Stirling Castle

I still hold Stirling Castle to be the best tourist attraction in Scotland, and after they've opened the palace building, with copies of the famous Heads, it's better than ever. The exhibits are as varied as they are spectacular, and the views are as good as the one from the Wallace Monument.

I went up there today, and at the parking lot (where I was able to secure free parking due to my lifetime membership, nya nya!), I was accosted by a couple of mature Americans from NYC, who had some questions about... well, most things. We got to talking and it turned out they didn't have time to do a complete tour of the castle, but would like to see the grounds and maybe enter some of the buildings. I immediately offered to get them in for free, cuz that's what I can do with mah membership. Have I mentioned it before? I can take two guests with me for nuffin, sweet nuffin.

They had plenty of questions for me afterwards too, like where was I from (they thought I was American), why had I a Historic Scotland membership, where had I been in the US, what were my favorite destinations, etc. We joined a guided group that had just started, and they stayed with me for 10-15 minutes before they had to skeedaddle. As usual with Americans, they were very nice, and I felt myself breathing a little easier after hearing that wonderful yankee accent again. Ahhhh.

All pics here.

The king's palace. James V had it built to show that he could compete with the finest of European royalty. Just after it was finished, he went and got himself killed by the English at the age of 30.


The reconstructed Heads of Stirling. What a work of art!


One of the original Heads, made for James V. They're on display upstairs in the palace.


Details from the renovated palace building.








The Great Hall. I believe I've mentioned before that once upon a time, the whole castle was painted in this color. It was literally a shining city on the hill.


The minstrel's gallery from inside the Great Hall. They do weddings and such these days; you can book the room for private events. The Hall takes 300 people.


The Hall from another side.


There are tons of statues great and small around the castle buildings, especially on the palace building. The unicorn was supposed to symbolize the purity and justness of the monarchy. Yeah, right.


From inside the chapel. Mary, Queen of Scots was crowned here.


The palace gardens, which were once the king's hunting grounds.


The golf course just above the gardens.


This green spot was used for bowling back in the day.


The corner garden, a secluded and often forgotten spot. Very peaceful.