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Stirling Castle Facts & Worksheets

Stirling Castle is a towering fortress above the River Forth in Scotland. This iconic landmark played a significant role in Scottish and English history.

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Stirling Castle, towering a sizeable volcanic rock above the River Forth at the meeting point of the Lowlands and Highlands, was the key to the kingdom of Scotland. Moreover, it has been restored to its former splendor as the royal residence of the Stuart monarchy at its peak of power and grandeur.  In its later history, the castle was a great symbol of Scottish independence and national pride.

See the fact file below for more information on Stirling Castle or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Stirling Castle worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

  • Stirling Castle was built between 1490 and 1600 by James IV, king of Scotland.
  • During the Wars of Independence, when English kings attempted to subjugate Scotland and make it a part of their country, Stirling Castle played a key role. In 1297, the Scottish hero William Wallace (c. 1270-1305 CE) led a great victory near Stirling Bridge over a considerably bigger English army.
  • The murder of William IX Earl of Douglas took place in 1452 when he was invited to dinner there. His skeleton was discovered in the castle in the 18th century and is thought to be his.
  • The castle is one of the few that has not been occupied continuously over the years.
  • When Edward II invaded Scotland during the Wars of Independence in 1296, he discovered the colossal fortress vacant and abandoned. This made it relatively easy for the English king to establish a Scottish stronghold.
  • Most of Scotland’s later medieval rulers picked Stirling as their home, and most contributed to its remarkable architecture.
  • During the reign of James IV (1488–1513), Scotland adopted classical ideals from Renaissance Europe. He invested a great deal of time and money into building the castle proper for a European monarch, partially to impress his queen, Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII of England.

STRUCTURE OF STIRLING CASTLE

  • Within the castle, there are three primary enclosures: (1) Outer defenses along the major approach line, (2) major enclosure at the summit of the rock, limited in the south by the Forework and surrounded by a defensive wall, and (3) Nether Bailey, to the north.
  • The Inner Close, a square made of the primary structures for royal occupation, sits at the castle’s core.
  • The King’s Old Building was constructed in 1496 for James IV. Around 1503, James IV added the Great Hall. In 1540, the Royal Palace was built for James V. James VI and I commissioned the Chapel Royal in 1594.
  • Stirling was strongly contested and regularly changed hands throughout the Wars of Independence with England (1296–1356).
  • Nearby, bloody engagements include (1) Wallace’s tremendous victory at Stirling Bridge versus English soldiers (1297). (2) The decisive victory of Robert the Bruce over Edward II at Bannockburn (1314)
  • Royal building projects like the Great Hall, the Chapel Royal, and the Palace of James V marked it out as one of the most critical places in Scotland.

FEATURES OF STIRLING CASTLE

  • In 1566, James VI was baptized in the old Chapel Royal during the last set piece Catholic Mass in Scotland. The newborn prince’s father, Lord Darnley, snubbed the ceremony and did not attend the three-day celebrations conducted by his mother.
  • This beautiful banqueting hall was used for feasts, dances, and pageants and is the largest of its sort ever built in Scotland. 
  • In 1594, James VI hosted a banquet in the hall to celebrate his son Prince Henry’s christening. The external walls are painted in a distinctive color, Royal Gold harling, much as they would have been in the 1500s.
  • The Nether Bailey is located north of the main castle area, on the lower part of the castle rock. It is reached by descending through Stirling Castle’s North Gate, likely the oldest portion of the castle.
  • The King’s Old Building, started as a new residential range by James IV and initially consisted of an L-shaped building, is the oldest component of the Inner Close. 
  • The octagonal upper portion of the projecting stair tower was reproduced for a second, later stair tower was on the same building.

RECONSTRUCTION

  • Every alteration had to be supported by archaeological or historical data.
  • Refurbishing the Palace and presenting it as it was in the past required the creation of new tapestries, furnishings, stained glass shutter board windows, and even doors, as well as the preservation and repair of the building’s original materials.
  • Some parts of the Palace have not been restored, such as the fireplaces, which hold minuscule remnants of previous paint that may provide important information in the future. On the other hand, The Royal Palace of Stirling Castle was purposefully left unaltered. The West Gallery, which leads to the Royal Lodgings, has been meticulously restored to its original state. 
  • Visitors will be able to observe the underlying archaeology as well as how the structure has evolved over the last 500 years.
  • It’s a good reminder that the Palace on display has been formed by years of meticulous research, but it can only ever be a reconstruction of what might have existed there previously.
  • Because of its history, it became a powerful symbol of Scottish independence and pride up until the present time.
  • The palace’s inside was the focus of the research and restoration work. The army’s interior barrier walls were demolished. 
  • When the soldiers left, the Palace was only a ghost of its former self. Only the building’s skeleton remains. 
  • The rooms were restored to their original round configuration. The King and Queen each had their own set of three rooms in the main rooms. 
  • There is a spacious Outer Hall, a smaller Inner Hall (also known as a Presence Chamber), and a still smaller Bedchamber. 
  • To the west, there was also an entrance passage connected the King’s and Queen’s chambers.
  • The constructors looked into royal inventory lists from this time period for precise descriptions of furniture. They were also inspired by existing 16th-century furniture. The King’s apartment was not finished because James V died before the palace was finished and the King’s chambers were not equipped.
  • The restoration was done as closely as feasible to how it would have been done in the 16th century. The Unicorn Tapestry Project and the Stirling Heads Project, in particular, are excellent examples of this.

Stirling Castle Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Stirling Castle across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about Stirling Castle, which is a towering fortress above the River Forth and played a significant role in Scottish and English history.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  • Stirling Castle Facts 
  • Hunt My Piece
  • The Salient Three
  • Two Truth and A Lie
  • King James IV
  • 100% Refurbish
  • Build Your Own
  • My Anatomy
  • Be Accurate!
  • Ponder Time
  • Crossing

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Stirling Castle famous?

Stirling Castle is important because it links the Scottish Highlands with the Lowlands on the River Forth. Historically, it’s a significant symbol of Scottish resistance to English rule.

Did Mary, Queen of Scots, live at Stirling Castle?

Mary, Queen of Scots, was crowned Queen of Scotland in Stirling Castle’s chapel when she was just a few months old. She then lived at the castle for five years before being moved to Dumbarton Castle and, in later years, to France.

Is Stirling Castle bigger than Edinburgh Castle?

Stirling Castle has an impressively tall tower, standing at 250 ft high. The Great Hall is also large at 137 feet long and 46 feet wide. However, Edinburgh Castle is larger.

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Link will appear as Stirling Castle Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, August 4, 2022

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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