A royal palace and stronghold, where pupils can investigating explore important themes from ’s history.

Information for teachers

EDUCATION INVESTIGATING HISTORIC SITES: SITES 2

Welcome to Stirling Castle Contents Stirling Castle is one of Scotland’s most Special activities for schools P4 magnificent, built on a rocky outcrop There are many activities programmed Supporting learning and commanding a view for many to take place every year for schools at and teaching miles around. It was built as an almost Stirling Castle. In the past, activities impregnable , and visitors have included storytelling with P6 can explore many aspects of its long puppets for early years groups, art Integrating a visit with military history, particularly during the activities based on decoration in classroom studies Wars of Independence in the 1300s. the castle and two-site events at But it was also an important and Bannockburn and Stirling. P8 luxurious royal palace. Visitors today can Timeline gain an insight into the life of Scotland’s Visit the Historic Scotland website royal court, especially that of James V. to download this year’s Schools Programme. P10 Using this pack Stirling Castle: www.historic-scotland.gov.uk This resource pack is designed for a historical overview In addition to events organised by teachers planning to visit Stirling Castle Historic Scotland, handling boxes are with their pupils. It includes: P12 available for the use of pupils free of Themed teacher-led tours • Suggestions for how a visit to charge at the Regimental Museum of Stirling Castle can support delivery the and Sutherland Highlanders, P13 of the Curriculum for Excellence situated within the castle. There are Tour 1: currently two boxes of objects, one • Ideas for integrating a visit with Attackers and Defenders relating to the First World War and classroom learning through pre- and the other to the Home Front and the post- visit activities P22 Second World War. Contact 01786 Tour 2: • A map of Stirling Castle, background 475165 for booking and further The Wars of information, guidance notes and details. notes for discussion for three Independence Risk Assessment teacher-led themed tours: P32 o Tour 1: Attackers and Defenders Risk assessment of the site is the Tour 3: responsibility of the teacher in charge o Tour 2: The Wars of of the group. A Hazard Sheet to assist Mary Queen of Scots and Independence with this is available to download on the Stewart Household o Tour 3: Mary Queen of Scots and the education pages of the Historic Scotland website. P46 the Stewart Household Additional resources • Suggestions for further resources We also highly recommend that teachers book a free planning visit to Booking your visit P47 Stirling Castle. This enables teachers to Other places to visit Historic Scotland operates a free familiarise themselves with the site and admission scheme for education its facilities in advance of a visit. Contact P47 groups visiting Stirling Castle between the Education Unit to book. Acknowledgements the months of September and April Find out more about the Education inclusive. During the months of May, Unit and the services it offers by June, July and August there is a small visiting the Historic Scotland website: charge per pupil. You can book a visit www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/ by contacting the Historic Scotland education_unit.htm Education Unit on 0131 668 8793.

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Pupils interact with a costumed activity leader during a school visit to Stirling Castle

How to get to Stirling Castle Access Stirling town centre is easily reached via the M9, leaving Most of the castle is accessible to wheelchair users, at Junction 9 or Junction 10. There are also regular but the following areas are currently inaccessible: the buses and trains. Elphinstone Tower, the Great Kitchens and the Museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. There is a Stirling Castle sits at the top of the historic old town, 15 courtesy bus for visitors who have difficulty with steep minutes’ walk from the bus or train station. Simply follow inclines or steps. Mar Place up to Castlehill. Facilities • Exhibition bringing the castle’s history to life. • Interpretive panels telling the story of the castle. • Audio-guided tour. • Virtual tour to enable visitors with mobility problems to make the most of their visit. • Shop selling books, jewellery, tapestry products, gifts and souvenirs. • Café serving a varied menue of hot and cold food and drinks. • Picnic area • Parking for buses and cars

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Supporting learning and teaching

School visitors enjoy an opportunity to dress up in costumes during a visit to Stirling Castle

A Curriculum for Excellence A visit, and use of the supporting materials will help to develop: The Curriculum for Excellence aspires to motivate and challenge pupils through a wide range of varied learning • successful learners by challenging pupils to experiences. consider how life has changed for people. It will help them to think critically about the nature of ‘By exploring places, investigating artefacts and discussing evidence and to arrive at their own conclusions. It the past, I can interpret historical evidence to help build a will provide a real context for learning which brings picture of Scotland’s heritage.’ (SOC 201A) the past alive This example of a broad learning outcome from Social • confident individuals by helping pupils learn Studies: People, past events and societies shows the about aspects of Scotland’s past and to see their importance placed by the Curriculum for Excellence on place in it. site visits and ‘real’ learning experiences. Visits to historic sites have a particular role to play in ‘joining up’ learning • responsible citizens by increasing pupils’ outcomes, making learning relevant and in their capacity to knowledge and understanding of the history and offer learners a degree of personalisation and choice. heritage of our society and thereby encouraging greater respect for the historic built environment As the Curriculum for Excellence develops, it is clear and that site visits to places such as Stirling Castle are ideally placed to assist not only in the achievement of specific • effective contributors by encouraging pupils to outcomes, but also in the delivery of the four capacities express their viewpoints and opinions. underpinning the curriculum.

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On-site activities - collecting evidence If you wish to make up your own Evidence Record, you can ask pupils to look for clues to explain what went This resource offers three suggested themed tours of on in particular locations, and to look for evidence of Stirling Castle: changes or damage to buildings. Some general starting • Tour 1: Attackers and Defenders, which focuses on points could include: Stirling Castle as a defensive stronghold. • What materials were used to build the castle? Why • Tour 2: The Wars of Independence, which focuses were these materials chosen? Are there any materials on the role of Stirling Castle during this turbulent which might have rotted away or been stolen since period of Scottish history. then? • Tour 3: Mary Queen of Scots and the Stewart • What evidence can you find to show that the castle Household, which focuses on Stirling Castle as a was attacked. royal residence and raises awareness of 16th century • Do you think this room has always looked like this? castle life. Can you see anywhere it has been altered? Why The themes chosen are three of the most popular might it have been changed? with visiting schools. The guidance notes for the tours • What evidence is there for everyday life? are intended to focus pupils’ attention on selected aspects of the built environment. The aim is to give Pupils can record evidence by pupils sufficient information to enable them to draw • taking notes conclusions from the physical evidence they can see around them. The tours focus on looking, discussing and • sketching thinking rather than on writing or reading, in order to • taking photographs help pupils achieve outcomes such as this: By exploring • recording impressions into a tape recorder. places, investigating artefacts and discussing the past, I can interpret historical evidence to help build a Following the visit pupils can pool their findings in picture of Scotland’s heritage. (SOC 201A) groups to create a fuller record of the castle. This could form the basis for a range of activites across the In order to develop skills of recording and observation, curriculum, for example: you may wish pupils to compile an Evidence Record. Samples of these may be found on the Historic Scotland • Preparing a guide book or leaflet for future visitors website. • A slide show about their visit with commentary These can be adapted for the needs of your pupils. The • Imaginative writing based on the lives of the people aim of the evidence record should be to encourage who lived or worked at the castle – even a prisoner development of observational, descriptive and recording skills, rather than to look for answers to specific • A series of drama sketches showing snapshots of questions which they can find equally well in books or events in the castle through the ages other sources in the classroom. • Preparing entertainment for a royal banquet

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Integrating a visit with classroom studies

