The 2025 Morgan Europe Trip

May 9, 2025 Inside Stirling Castle

Today was the day we stormed the castle and gained entrance! It is one of the best preserved castle complexes we have seen on this trip. The weather was perfect and the castle wasn't too crowded. There were a few employees in period costumes stationed in the palace with information to share, and outside guides dressed in Stirling castle tartan colors to direct and answer questions. Here's a link for more history: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/stirling-castle/history/

We started outside walking the ramparts and seeing the grand views of the area around the castle, then we went inside through the vaults that are currently used as small rooms set up to educate the visitor on castle life in the 1500s. After that, there was the palace, a great hall used for feasting and ceremonies, a chapel for the Church of Scotland, the kitchens, the North Gate (the oldest section), and out the front door. These castle complexes are added to for hundreds and hundreds of years so they end up a little bit like a mouse maze. Let's begin.

An artist's rendition of the castle complex.

We came through the main entrance and took our first pictures in Bowling Green Gardens. It was there that games were played. Now, it's labeled Queen Anne Garden.

The garden at ground level.

The garden from above.

We walked the outer wall of the garden and took pictures of the views.

Up on the wall that overlooks the Bowling Green Gardens.

A view of the castle from the wall.

Looking down on King's Park which includes King's Knot and pasture land. A plaque read, "The fields before you once rang with the clash of armored knights."

Another cemetery surrounding the castle. Not the one I did a post on May 5.

Looking over and beyond the front gate marked by flags here and in the picture of the castle overview.

Looking down on the River Forth and a statue of King Robert the Bruce.

Aaron at his lookout post.

All of us.

From the wall of the garden, we headed inside the palace. First stop is the vaults where educational rooms were set up teaching about castle life.

"Cleaks" used for fighting fires in the castle.

Room 1. It also had a lute and a harp you could play, but they were in bad shape from dozens of school field trips, I presume. I didn't take any pictures of them.

Room 3 was the tailors vault.

Mary Queen of Guise! What a surprise!

Waiting for our invitation to the banquet.

Aaron has rizz (charisma) in any time period!

Two pretty lasses hoping to catch the eye of a knight!

Room 5, The Jesters Vault.

Aaron

Paul

After a tour through the vaults, we went upstairs to see the king and queen's apartments.

First, we passed through the Lion's Den. Aaron was looking for Amon-Ra St. Brown but was disappointed.

The queen's personal triptych, a 3 panel screen of religious art used for prayer and meditation on Christ's mysteries.

The king's rooms are next, starting with the bedroom adjoining the queen's bedroom. James V did not live to see the completion of the castle so his bedroom is left spartan as it would have been in the 1540s.

His bed as it would have been left in the 1540s.

The wooden carved heads on the ceiling are described more below.

Henry VIII with a lion on his shoulders.

The national animal of Scotland is the unicorn and first appeared in the Scottish coat of arms around the 12th century. The unicorn represents purity, innocence, strength, and power. Qualities attributed to Scottish kings and the nation itself.

We left the personal chambers of the king and queen and moved to more public spaces. First stop, the Great Hall.