sports and in particular, football. She even recorded playing a game in one of her diaries. Behind the panelling in the Queen’s chamber, the oldest surviving football in the world was discovered. No one knows how it got there, but speculation includes the queen hid it in a safe place to protect it from witch craft. The ball was made from an inflated pig’s bladder, wrapped with cow’s hide and is around half the size of footballs today.

The World’s Oldest Football, 1540, found in Stirling Castle.

There may have been a lion in the Stirling Castle - Interesting Facts About Stirling Castle

Many people argue that James Vs lion was kept here. The king was known to have owned a lion as it was the symbol of the King of Scots. Within the castle there is an open rectangular courtyard, known as the Lion’s Den. This is where James is thought to have kept his pet.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Bannockburn, King Robert the Bruce regained control of the castle. The impressive fortress had switched hands so many times during the Wars of Independence, that Robert ordered all of the defences to be destroyed so it could never be used against his efforts again.

Massive efforts are being made to restore the buildings of Stirling Castle, and the castle is open to the public. It is visited by more than 300,000 people every year.