Visitors to Stirling approach the castle More impressive, though, is the palace, added later by James IV\u2019s son, James V.\u00a0 The outside of this building was coated in a honey-coloured lime wash known as king\u2019s gold, and features more than 250 carvings. \u00a0On the outside, facing the inner courtyard, are five statues: James V, looking like an Old-Testament prophet; Ganymede; Venus Armata, having defeated mars and featured using his weapons as playthings; Saturn; and Abundance.<\/p>\n Inside the palace, visitors can see the king\u2019s suite\u2014including his outer chamber, privy chamber, and formal bedchamber.\u00a0 All of these rooms are virtually empty, since James V died before the palace was completed.\u00a0 However, in the king\u2019s first hall, visitors can see replicas of the Stirling heads\u2014carved and painted figures mounted on the ceiling.\u00a0 James is in the second row and fourth from the left.\u00a0 His wives flank him, and King Henry VII of England (depicted with a lion across his shoulders) and Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, are also in this row.\u00a0 These carvings were meant to show that James V was on a political level with the European and English Kings.\u00a0 The original heads were scattered when the ceiling collapsed.\u00a0 Most of them have been recovered and are now on display in the gallery on the floor above the king\u2019s chamber.<\/p>\n The queen\u2019s chambers connect to the king\u2019s, and are a mirror image of his.\u00a0 Unlike James V, his second wife, Mary of Guise, lived in the castle for more than 30 years after James\u2019 death, and her bedchamber has been made to look as it might have during the 1530s.<\/p>\n Exterior of Stirling Castle with its wash of king’s gold<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n From the Queen\u2019s chamber, you can step outside to the Prince\u2019s walk, where some of Stirling\u2019s strangest statues can be viewed on a nearby wall.\u00a0 The audio guide explained that the figures might be meant to represent both physical protection of the people within Stirling\u2019s walls, and moral protection\u2014since the androgynous devil figure is the central position.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the Queen\u2019s receiving room, there are now replicas of the famous Unicorn Tapestry.\u00a0 While the originals\u2014made in Belgium, and now on display in New York\u2014were not owned by James and Mary, it is known that they had at least one unicorn tapestry of this sort.\u00a0 The tapestries on display here were made by craftspeople working at Stirling and in southern England.<\/p>\n The chapel is where Mary Queen of Scots was baptized and crowned. Her son, James VI of Scotland and I of England, was also baptized here in a golden, jewel-studded font (a gift from his godmother, Elizabeth I).\u00a0 King Charles I also visited the chapel in 1633, and it was in honour of his coming that the frieze near the ceiling was painted (he only stayed for 2 days, and the people of Stirling were very disappointed!)<\/p>\n A Note on accessibility<\/u><\/p>\n Stirling Castle had a wonderful audio guide, specifically designed for visually impaired guests.\u00a0 It was wonderful to know what things looked like, as well as what they meant, and to have directions designed to help me navigate the castle.\u00a0 It was still good to have a sighted guide to help me find some of the landmarks the guide sent me looking for, but it was helpful to have something telling me more than \u201cThere are statues on the wall,\u201d which is about as much as I would have gotten from Dad! \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n After Stirling Castle, we returned to Linlithgow and visited St. Michael\u2019s Church, which was where the Stewart monarchs worshiped when they were in residence at Linlithgow palace.<\/p>\n Edward I used the church as a storage space for his army in the 1300s, and Oliver Cromwell billeted soldiers and horses here when he attacked Scotland in the 1650s.\u00a0 You can still see grooves in the corner stones where Cromwell\u2019s men sharpened their swords!<\/p>\n The wall where Cromwell’s men sharpened their swords.<\/p><\/div>\n Linlithgow Palace is next door to St. Michael\u2019s church, and is well worth a visit if you have time.\u00a0 The large fountain in the centre of the main courtyard was built by James IV for his Tudor wife, Margaret, though only the mermaid, drummer, and scroll-h The palace itself is in ruins, and the most interesting features are probably the massive fireplaces.\u00a0 This one, located behind what would have been the king\u2019s table in the great hall, had three chimneys, and was big enough for me to stand in (okay, granted, I\u2019m only five feet tall, but still!)<\/p>\n We finished off the day with fish and chips beside Linlithgow loch, so dad could watch people fishing.\u00a0\u00a0 We\u2019ve just come back to our B&B, and are packing things up to head south again tomorrow.<\/p>\n For the past two days we\u2019ve stayed at a lovely B&B just outside of Linlithgow called Lismore House<\/em>.\u00a0 I\u2019d highly recommend it if you\u2019re planning on exploring the south of Scotland and have your own transportation\u2014and if you don\u2019t mind sheep and highland cattle \ud83d\ude1b\u00a0 Jacquie, the landlady, is cheerful and wonderfully welcoming; every time we returned to our rooms it was to find some new home-baked goodies waiting alongside a thermos of tea.\u00a0 The fact that I couldn\u2019t see didn\u2019t put her off for an instant, and she was always happy to discuss the day\u2019s plans and make recommendations over breakfast.\u00a0 Thanks for such a wonderful visit, Jacquie!<\/p>\n Northumberland tomorrow!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0Sunday, May 26, 2013 Today, Dad and I set out from Falkirk to visit Stirling Castle, and had time to squeeze in the royal residence and chapel in Linlithgow, too. Stirling Castle Geographic Importance Stirling Castle has been called \u201ca … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.glmorganwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/The-15th-Century-Hall-Stirling-Castle.jpg\")
<\/a> through the gatehouse, which was added in the 1700s in response to the Jacobite threat.\u00a0 Inside, there are two main living structures.\u00a0 The first, the great hall, was built by King James IV in the 1400s, and boasted a minstrel\u2019s gallery, standing candelabra, and two great, throne-like chairs where James and his wife would receive guests.<\/p>\nThe 16th<\/sup>-Century Palace<\/h1>\n
<\/a>The Chapel<\/h1>\n
St. Michael\u2019s Church in Linlithgow<\/h1>\n
<\/a>Linlithgow Palace<\/h2>\n
<\/a>older are original, the majority of the fountain having fallen into ruin over the centuries.<\/p>\nA Note on the B&B<\/h2>\n