Educational visits have the greatest value if they Tour 1: Attackers and Defenders are planned into schemes of work. Here are some suggestions for preparatory activities and activities Before your visit to follow up in the classroom after your visit. Some 1. Help pupils become familiar with some of are useful for setting the context; others guide pupils the medieval methods of warfare. Most towards achievement of specific learning outcomes in were taken by using machines such as siege Social Studies: People, past events and societies. engines, trebuchets, battering rams, siege towers General pre-visit suggestions and mangonels. Help them to see that castles were constructed in response to these weapons, with heavy Visit the Historic Scotland website: www.historic- walls designed to withstand battering by trebuchets scotland.gov.uk for information about any events or and siege engines and later on by cannon. Individual activities taking place at Stirling Castle. soldiers attacked using bows and arrows or crossbows until the invention of muskets and firearms. There are also other relevant publications in Historic Scotland’s Investigating series, detailed at the back of 2. Discuss what you could do to defend your castle this resource, which are either downladable from the against siege weapons and individual archers or website or can be obtained by telephoning 0131 668 marksmen. Get pupils to look at pictures of castles 8793. and see if they can work out why they are built as they are. Look out for: location of castle, usually on 1. Discuss with pupils what a castle is. Discuss how a high point for defensive purposes; or dry castles had many roles – as a home for the noble ditches; thickness and height of walls; , and powerful, as a defensive fort, as a place where and to defend the entrance to the important events took place, and as a . castle; notched behind which defenders 2. Get pupils to research and collect pictures of castles. could stand; gun loops and arrow slits; murder What makes a castle a castle? What features do they holes above doorways from which defenders could have in common? Find a picture of a castle and label attack; stone or timber ‘’ – galleries the most distinctive features. Help pupils learn some projecting from the walls from which missiles could of the terminology of a castle, to assist discussion on be dropped or fired. Get pupils to draw a ‘perfect site. Words which are particularly relevant to Stirling castle’, with features designed to repel all kinds of Castle include: palace, , , siege attack. engine, dungeon, earthworks, , , After your visit inner and outer close, guard hall, presence chamber, bed chamber, chapel, , vault, , 1. Discuss with pupils what they have found out about , , . These words can be the defences of Stirling Castle. Can they annotate a collated into a class dictionary and added to after plan of the castle, highlighting defensive features? the visit. 2. Using this plan, write a report from the point of view 3. Whatever your chosen study area, it is worth of an attacking spy, suggesting the best method of handing over some individual areas of research to attacking the castle. pupils. Let them choose an area of study from a list 3. Write an imaginative account of an attack on the of suggestions (e.g. cooking at Stirling, defences at castle, either from the attackers’ or the defenders’ Stirling, games and relaxation, how the royals lived, point of view. how servants lived). In pairs or small groups, get them 4. Construct model siege engines or mini-catapults to come up with a few key questions on this subject. and fire them at model brick walls. Whose catapult is As they visit the castle, they should be looking out most successful? See the Historic Scotland pack on for evidence to supply answers to their questions – Siege Engines for further details or download plans evidence from the built environment, from objects in for a model siege engine from the website. cases or from display panels.

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Tour 2: The Wars of Independence Tour 3: Mary Queen of Scots and the Stewart Household Before your visit 1. If pupils are studying the Wars of Independence, Before your visit or Wallace and Bruce, it is expected that some 1. Plot the major events of Mary’s life on a class timeline. preliminary work will have been undertaken on this Some of the few positive events of Mary’s life in topic before arriving at Stirling. Help pupils become Scotland took place at Stirling – her coronation, and familiar with some of the key figures of the time: later the elaborate baptism celebrations for her son. Edward I and Edward II of England, 2. Stirling provides an opportunity for pupils to explore and of Scotland. Key events could be different aspects of a Mary’s life: her life as a child marked on the class timeline. Visiting the castle will before leaving for France; her formal, constitutional make this theme become real and will help pupils life, including her coronation as an infant and her discover how past events of the actions of individuals relationship with Parliament and the Church, and her have helped shaped Scottish society. life of leisure – hunting in the forests round about 2. Perhaps the most useful specific preparation which Stirling, dancing and music in the Great Hall and her could be undertaken in advance is to look at why domestic life, as demonstrated by the rooms in the Stirling was seen as so important strategically, why it Royal Palace. Pupils could research these elements so was worth fighting over on so many occasions. Look at that the shell of the palace makes more sense to them its location on a map – even one from today. Look at when they visit. Through researched role-play, pupils how Stirling is in a position between the Highlands and can compare aspects of people’s daily lives in the the Lowlands and controls access to the . past with their own by recreating a historical setting Discuss why this was important. Look at its location in and reenacting their lifestyle. relation to other key places of the time – , (SOC 103C) Dunfermline, Scone, and St Andrews. After your visit After your visit 1. Pupils could split into two groups – servants and Queen From the castle it is possible to see the sites of the Battle Mary. After initial discussion and possibly drama work of Stirling (1297) and the to explore the events of one day, pupils could write (1314). Pupils could write accounts of these battles from an imaginative account or produce a comic script the point of view of the inmates of the castle – in English describing the same day but from different points of hands prior to both battles. Pupils could also write diaries view. The day’s events could include washing, eating, of the three-month siege of 1304 from within the castle. a hunt in the forest followed by a feast and dancing in the evening, for example. This will help pupils use information to recreate the story of a place or individual of local historical interest. (SOC 102B)

2. If you visited the weaving studio and watched the weavers working on the new tapestries, this could be used as a stimulus for artwork. A large-scale tapestry takes a long time to produce, but pupils could create a similar effect by using collage. Perhaps this could be based on a traditional story or ballad from the period.

3. There are examples throughout the castle of elaborate Stirling Old Bridge and the can be seen intertwined initials and important dates of certain kings from the castle and queens. Pupils could produce their own versions using their initials and birth dates.

HISTORIC SCOTLAND education 8 stirling castle Timeline: Stirling Castle

350 million years BC Early 1100s Castle rock at Stirling is Chapel dedicated at Stirling formed. Castle by Alexander I.

1214 dies at Stirling Castle.

1297 Scots led by William Wallace beat Edward I’s troops at Battle of Stirling Bridge; castle 1304 returns to Scottish hands. Edward I and his English troops besiege castle for 1314 three months with 17 Scots under Robert the Bruce siege engines. defeat the English under Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn, near Stirling. The castle is back in Scottish hands.

1381 North Gate constructed; can still be seen today.

Late 1500s/ early 1600s 1536 James IV embarks on major construction works. Inner Close, James V visits Great Hall, King’s Old Building, France; later marries Forework constructed at this time. Marie de Guise; starts construction of Palace at Stirling.

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1849 visits 1964 Stirling Castle. Last soldiers leave Stirling Castle. Late 1700s Castle accommodation remodelled for . 1999 Great Hall reopened by 1746 Her Majesty The Queen Jacobites under after major Prince Charles Edward work. Stuart besiege castle unsuccessfully. Early 18th century Castle’s defences strengthened against feared Jacobite attack.

1651 Castle besieged and taken by Cromwell’s troops.

1603 ; 1594 James VI moves to 1543 England to become Chapel rebuilt for James I of England. Mary crowned baptism of James VI’s Queen of Scots at first son, Henry. Stirling. 1566 James VI baptised at Stirling.

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Stirling Castle: DID YOU KNOW? The most popular a historical overview weapon from the 12th Note: for more detailed background James V was based here. Both of these century onwards was information, we suggest that teachers monarchs enlarged and developed the longbow. This was a consult the guidebook to Stirling Castle: the buildings of the castle, creating giant bow which could R. Fawcett Stirling Castle (Historic between them a royal Renaissance fire arrows over 300m! A Scotland, 1999). complex of buildings unparalleled in skilled archer could fire Scotland. This was the Royal Palace, Stirling Castle is one of over 300 off several arrows every the court of James V and his wife, historically significant properties in minute. Marie de Guise, and was where their the care of Historic Scotland. Perched daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, was dramatically on top of a volcanic crowned. In time her son, the future rock at the point where Highlands James VI, was baptised here in a meet Lowlands, the castle commands glittering three-day ceremony, which views across Scotland. Its strategic featured a mock medieval tournament significance is immediately obvious and the first firework display ever seen and there has been a royal castle in Scotland. here from at least the 12th century, possibly earlier. When James VI moved to England in 1603 the role of Stirling Castle Though little remains of the medieval changed from that of royal home to a buildings, the castle played a key part military base. Stirling was besieged by in Scotland’s Wars of Independence. Cromwell’s English troops in the 1650s The sites of two important battles – and the castle was fortified against a Bannockburn and Stirling Bridge – and perceived Jacobite threat in the early the nearby Wallace Monument can 1700s. The castle last saw military all be seen from the castle today, action in the Jacobite Rising of 1745, reminders of this turbulent time. The when Prince Charles’ Jacobite troops castle enjoyed a golden age during attempted unsuccessfully to besiege the late 1400s and the 1500s, when the castle, the last siege of a castle the Scottish court of James IV and anywhere in Britain.

