A Trip to Stirling Castle, Scotland

When my family and I made our way from Glasgow to Inverness in Scotland, we decided to make what we thought would be a quick stop to check out a cool landmark. We didn’t expect Stirling Castle to be a full-day experience that we had to tear ourselves away from!

(I’m writing this in more of a story format than the guides like I did for my two Ireland posts. I did this with some of my earlier posts about San Ignacio and my field school experience there, and I like it a lot more. I love stories, so why not write more of them?)

We headed out from Glasgow to make our way to our next hotel in Inverness, planning to get there by the end of the day, at least.

We didn’t have any particular plan for the day, hoping to just find something to do in Inverness or stop somewhere along the way that caught our attention.

Right before stopping for gas, we saw a sign for the Battle of Bannockburn site as well as Stirling Castle. Initially, we thought they were both the same place, but we ended up at the castle itself.

At the Gates of Stirling Castle

Stirling Castle does have a gate, but there’s no portcullis or guards anymore!

The actual castle gate is always opened, but in front of that is a parking lot where the ticket booth awaits. Booking online is definitely the easier way to go so you don’t have to wait in line.

Even from the parking lot, situated right in front of the castle (in a place where I assume there used to be stables and such), you can see some beautiful views of the landscape. The town of Stirling spreads out in every direction before giving way to grassy fields and forested hills. Coming here in autumn added some beautiful orange and yellow to the canopy of trees.

Far in the distance, you can see a tower, the National Wallace Monument, overlooking Stirling from the opposite side. It feels like something straight out of a fantasy world, like a special point of interest I could go to in a game like Elden Ring or Skyrim. Of course, I can actually go to that tower, but unlike in a game, I can’t just save and come back later to finish the adventure. We had time constraints and only had time for Stirling Castle. (That’s alright, there’s always next time!)

After purchasing our tickets, checking out the statue of Robert the Bruce, and perusing the gift shop, we made our way inside. We showed our tickets to guards, who unfortunately (or fortunately?) weren’t holding halberds they could use to block our way.

The Courtyards and a Tour

Stirling Castle is huge.

Even standing in front of it, or within its courtyards, doesn’t really seem to do it justice.

When we first arrived, we started following a tour guide who had just begun his tour. He explained the castle’s history as we walked around, showing off special imagery and signs of battle. There are still some bits of cannonballs wedged into the walls in some places! He explained that some buildings burned down at one time or another and have been rebuilt.

Stirling Castle is over 800 years old. It’s seen a lot.

The nice thing about these tours is that they are always going. It’s easy to drop out of one group to take a break and join another to continue the story.

At some point, my mom stopped to get coffee from the Unicorn Café, located on the castle grounds right by the kitchen. If you’re here and get hungry or thirsty, make sure to stop in.

Heading Inside

As we went inside the first of many buildings in the castle, the banquet hall, I found myself appalled at the sheer size of the room. It was easy to imagine a big crowd inside, drinking, eating, and laughing. At the far end of the room sat two thrones on a raised platform with their own separate table. The lord and his wife would have eaten here.

Of course, we have democracy now, so everyone is equal. I sat down in the throne, staring out at the banquet hall with its high, arching ceilings and stained glass windows.

I felt like a king.

Did you know you can get married here? I’d imagine it’s insanely expensive, but it would definitely make for a memorable wedding!

The next building we entered took us through several parts of the royal quarters. We witnessed the extravagance of their decorations, beds, furniture, and everything else. We also got to see authentic recreations of several tapestries telling the story of a unicorn hunt. (For some reason, the originals are in New York.)

The final room we went through had something I never would have expected: faces on the ceiling. Carved faces, of course, but still faces: all created with immense care and attention to detail. These carvings depicted important figures throughout history: many UK rulers like Henry VIII, but also others like Caesar.

We wouldn’t learn the full story behind these carvings until a bit later. In fact, we had been advised to check out this room before heading into that exhibit.

Stirling Castle’s Museums

After waiting in line for the room to clear out a bit, we finally got to see the original face carvings. The ones on the ceiling of the palace are actually recreations.

When a fire caused the palace roof to collapse, most of these carved heads were recovered unharmed. Unfortunately, many of them fell into the hands of collectors for quite a while. Most of the heads have been recollected since, with a few having been either destroyed or lost.

Now, another thing we learned about in this exhibit is how they recreated the originals for display on the ceiling. While the original carvings no longer have their colors, the artists were able to look at the wood carvings under a microscope and found tiny pieces of paint that still remained. From here, they applied a basecoat over their new carvings (not using lead paint this time). Then, they applied color, imitating the originals before displaying them.

When you really examine the originals, though, you can see just how much detail went into their creation. There are patterns carved into them to look like lacework, and one even has guidelines for a song written around its border. That song plays in the exhibit room!

Next, we went to the “Museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders“, located in the same courtyard. We didn’t spend a lot of time here, though, as we needed to leave soon. Stirling Castle has a rich history going even into the mid-1900s, when it served as barracks for the Argyll soldiers during the World Wars and beyond. If you’re curious to learn more about that, make sure to check it out when you visit!

Leaving Stirling Castle

Just before leaving, we traveled along the lower sections of the wall. Here, we saw more beautiful gardens and scenic views of the distant landscape. We also learned more about the recreation of the tapestries.

Finally, we rounded out the trip with a visit to the kitchens. Here, they have statues posed to look like they’re working, with ambience playing to sound like they’re hard at work. Facsimiles of food are on full display across the counters and tables— a typical day for the cooks at Stirling Castle.

We rounded out our visit to Stirling with a meal at TJ’s Restaurant and Bar. They served American style food, and did it well. We looked around at a few shops, then got in the car to finish our journey to Inverness.

Conclusion

I can’t believe how much there was to see at Stirling Castle. I definitely want to return to Stirling and even just to Scotland, as there is so much more I’d love to see!

But all good things must come to an end, and we departed for Inverness after this to visit Loch Ness.

If/ when I make a return trip, I’ll make sure to add to this post or make another one.

Any questions, comments, or concerns? Make sure to leave a comment down below. If you need to, you can also contact me directly!

Thank you for reading!