Stirling Castle & Cruise for Guides

Stirling Castle is a historic Scottish stronghold, pivotal in the nation's story, evolving from a 12th-century fortress to a grand Renaissance palace for the Stewart monarchs (James IV & V), the childhood home of Mary, Queen of Scots, and a major military barracks, now a top tourist site showcasing royal history, battles, and stunning architecture like the Great Hall and Royal Palace. 

• Think about your journey to the Castle, is there anything you can think of that would make Stirling Castle difficult to invade? 

The Castle is built on a high and craggy hill with great views across the land. This means it was hard to reach, and anyone in the Castle could see attackers approaching. During the 12th Century, Stirling Castle was positioned on the only main route connecting the Highlands to the Lowlands of Scotland. It was also positioned on the only bridge over the Firth of Forth river, all of this meant it was a great place to hold if you were wanting a strong position in Scotland. It was said that to hold Stirling was to hold Scotland, and the Castle was passed back and forth between Scotland and England for around 200 years. 

There are free tours of Stirling Castle, ask at the entrance when they are running and suggest to the group that they attend one- it will give them a brief overview of the historical significance of the place, and details about some of the rooms. 

This is a beatiful example of some of Scotland's best scenery. A 'loch' is a Scottish lake, this one is a natural freshwater loch, and it provides drinking water to much of Glasgow. For this reason, the water needs to stay clean and diesel boats are not allowed. Today we're riding a beautiful steam boat that will take us on a short cruise around the water. You will get some great scenic views so get your cameras ready!