Resolution ok?

A gargoyle and a royal lion are among the decorative features of the Great Hall

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Stirling Castle: a historical overview

Entering Stirling Castle through the Forework

After this time, the castle’s significance dwindled. During the early 19th century the castle was used as a barracks and it maintained this role right up until 1964. Many of the old palace chambers were adapted and remodelled internally to provide barrack accommodation for soldiers. Since the Argyll and Sutherland Regiment departed in 1964, Historic Scotland has embarked on a major project to restore the castle and palace buildings in line with recent historical and archaeological research. Today visitors can see the restoration works in process within the palace buildings. The opening of the restored Great Hall in 1999 has been the most high-profile development so far. Pupils can also watch skilled weavers in the tapestry studio, where they are creating new tapestries based on medieval designs to hang in the Palace rooms. Other elements of interest to teachers and their pupils are the wonderfully recreated palace kitchens complete with models of kitchen staff (and animals!), a small exhibition exploring medieval arts and crafts and a Costumed performers re-enact the court of James V general exhibition looking at the castle through the ages.

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Themed teacher-led DID YOU KNOW? Stirling Castle was tours of Stirling Castle besieged several times. Three themed tours have been devised Suggestions for managing your time at One siege in 1304 lasted for teachers at Stirling Castle: the castle: from April to July! King • Tour 1: Attackers and Defenders, • If your class is small, you could was so desperate to which focuses on Stirling Castle as take them all round the tour of take Stirling Castle a defensive stronghold. your choice at once. With groups that he arrived with 17 any bigger than 12, however, we • Tour 2: The Wars of Independence, trebuchets. His favourite recommend splitting your class which also looks at Stirling was called the ‘war wolf’. into groups, each with an adult Castle’s defences but puts these When he took the castle, helper. in the context of the role of the he insisted that the castle during this turbulent period • If you have arrived at the castle for soldiers stay in the castle of Scottish history. a general visit, you could split your so that he could try out class into three groups according the war wolf and show • Tour 3: Mary Queen of Scots to which tour pupils are most it off to the ladies in his and the Stewart Household, interested in taking. Each group court. which focuses on Stirling Castle takes a different tour route with as a royal residence and raises an adult helper. awareness of 16th century castle life. • Another option is to split your class into groups of 10–12 pupils. After Each tour takes in a number of key carrying out the introduction to locations around the castle and is the tour of your choice all together, designed to last around 60–90 minutes. the groups can then start the The tour notes provide background same tour at different points. This information about each location, way they will all visit the same which can be read to pupils, and there locations, but at different times, are also discussion points to get pupils reducing congestion and allowing thinking, looking and engaging with greater pupil participation. the site. • If you wish to carry out a general The map at the beginning of each tour of the castle and you’d tour – together with the tour notes like all pupils to have the same – should be copied for adult leaders. experience, we suggest you follow The numbered locations on the map are used as reference points for tour Tour 3: Mary Queen of Scots and locations. the Stewart household. Note: Audio tours are available for groups at a small charge per pupil. Teachers are advised to try these out on a pre-visit to assess their suitability for their particular group.

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Tour 1: Attackers and Defenders

This tour explores the defences of Tour route: Stirling Castle through the ages. It • Location 1: Esplanade 14 looks at how castles were built and • Location 2: Outer Defences 1 adapted in response to the type of weapons in use at the time. • Location 3: Bowling Green Gardens 3 In particular, pupils will find out about • Location 4: Forework 4 medieval warfare and how most castles were taken by siege using machines • Location 5: Outer Close 5 such as trebuchets, battering rams, • Location 6: Great Kitchens 11 siege towers and mangonels. • Location 7: Nether 12

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1 MAP KEY

1 1. Main entrance/ 8. Outer defences 9. Great Hall 2. Castle exhibition Palace10. 14 3. Bowling Green Gardens 11. Great Kitchens/ 4. Forework North Gate 5. Outer Close 12. Nether Bailey 6. Inner Close 13. Tapestry Studio 7. King’s Old Building/ 14. Esplanade

Regimental Museum Aerial Illustration: Stephen Conlin/Pictu Ltd

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Location 1: Esplanade 14 Stand close to the drawbridge over the dry ditch. Background information: this may be read to pupils. • There has been a castle at Stirling for a long time – probably a thousand years. The first castle was probably built of wood, and there’s nothing left of it now. • The castle we can see now is actually a mixture of lots of different castles, built over the years by different people. Most of what we can see now was built about 500 years ago, by King James IV and his son, King James V. The further into the castle we go, the further back in time we travel. • Stirling Castle had many different uses. It was a home for the royal family, and so was used as a place for parliament to meet when the king was in residence. It was also a base for soldiers. It was an important place and because of this it was often attacked. The builders had to find ways of defending the castle and making The statue of Robert the it strong, so as to off attackers. Bruce on the Esplanade • Today we are going to have a look round Stirling Castle to investigate how the castle was built to keep enemies out through the ages. We’re also going to think about what it was like to live in the castle as a defending soldier.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Look around you. Why is this a good High up; good views all the way place for a castle? around; the steep rocks are a natural defence and make the castle hard to reach. The castle is built on a lump of rock, the Defenders wanted to leave an open remains of a volcano. Can you see the area in front of the castle so that the rock if you look down into the ditch? enemy could not get too close without being spotted. Where we are standing now there is a long flat slope. Why do you think they didn’t build on this part of the rock? Look at the castle. It is protected in lots High stone walls of different ways. How many ways can Dry ditch you see? You can see cannons on top of the wall to the right of the entrance gate. Why do you think there is so much This side isn’t protected by steep rocks. protection on this side? Why do you think there was a ditch To make it even harder for attackers to here? get into the castle. If there was a battle going on, do you No – drawbridge would be pulled up to think we would be able to stand here make it hard to get into the castle. on the bridge? Go over the bridge, through the gateway into the first courtyard (Guardroom Square). Follow the path right through the tunnel – the Inner Gate. Before you go through the next gateway, turn sharply left, up a slope to reach the earthwork walls. Go and stand by the two cannons.

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Location 2: Outer Defences 1 Background information: this may be read to pupils. • This wall around the castle was built nearly 300 years ago. By this time attackers were using cannons to try and smash down castle walls and force their way in.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Look at the cannons. What direction Straight down the hill. are they pointed at? Why do you think they are pointing this To fight off attackers. way? Is there anything to protect the soldiers Yes, walls are slanted to protect them. who would fire the cannons? What do you think it would be like to Very heavy to get the cannonball in Part of the castle’s daunting load and fire a cannon ball from one of place; probably quite dangerous as Outer Defences these cannons? they would use gunpowder to fire the cannon out. There are two cannons here now. How 4 more many other cannons is there space for up here?

