Stirling is an important castle in Scotland because of it location. It has been said that whoever owns Stirling, owns Scotland. The earliest recorded castle at Stirling was used by Malcolm Canmore in the 11th century. The castle over looks some of the most important battlefields in Scotland. These include the site of Stirling Bridge, William Wallace's victory over the English in 1297 and Bannockburn where Robert the Bruce defeated the English in 1314. James III was born here in 1451. James II lured the 8th Earl of Douglas to it in 1452, murdered him, and had his body tossed out of one of the windows. Mary, Queen of Scots, was crowned in the Old Chapel in 1543 and the future James VI was baptised here in 1566. James VI stayed here in 1617, as did Charles I in 1633, and Charles II in 1650. The Jacobites took it over during both the 1715 and 1745 Risings.

Stirling Castle	Main Entrance	Battery Overlooking City
Royal Apartments	Jail and Storage Areas	Outer Wall

Coventry, Martin, a Wee Guide to the Castles and Mansions of Scotland, Goblinshead, Edinburgh, 1998.