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Stirling Castle
Sign in to savecastle in Stirling, Scotland, UK
Key facts
- Owner
- Historic Environment Scotland , Ministry of Defence
- Open to the public
- Yes
- Grid reference
- grid reference NS789940
- Built
- Castle dates from at least early 12th century, present buildings mostly built between 1490 and 1600
- Built by
- Significant works by James IV , James V , and James VI
- In use
- Still in use today
- Battles wars
- Sieges and occupations during the Wars of Scottish Independence (1296–1357); sieges in 1651, 1746
- Current commander
- James Erskine, 14th Earl of Mar
- Past commanders
- Hereditary office of the Earls of Mar
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Official website
- www.stirlingcastle.scot
- Image
- Stirlingcastle.jpg
Show 6 more facts
- native label
- Stirling Castle
- OS grid reference
- NS789940
- Commons category
- Stirling Castle
- Commons gallery
- Stirling Castle
- social media followers
- 14634
- P8168
- Jourgnac
via Wikidata · CC0
~39 min read
Article
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits atop an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs, giving it a strong defensive position. Its strategic location, guarding what was, until the 1890s, the farthest downstream crossing of the River Forth, has made it an important fortification in the region from the earliest times.
Most of the principal buildings of the castle date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. A few structures remain from the fourteenth century, while the outer defences fronting the town date from the early eighteenth century.