Follow the wall along to the right to reach the ‘pepperpot’ at the far corner.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Look at the corners of the walls. Can Three you see some little ? They are known as ‘pepperpots’. How many can you see from here? What do you think they were for? Guard turrets so that guards could see in all directions and be protected if they needed to fire at attackers. Why do you think they are in this So that the guards could see in every position? direction along the walls. What do you think it would feel like to Pupils’ own responses. fire from this turret? Look at the wall to the left. Can you 2–3 metres thick work out how thick it is? Why do you think it was so thick? To make it harder to break down. Do you think it is solid stone? No. Walls are built of earth to stop Why/why not? cannon balls getting any further – the earth would slow them down. Do you think it was ever attacked? No signs of any damage to the walls. Turn sharply left down steep steps immediately below the pepperpot turret to come out in the Bowling Green Gardens.

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Location 3: Bowling Green Gardens 3 Background information: this may be read to pupils. • Long ago, if people wanted to attack and take a castle, they would set up camp around the castle. They would try to stop anybody getting in or out. They would stop any food getting in too. This was called a siege. Sometimes went on for months, until the people in the castle were dying of hunger and gave in, or until they ran out of ammunition like arrows or bullets. Stirling Castle was besieged several times. One siege in 1304 lasted from April to July – think how hungry the people inside must have been! • If you didn’t have time for a long siege, the best way to force your way in was to try and smash down the walls of the castle. Can you think of some weapons you could use for this? • You could use a kind of giant catapult, called a trebuchet. This fired huge stone Above and below right: the balls at the castle to try and smash them down. The balls went very high so it Bowling Green Gardens was good for smashing up the roofs and frightening the people inside. • You could also use a battering ram, which was a kind of giant, solid pole which could be used for bashing through a gate. • Later on you could use a cannon, which also fired stone balls. Sometimes the balls were heated so that they would set fire to whatever they landed on. • You could also try to get in by climbing over the walls using a kind of portable set of ladders called a siege tower. • Sometimes people tried to dig tunnels and burrow underneath the walls of a castle – but the rock is too solid here. • Later on, about 300 years ago, this area was used by soldiers as a bowling green when they were off duty. They lived all together in the building next to the garden which is now an exhibition area.

DID YOU KNOW? Besiegers didn’t always fire stones from their siege engines. Sometimes they would fire dung or dead animals, to spread disease – or even the heads of their enemies!

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Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Why do you think sieges were a If you won the siege and took the popular way of attacking a castle? castle, it wouldn’t be damaged, so you could use it without having to repair it. Less risky than attacking the castle directly. Fewer of your soldiers would be killed. Look over the wall at the edge. Which Probably the trebuchet and then later of the weapons do you think would the cannon – could fire high. have been most useful if you wanted Battering ram and siege tower would to attack Stirling castle from this not have been useful from this side, side – the trebuchet (catapult), the because the castle is too high. siege tower, the battering ram or the cannon? Look around the garden. Can you see Stone balls used as decoration along The Bowling Green Gardens any stone balls anywhere? Where do the top of the walls. Balls were fired at you think they came from? the castle, probably from a trebuchet. Look up at the high tower. This is part Battlements with ‘up and down’ of the palace. It’s called the Prince’s protection for defenders standing Tower. Can you see anything on on the walls with guns or bows and the palace which shows how it was arrows. defended? Do you think this part of the palace was Doesn’t look like it – the walls don’t ever attacked? look damaged at all. How do you think the defenders inside Making sure they always kept plenty of castle could defend themselves against food supplies and ammunition inside a siege? the castle. Trying to attack the siege weapons from above by firing stone balls at them. Attacking the attackers by firing at them directly with bows and arrows or later with guns. Note: in the rooms beside the garden there are displays relating to the history of Stirling Castle. You may wish to visit these now, or return to them later. Otherwise, go through the archway at the end of the garden, then turn left to stand by the main entrance gate.

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Location 4: Forework 4 Background information: this may be read to pupils. • This part of the castle is called the Forework. Before the outer walls and defences were built, it was the main entrance to the castle. The gatehouse we can see now was part of a wall which stretched all the way round the castle. Can you see the wall to the right and left of the gatehouse? • The towers either side of the gate used to be three times higher than they are now. The walls were damaged in a siege in 1651. Can you see where they have been repaired? (change of colour and texture in the stone indicates where rebuilding has taken place).

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Look at the round towers. Can you see Fairly obvious marks. bullet marks on the walls? These are The Forework seen from the from when the castle was attacked in Outer Defences 1651. Stand just inside the gateway. Look up. Used to be where a portcullis – a metal Can you see a slit in the stone above gate – could slide up or down. you? What do you think this was for? Can you see a gate a bit like a portcullis In gateway to left. anywhere around you? Why do you think there are three Two for pedestrians, the wider one for entrance ways here? carts with supplies or for marching troops. Easier to control the smaller gate. If you were coming up to this gate, On the battlements, in the towers there would be guards and sentries either side, in windows above side watching you. Can you find three places gates. where they might stand? What evidence can you find to show Narrow slits in side towers, for use by you that these guards might have people firing arrows from cross bows or weapons? firing guns. Go into the tower on the right.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses What do you think this room was used Guard room – slits for shooting out of. for? How can you tell? It had another use as well. Look for There used to be a dungeon below two more clues … don’t forget to look – clues are a trapdoor in the ground down! which leads down, and a large bolted door. Go through the gate and stand inside the courtyard area.

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Location 5: Outer Close 5 Background information: this may be read to pupils. • We are now inside the castle walls. To the left you can see the palace buildings, where the king or queen and their families would have lived. The yellowish building is the Great Hall, where there would have been feasts and parties, and where the used to meet sometimes. All the battlements and defences we have been looking at were to keep Scotland’s leaders safe.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Can you find the old well in the To the right, with a grille over it, just ground? before the row of cannons. Why was it important to have a well Water supply needed inside in case of inside the castle walls? siege. What did they use the water for? Water used for the same things as we The archway that connects use it today – for washing, cleaning, the Outer Close to the cooking, drinking. Inner Close beyond Look over the wall by the cannons. Can you see the river? Can you think why the river was River used as a transport route – easier specially important in the old days? to carry heavy things by boat than on Can you see the bridge over the river? the tracks. Also important as a barrier – the river would slow down an trying to invade. Look at the cannons. Where are they all Towards the river, town and bridge. pointing? Why do you think there are so many To protect the bridge. cannons here? Go down the slope and follow the signs to the Great Kitchens.

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Location 6: Great Kitchens 11 Note: The Great Kitchens area starts with a short video about food and cooking in the medieval period. If you don’t want to include this in your tour, proceed into the main kitchen area. Background information: this may be read to pupils. • In here you can see what the old castle kitchens might have looked like. If you were a soldier defending the castle, you would not have eaten food as special as the food you can see in here. This is where food for the kings, queens and their important guests was prepared. But some of the soldiers’ food would have been the same. As you go round, see if you can get some idea of what a soldier might have eaten. • There are four parts to the kitchen: the cooking area, the preparation area, the bakehouse, and the area for putting completed dishes. As you go around, try and The reconstructed interior of work out which area you are in. the Great Kitchens • As you are looking around, think about these questions. When you come out, we can discuss them all together.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses What food can you see that is the same Same: many of the fruits and as food we have today? What foods are vegetables; meat, seafood, bread, eggs. completely different? Different: not many people eat swans, rabbits, peacocks, little birds etc today. Most of the food you can see here Most food in the kitchens is local. would be grown in Scotland. Some food came from overseas. What can you see that would be grown locally? Can you find anything which might Food from abroad: some fruits (e.g. figs, have come from another country? peaches). How is this kitchen the same as Same: tables for preparing food; place kitchens today? How is it different? for cooking food; lots of sharp knives Different: no running water, candles instead of electric light, no fridges. How many different jobs can you see Washing up, cooking by fire, carrying being done in these kitchens? food, rolling pastry, serving food, pounding spices, peeling cabbages, baking, etc. Are any jobs done by children? Young boy is working by fire; another boy has dropped the milk. Imagine you are a guest of the king or Pupils’ own responses. queen tonight. Choose four things you would like to eat! What things might a poor soldier eat? Oatcakes, soup, occasionally some meat. Come out of the kitchen. Continue down the slope through the North Gate.

