Stirling Castle

Stirling Castle sits atop a volcanic rock formation at the head of the Forth Valley, controlling a strategic crossing point that made it one of the most important strongholds in Scottish history. The Renaissance palace buildings within the castle walls, commissioned by James V in the sixteenth century, are among the finest examples of that architectural style in Scotland. The great hall, restored to its original limewashed exterior, stands as one of the earliest and largest Renaissance secular buildings in the country.