They visited to enjoy the luxurious surroundings and sweeping views from the castle. The castle was frequently patronised by Scottish royalty. It quickly grew to be a hotspot for spotting up and coming royals as well as becoming a striking royal palace and stronghold over the centuries. The castle's royal inhabitants guaranteed great things for Stirling Castle. Stirling Castle's most famous resident was Mary Queen of Scots, who like many other Scottish kings and queens, was crowned at Stirling Castle. It became a childhood home for some of the most famous people in Scottish and British history such as James VI and James I. Stirling Castle was a favourite place to stay for royalty. They are now hung on the walls of the Queen’s Inner Hall in the royal palace, allowing visitors to recapture the atmosphere of Scotland’s royal court. To celebrate the lost art of tapestry-making, a £2 million project saw the creation of huge new tapestries that took 13 years to complete. Back in the olden days, having a tapestry was a symbol of wealth because only the richest people could afford them - of course James V had a massive collection which included pieces based on the world-famous Unicorn Tapestries. Nowadays, people can telegraph their 'well to do' status by having the latest Mercedes parked on their driveway.

It is said to be one of the best-preserved Renaissance buildings in the UK and has been refurbished to look as it might have done around 1540. Stirling Castle is one of Scotland's top tourist attractions where visitors can see how royals including Mary Queen of Scots lived, many centuries ago (Image: Historic Environment Scotland)Ī key highlight of Stirling Castle is the Royal Palace. It is one of Scotland's top tourist attractions and is a real treat for fans of beautiful architecture, history and royal gossip from days past. Stirling Castle sit on the crag of Castle Hill, forming part of the Stirling Sill geological formation.

It is fitting that a heritage-rich castle from the 12th century - the first written record of the castle was in 1107 - is entertaining and inspiring audiences 900 years later. This includes palace intrigue, bloody wars, murder and even a Game Of Thrones connection which automatically propels it to iconic building status. Luckily Stirling Castle is steeped in jaw-dropping history. Scotland is reportedly home to approximately 3,000 of them, so a castle must be extra special in order to capture people's attention whilst staying relevant centuries after being built. But what if there are hundreds of castles, how do you become noticeable then? Castles are majestic buildings whose unique architecture makes them stand out from the crowd.

Purple palace game