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Location 7: Nether Bailey 12

Background information: this may be read to pupils. • Most castles had two entrances – a main entrance at the front for grand visitors to use, and a back entrance called a postern, which is where servants and deliveries came in. • This gateway is the oldest entrance to the castle. See how thick the walls are! • This area is called the Nether Bailey. In this courtyard area there were food stores, a blacksmith’s and other workshops. • Later on it was used as an area for punishing soldiers. It was also where gunpowder was kept. • You can see there is a wall all around this area. What do you think the wall was used for? (probably more for patrolling and keeping watch than seriously The Nether Bailey keeping people out)

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Compared to the rest of the castle, this Strong natural defences: steep rocks all part is not very strongly defended. Why around – very hard for anyone to get do you think this is? close.

If pupils wish to walk around the walls, then please ensure that they walk, rather than run, and supervise them closely at all times. If you have time, it is well worth dropping in on the wonderful tapestry studios in this area, where weavers are recreating Renaissance tapestries. Our tour is now finished. If you have time, pupils may enjoy the following areas:

• 6 Inner Close

• 8 Chapel Royal • 9 Great Hall • 10 Palace – currently under restoration, but many areas are open to the public As you leave the castle, get the pupils to think about what they have learnt: • What have we found out about how people used to attack castles in the past? • What have we found out about how Stirling Castle is defended? • What have we found out about how people used to live?

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Tour 2: The Wars of Independence

This tour explores Stirling Castle at Tour route:

the time of the Wars of Independence. • Location 1 Esplanade 14 Although little remains of the castle • Location 2: Bowling Green from this time, it was central to much Gardens 2 of the action and provides a good setting for discussion of events and • Location 3: Forework 4 how castles were used in the medieval • Location 4: Outer Close 5 period. Even though certain elements • Location 5: North Gate 11 were built much later, they have been • Location 6: Nether Bailey 12 included, partly because they are • Location 7: Great Kitchens 11 simply updated versions of what would have been there at the time of the Wars • Location 8: Great Hall 9 of Independence, and partly because they are outstanding features which pupils should be encouraged to enjoy.

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MAP KEY 1 1. Main entrance/ 8. Chapel Royal 14 Outer defences 9. Great Hall 2. Castle exhibition Palace10. 3. Bowling Green Gardens 11. Great Kitchens/ 4. Forework North Gate 5. Outer Close 12. Nether Bailey 6. Inner Close 13. Tapestry Studio 7. King’s Old Building/ 14. Esplanade

Regimental Museum Aerial Illustration: Stephen Conlin/Pictu Ltd

HISTORIC SCOTLAND education stirling castle 23 Courtesy of the Master and Fellows Corpus Christi College, C ambridge s A re-enactor portrays William Wallace s A medieval drawing of the Battle of Bannockburn

Background information on this tour Stirling Castle for a time. However, was killed in this battle and the castle was again in English hands by Taken from the Historic Scotland official guidebook: the following year. Richard Fawcett, Stirling Castle (1999) One of the most notable sieges of the Castle took place As one of the most important castles in the kIngdom, in 1304. In that year, Edward I instigated a successful Stirling naturally played a major part in the Scottish attack, using fire-throwing equipment and a siege struggle for independence of English overlordship. machine known ominously as the ‘War Wolf’. In 1291 Edward I took custody of all Scottish royal castles whilst he adjudicated on who was the rightful king of It was the English attempt to relieve their garrison here Scotland, and the Castle’s history over the next 50 years is which resulted in the Scottish victory at Bannockburn on mainly that of a struggle for its occupation by the forces midsummer’s day of 1314. fighting on behalf of the rival claimants. Following this victory, Robert I (the Bruce) ordered that During the course of this struggle, Stirling was the scene the castle should be rendered indefensible, so that it of several of the finest triumphs of the Scottish patriots – could not be held against him again. However, in the although the benefits derived from these triumphs were disturbances which followed his death it was once again often short-lived enough. In 1297 the army of William repaired and occupied by English forces until 1342, when Wallace and overthrew the English in they were forced to surrender to Robert the Steward a famous victory at Stirling Bridge and thus secured (later to be Robert II).

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Location 1: Esplanade 14

Background information: this may be read to pupils. • About 700 years ago, Scotland and England were at war. King Edward I of England – and later his son Edward II – invaded Scotland to try to control the country. The Scots fought back. These wars were later called Scotland’s Wars of Independence, and they lasted on and off for about 50 years. • Stirling Castle was an important royal castle. It was also in a powerful position. In the old days, all the flat land around Stirling was a bog, which made it hard to cross. If you were in charge of Stirling Castle, you could control who headed north to the Highlands or south to the Lowlands. So Stirling Castle was often fought over. Sometimes the English were in control, and sometimes it was controlled by the Scots. • But the castle we can see today was mostly built much later. The castle at the The statue of Robert the time of the Wars of Independence was built of wood as well as stone and was Bruce on the Esplanade much smaller. Some parts of the old castle have just rotted away and other parts were destroyed through fighting. When King Robert the Bruce of Scotland won Stirling Castle back from the English, he actually ordered his men to destroy it, so that there was no point in the English attacking it again. Eventually, in more peaceful times, the Scottish kings and queens built Stirling castle back up again. • Even though there’s nothing left of the castle from the time of the Wars of Independence, Stirling Castle is still a good place to find out about the wars and to investigate how castles were attacked and defended 700 years ago.

DID YOU KNOW? Robert the Bruce was buried with other kings and queens of Scotland in Dunfermline Abbey. In the 1820s builders found his skull. By looking at the shape of the bones and the state of his teeth, historians have worked out what his face might have looked like. So the statue may be more accurate than we think.

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The castle is located at the top of a hill and commands a view for miles around

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Look at where the castle is. Why do you Good position on top of the lump of think this is a good place for a castle? rock – can see for miles around. Close to river – useful for transport. Good location – can control Highlands and Lowlands. Look at the statue of Robert the Bruce. Crown, royal lion on shield. What clues can you find that he is king? What clues can you find that shows Rampant (standing) lion is symbol of how important he was to Scotland? Scottish royalty; carving of thistle. Look at what he is wearing. What is he About to head into battle. about to do? How is he ready to defend himself? Big sword; chain mail on legs and arms; protective gloves. What do these things tell us about how Battles were fought at close contact battles were organised in those days? – hand to hand with your enemy. This statue was put up in the 1800s, Unreliable source of evidence – though more than 500 years after the Battle statue maker probably did some of Bannockburn. Can we really trust it research to make it as accurate as to show us what Bruce looked like and possible. what he carried in battle? Go over the bridge into the castle. Follow the path round through the first archway. Turn left under another arch into the garden area here.

s An aerial view, with the Note: in the rooms beside the gardens there are displays relating to the history of Esplanade in the foreground Stirling Castle. You may wish to visit these now, or return to them later.

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Location 2: Bowling Green Gardens 3

Background information: this may be read to pupils. • At the time of the Wars of Independence, if people wanted to attack a castle, they would set up camp around the castle. They would try to stop anybody getting in or out. and would stop any food getting in too. This was called a siege. Sieges could go on for months, until the people in the castle were dying of hunger and gave in, or until they ran out of ammunition such as arrows or bullets. • Stirling Castle was besieged many times. In 1304, Edward I and his army besieged the castle from April to July. The people inside must have been so hungry! • If you didn’t have time for a long siege, the best way to force your way in was to try and smash down the walls of the castle. What weapons might you use? • You could use a kind of giant catapult, called a trebuchet. This fired huge stone balls at the castle to try and smash them down. The balls went very high so it The Bowling Green Gardens was good for smashing up the roofs and frightening the people inside. • You could also use a battering ram, which was a kind of giant, solid pole which could be used for bashing through a gate. • Later on you could use a cannon which also fired stone balls. Sometimes the balls were heated so that they would set fire to whatever they landed on. • You could also try to get in by climbing over the walls using a kind of portable set of ladders called a siege tower. • Look south (to the left) over the end wall. Can you see a white pole sticking up far in the distance? This marks the place where the Battle of Bannockburn took place in 1314. At that time the English held Stirling Castle and were determined to keep it. Robert the Bruce and his men fought the English and won back the castle.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Why do you think sieges were a If you won the siege and took the castle, popular way of attacking a castle? it wouldn’t be damaged. Less risky than attacking the castle directly. Fewer of your soldiers would be killed. Look over the wall at the edge. Which Probably the trebuchet and then later weapon do you think would have been the cannon – could fire high. most useful if you wanted to attack Battering ram and siege tower would Stirling Castle from this side – the not have been useful from this side, trebuchet (catapult), the siege tower, the because the castle is too high. battering ram or the cannon? Look around the garden. Can you see Stone balls used as decoration along any stone balls anywhere? Where do the top of the walls. Balls were fired at you think they came from? the castle, probably from a trebuchet. How do you think the defenders inside Making sure they always kept plenty of castle could defend themselves against food supplies and ammunition inside. a siege? Trying to attack the siege weapons from above by firing stone balls at them. or attacking the attackers by firing at them. Return through the archway. Turn left to stand by the gate.

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Location 3: Forework 4

Background information: this may be read to pupils. • This gateway to the castle was built long after the Wars of Independence, around 500 years ago, but there was a wall with a gate around the castle at that time.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses If you were coming up to this gate, On the battlements, in the towers there would be guards and sentries either side, in windows above side watching you. Can you find three gates. places where they might stand? What evidence shows you that these Narrow slits for arrows and then later guards might have weapons? guns in side towers. Stand just inside the gateway. Look up. Used to be where a portcullis – a metal Can you see a slit in the stone above? gate – could slide up or down. It looked Stirling Castle’s forbidding What do you think this was for? like the one in the gateway to the left. Forework Why do you think there are three Two for pedestrians, easier to control entrance ways here? entry through the smaller gate. The wider one for carts or marching troops. Go into the tower on the right.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses What was this room was used for? Guard room – slits for shooting out of. It had another use as well. Look for two There used to be a dungeon below – clues more clues – don’t forget to look down! are a trapdoor in the ground which leads down, and a large bolted door. Go through the gate into the Outer Close

Location 4: Outer Close 5

Background information: this may be read to pupils. • We are now inside the castle walls. At the time of the Wars of Independence, it would have been very busy with horses, dogs, guards on duty and probably servants carrying food and water. The castle was like a village inside its own wall. • Look over the wall by the cannons. Can you see the bridge over the River Forth? In 1297 William Wallace won a great victory over the English here, at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. The old bridge was a bit closer to the castle than the new one. • Look at the tower on the hill in the distance. This is the Wallace Monument. It was built in 1869, hundreds of years after the battle. It is built at the place where William Wallace stood and watched the English approaching before the battle.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses The archway that connects Why do you think Wallace decided to Easy to attack on the narrow bridge. the Outer Close to the fight the English at the bridge? Inner Close beyond Can you find the old well in the To the right, with a grille over it, just ground? before the row of cannons. Why was it important to have a well Water supply needed inside in case of inside the castle walls? siege. Cross the close area and move down the slope opposite to the North Gate.

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Location 5: North Gate 11 Background information: this may be read to pupils. • This is the North Gate, the oldest part of the castle which is still standing. It was built around 1381, about 30 years after the wars had finished. It was probably built on the site of the original ‘back door’ into the castle.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Stand in the gateway. How thick do you 5–10 metres thick. think the walls are here? The passage way is curved rather than So that the attacking enemy couldn’t straight. Why do you think this is? see where they were heading. Go up the steps to the right of the North Gate and into the kitchen area of the tower.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses The North Gate is the oldest What do you think this room was used Kitchen – two big fireplaces. building in the castle for? Why? We’re close to the Great Hall here, Stone hatchways opposite the door where the king used to have feasts. – would have led to Great Hall. Can you find where the food would have been served so that servants could carry it into the Hall? Continue down the steps and right through the archway of the North Gate.

Location 6: Nether Bailey 12

Background information: this may be read to pupils. • This area is called the Nether Bailey. In this courtyard area there were food stores, a blacksmiths and other workshops. • You can see there is a wall all around this area. What do you think the wall was used for? (probably more for patrolling and keeping watch than seriously keeping people out)

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Compared to the rest of the castle, this Strong natural defences: steep rocks all part is not very strongly defended. Why around – very hard for anyone to get do you think this is? close.

The Nether Bailey was once If pupils wish to walk around the walls, please ensure that they walk, rather than used as magazine for storing run, and supervise them closely at all times. gunpowder If you have time, it is well worth dropping in on the wonderful tapestry studios in this area, where weavers are recreating Renaissance tapestries. Otherwise, go back through the archway of the North Gate and follow the signs to the left to the Great Kitchens.

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Location 7: Great Kitchens 11 Note: the Great Kitchens area starts with a short video about food and cooking in the medieval period. If you don’t want to include this in your tour, proceed into the main kitchen area. Background information: this may be read to pupils. • When the castle was expanded, the kitchens in the North Gate weren’t big enough. New kitchens were built here much later, in the 1600s, but the kitchens in the castle at the times of the wars were probably quite similar. • If you were a soldier defending the castle, you would not have eaten food as special as the food you can see in here. This is where food for the kings, queens and their important guests was prepared. But some of the soldiers’ food would have been the same. As you go round, see if you can get some idea of what a soldier might have eaten. The reconstructed interior of the Great Kitchens • There are four parts to the kitchen: the cooking area, the preparation area, the bakehouse, and the area for putting completed dishes. As you go around, try and work out which area you are in. • As you are looking around, think about these questions. When you come out, we can discuss them all together.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses What food can you see that is the same Same: many of the fruits and as food we have today? What foods are vegetables; meat, seafood, bread, eggs. completely different? Different: not many people eat swans, rabbits, peacocks, little birds etc today. Most of the food you can see here Most food in the kitchens is local. would be grown in Scotland. Some food came from overseas. What can you see that would be grown locally? Can you find anything which might Food from abroad: some fruits have come from another country? (e.g. figs, peaches). How is this kitchen the same as Same: tables for preparing food; place kitchens today? How is it different? for cooking food; lots of sharp knives. DID YOU KNOW? Different: no running water, candles A traditional menu for a instead of electric light, no fridges. grand meal would consist How many different jobs can you see Washing up, cooking by fire, carrying of five courses: being done in these kitchens? food, rolling pastry, serving food, pounding spices, peeling cabbages, • A kind of soup called baking, etc. pottage Are any jobs done by children? Young boy is working by fire; another • Roast meat – perhaps boy has dropped the milk. pork, lamb or beef Imagine you are a guest of the king or Pupils’ own responses. queen tonight. Choose four things you • Pies and pastries would like to eat! • A sweet course, What things might a poor soldier eat? Oatcakes, soup, occasionally some usually tarts or fritters meat. • Fruit and sweetmeats Leave the kitchens. Walk back up the slope. Go up wooden steps to enter the Great Hall.

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Location 8: Great Hall 9

Background information: this may be read to pupils. • This is the Great Hall of Stirling Castle. It has been restored to how it might have looked in the 1500s. The castle that Robert the Bruce and Edward II fought over would have had a hall too, though not as grand as this one. • All castles had halls – but this one was the biggest ever built in Scotland. It was built for feasts, celebrations and important official events, like meetings of Parliament or royal christenings. • The hall has had lots of different uses over the years. Most recently it was used as an army barracks. Eventually, in 1991, Historic Scotland decided to rebuild the Great Hall. • One of the biggest jobs was to rebuild the roof in the original style. It is called Exterior of the Great Hall a hammer beam roof. Skilled woodworkers used 400 oak trees to build the roof – which is made up of 1,300 beams. Their tools haven’t changed since medieval times – though the methods have. The roof was built without using a single nail. Instead, all the beams lock together like jigsaw pieces and are held in place with more than 3,000 wooden pegs. • The walls were repainted outside in a colour called ‘King’s Gold’. Historians believe that all the buildings in the castle may have been painted this colour.

DID YOU KNOW? The grandest guests would be served first. When they had eaten all they wanted, then the remnants would be passed on to the next most important guests, and so on, all the way down to the servants and the kitchen dogs! An artist’s impression of the Great Hall as it might have looked in the 1500s

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Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses How many fireplaces can you find? Five What were they used for? For warming the room and for light. There are two other things in the hall Wood panelling. which helped keep it warm, apart from Heavy hangings to keep draughts out. the fires. What are they? Where would the king or queen sit? At the head of the hall, on the platform where the double chairs are. Why was this the best place? Warm – right beside fire. Well lit – beside windows. The kings and queens loved dancing Musicians’ gallery at the far end of the and music. Look around the hall and hall and halfway along one wall. see if you can work out where the musicians would have been. The interior of the Great Hall Not everything in the hall is traditional. No electric light – would have used with its hammerbeam roof See if you can identify some things candles or oil lamps (see replica candle which would not have been here at the stands). time of the Stewarts. Do you know what No heaters – would have used the fires. they would have used instead? No speakers for amplified music – would have had live music. No ramps, barriers, fire extinguishers. Rebuilding the hall helped Historic • Foresters and sawyers to cut wood; Scotland learn a lot about building • joiners to build the roof, fit the methods in the past. panelling and make the furniture; • stone masons to cut and shape the Look at the hall, and see how many stones; different jobs it would take to build a • builders to build the walls; hall like this. • plasterers to cover the walls; • glaziers to fit the windows; • people to weave the fabric and fit the curtains etc; • metal worker to shape metal stands for candles etc; • plumber to build drains and guttering; • painter or ‘harler’ to paint and decorate inside and out.

Leave the Geat Hall by the exit at the other end, which brings you out into the Inner Close. On the wall of the building opposite the Great Hall you can see a memorial plaque to the siege of 1304.

Our tour is now finished. If you have time, pupils may enjoy the following areas:

• 8 Chapel Royal • 10 Palace – currently under restoration, but some areas open to the public • The ramparts at the NW end of the castle (follow signs to Douglas Garden)

As you leave the castle, get the pupils to think about what they have learnt: • What have we found out about why Stirling Castle was important during the Wars of Independence? • What have we found out about how Stirling castle is defended?

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Tour 3: Mary Queen of Scots and the Stewart Household

This tour focuses on the castle as a royal residence, and raises awareness of how kings and queens lived in 16th-century Scotland. Tour route: • Location 1: Esplanade 14 • Location 2: Bowling Green Gardens 3 • Location 3: Forework 4 • Location 4 Outer Close 5 • Location 5: Inner Close 6 • Location 6: Palace 10 • Location 7: Chapel Royal 8 • Location 8: Great Hall 9 • Location 9: Great Kitchens 11 • Location 10: Tapestry Studio 13

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MAP KEY 1. Main entrance/ 8. Chapel Royal Outer defences 1 9. Great Hall 2. Castle exhibition Palace10. 1 3. Bowling Green Gardens 11. Great Kitchens/ 4. Forework North Gate 5. Outer Close 12. Nether Bailey 14 6. Inner Close 13. Tapestry Studio 7. King’s Old Building/ 14. Esplanade

Regimental Museum Aerial Illustration: Stephen Conlin/Pictu Ltd

HISTORIC SCOTLAND education stirling castle 33 Reproduced by kind permission of the National Trust for Scotland Reproduced by kind permission of the National Trust

Left: Mary Queen of Scots as a young woman Top: Her parents, James V and Marie de Guise Above: Two of the Palace’s replica ‘Stirling Heads’ Reproduced by permission of the Blairs Museum Trust

Background information on this tour James V died before his Palace was completed. On his death in 1543, his baby daughter Mary was crowned Stirling Castle had an intimate connection with the queen on the site of the chapel we can see today. Her royal families of Scotland for three centuries – from the infant years were spent in the lavish surroundings of the early 1300s until the Union of the English and Scottish new Palace before she was sent to France for her own crowns in the early 1600s. This was where Scottish safety. On returning to Scotland as queen in 1561, Mary monarchs were raised, christened and crowned, where chose the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh as her they entertained, ruled and relaxed. The castle was chief home. their home. It was under the reigns of the Stewarts that the castle we However, her son, the future James VI and I, spent his see today began to take shape. In 1496 James IV began first years at Stirling. He was baptised here in a glittering a massive programme of building works. His additions ceremony, during which Scotland’s first-ever fireworks include the Great Hall and the series of defensive towers lit up the sky. Following his coronation, James VI also and walls at the south end of the castle. initiated building programmes, most significantly the rebuilding of the Chapel Royal, Scotland’s first new-build His son, James V, continued this programme of Protestant church, where his son, Henry was baptised in refurbishment. Most significant was the building of 1594. Following the Union of the Crowns in 1603, James the new Palace, which began in 1537. Both of his wives left Scotland and only ever returned as a visitor. were French and he wanted to build a palace which vied with the châteaux he had admired in France. The From 1685, the castle officially became a military base outside walls are richly decorated with statues and rather than a royal palace, ending five centuries of royal inside, the Palace was enriched with tapestries and residency. By the early 18th century, its allegiances were carvings, including a ceiling showing carved images of emphatically anti-Stewart, as it became the base for anti- celebrities from the Stewart court – the ‘Stirling Heads’. Jacobite forces.

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Location 1: Esplanade 14

Background information: this may be read to pupils. • What is Stirling Castle? For one important Scottish family, it was their home. The royal family of Stewart built most of the castle and used it as one of their royal palaces. • In those days, kings and queens moved around a lot. They had other royal homes – for example, at , Palace, Dunfermline and . Have any of you visited any of those palaces? • There has been a castle here probably for about 1,000 years. But most of what we can see now was built around 500 years ago, or more recently than that. • King James IV started the grand building works, and this was continued by his son, James V. His daughter, Mary, was crowned here and became Mary, Queen of The statue of Robert the Scots when she was less than a year old. Her son, James VI, was christened here, Bruce on the Esplanade and so was his son, Henry. If you look carefully as we enter the castle, you can see the initials of the last Stewart ruler of all, Queen Anne, carved into the stone above the door (AR = Anna Regina = Queen Anne). • Today we are going to explore the castle and royal palace at Stirling to find out more about how the Stewart kings and queens lived. We’ll also find out a little bit about the servants who worked for them and made it possible for them to live here.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Look around you. Why do you think Up high on a rock – good for defence. this was such a good place for a castle? Can see your enemy coming from a long way off. Close to a river – good for transport. Although there has been a castle here Made of wood which rotted. for a long time, most of what we can Destroyed in fighting. see is less than 500 years old. Why do you think there is little left of the castles that were here before? Why do you think the Stewarts had Wanted to ‘show their faces’ in more than one royal home? different parts of the kingdom. Go through the gateway. See if pupils can spot the initials AR – standing for ‘Anna DID YOU KNOW? Regina’ (‘Queen Anne’ in Latin) – as they go through the gate. Queen Anne was the last Stewart sovereign of Britain. The castle was sometimes still very cold, despite the When you come through the arch, turn left under another stone arch to enter a tapestries and fires. When garden area. Mary Queen of Scots To the left as you go through the gate is an introductory exhibition about Stirling stayed here with her Castle, which includes a short video and some displays which may be of interest. baby, James, in 1567, she wrote that the castle was ‘damp and cold’ and was worried because James ‘was in danger of catching rheumatism’.

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Location 2: Bowling Green Gardens 3

Background information: this may be read to pupils. • This garden was once used by Queen Anne’s officers as a bowling green when they were off-duty. Before then, the garden was probably used by the Stewarts as a place to relax. • If you look over the wall, there is a good view across the land round about Stirling. In the time of the Stewarts, much of this land would have been woodland. It was a popular place for Mary Queen of Scots and other members of the royal household to hunt deer and other wild animals and was one of the first Royal Parks in Scotland. Birds and animals were brought in specially to keep the woods well stocked. • You can also look down on some unusual patterns in the grass below. These are the remains of formal gardens. It’s now known as the King’s Knot. This would The Forework seen from have been a pleasant place for the Stewarts to walk and relax. Mary’s grandfather, Bowling Green Gardens James IV, was very interested in gardening and collected seeds, plants and trees. They were probably planted here. • There would have been vegetable gardens and fruit orchards surrounding the castle, and most of the food in the kitchens would come from these gardens.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Look down at the patterns on the Trees and hedges along the walkways, King’s Knot. Nowadays it’s just grass. flowers growing in between. What do you think it might have looked like then? Look around the garden. Can you Balls fired at the castle when it was find some round stone balls used as attacked, probably in 1304. decorations on the top of the wall? What do you think these used to be? Leave the garden by the same route, turn left and stand facing the main gateway.

The remains of the formal gardens below Stirling Castle, known as the King’s Knot

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Location 3: Forework 4 Background information: this may be read to pupils. • This part of the castle is called the Forework. In the days of the Stewart kings and queens, it was the main entrance to the castle. The gatehouse we can see now was part of a wall which stretched all the way round the castle. Can you see the wall to the right and left of the gatehouse? • The towers either side of the gate used to be three times taller than they are now, with pointed conical roofs. The walls and towers were probably painted a pale yellow and decorated with gold and colourful patterns. • The towers and walls were damaged in a siege in 1651. Can you see where they have been repaired? (change of colour and texture in the stone indicates where rebuilding has taken place).

The Forework, with the Great Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Hall visible beyond If you were coming up to this gate, On the battlements, in the towers there would be guards and sentries either side, in windows above side watching you. Can you find three places gates. where they might stand? What evidence can you find to show Narrow slits in side towers for firing you that these guards might have arrows or guns through. weapons? If you were visiting the castle long ago, Very impressed by the size of the how do you think you would feel as you buildings and the decoration. You came up to the gate? would know that someone important lived here. Stand just inside the gateway. Look up. Used to be where a portcullis – a metal Can you see a slit in the stone above gate – could slide up or down. you? What do you think this was for? Do you think this was the only gate No – signs of where another gate with here? huge hinges used to be, just inside. Why was there more than one gate? Inner gate was probably wooden. If it burnt down, castle was still protected by metal portcullis. Can you see a gate a bit like the In the left gateway. portcullis anywhere? Two for pedestrians, the wider one for Why do you think there are three carts with supplies or for marching entranceways here? troops. Grand visitors would enter through the wide entrance. Go into the tower on the right.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses What do you think this room was used Guard room – arrow slits for shooting for? How can you tell? out of. It had another use as well. Look for There used to be a dungeon below two more clues … don’t forget to look – clues are a trapdoor in the ground down! which leads down, and a large bolted door. Go through the gate and into the Outer Close.

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Location 4: Outer Close 5

Background information: this may be read to pupils. • We are now inside the castle walls. In the time of the Stewarts, this would have been a busy place. There would have been horses in the yard, guards on duty and probably servants carrying food and buckets of water. There would have been dogs running around and maybe even chickens. The castle was like a little village inside its own wall. • You can see some of the important buildings of the palace here. The yellowish building opposite is the Great Hall. It was built in the early 1500s. It has been restored recently; we’ll go there later. It gives you an idea of what the Forework would have looked like. • The stone building on the left is the Royal Palace. This is where King James V, his second wife Marie de Guise and their daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, would The archway that connects have lived when they were here – though sadly they would not have all been the Outer Close to the here together; James died when Mary was only six days old. James V had visited Inner Close beyond France before he built the palace and was very impressed with some of the French palaces. He employed some French craftsmen to build the palace. • The cannons you can see here were added much later. In the time of the Stewarts, there would have been large bronze guns to defend the castle here. • Mary was brought to Stirling from Linlithgow for safety when she was a baby. Henry VIII, the king of England, invaded Scotland in 1544 to try and force the Scots to marry Mary to his son. In the end she was sent to France to be even safer.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Can you find a well in the ground? To the right, just before the cannons. What would the well have been used Water supply – for drinking, washing, for? cooking. Why was it important to have a well In case the castle was surrounded and inside the castle walls? besieged. Look at the end wall of the palace. Animals What statues and decorations can you Angels’ heads around the top. see? Flowers Elaborately carved statues of people. As you head back out through the outer close, you can visit an exhibition beneath the Palace called Arts and Crafts. Here you can find out about some of the skilled craftspeople who worked for the Stewart kings and queens.

DID YOU KNOW? The first time Mary Queen of Scots visited Stirling Castle as an adult, she was lucky to escape with her life when the curtains in her bedroom caught fire!

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Arts and Crafts exhibition Background information: this may be read to pupils. • The Stewart kings and queens had many servants looking after them and making their lives comfortable. In a big castle there might have been more than a hundred servants! Some of the personal servants travelled around with the kings and queens. Others were based at the castle to keep everything in order for the next visit. • The servants were managed by four ‘team leaders’: the Keeper was responsible for castle security, the Marshall was in charge of transport and communication, the Steward managed all the household servants and the Chaplain was responsible for the spiritual matters and also wrote any letters and kept records for the castle. • In addition to the servants who were based at the castle, the Stewarts A musician dressed in the employed various skilled craftspeople as they needed them. Here you can find style of the 1500s out a little bit about the work that they carried out. As you look around, think about these questions:

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses What kind of crafts people did the Musicians, tailors, wood workers, Stewarts employ? painters, jesters. Which of these jobs would you have Pupils’ own responses. liked most and why? How do we know about these crafts Written descriptions – for example people today – what evidence of their payment lists. work survives to tell us? Some objects survive – for example carved wooden parts of the ceiling. After looking round the exhibition, come out into the close again and turn left into the Inner Close, under a stone bridge between the Palace and the Great Hall.

A re-enactor dressed as a jester, whose important job was to keep the court amused!

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Locations 5 and 6: Inner Close 6 and Palace 10

Background information: this may be read to pupils. • This is called the Inner Close. Opposite us is the Chapel Royal. To the right is the Great Hall. To the left you can see the King’s Old Building. These were the royal buildings built by James IV, Mary Queen of Scots’ grandfather. James V obviously felt these weren’t grand enough, so he built the Royal Palace behind us.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Look at the two royal palaces: the King’s Different size. Different shape of stone. Old Building and the Palace. What Palace is much more decorated and differences can you see ? grander. Face the Palace. One of the statues The statue at the very left. This shows shows King James V. Can you work out James dressed in ordinary clothes, but a which one it is? lion is holding a crown over his head. The Palace is undergoing James wanted to make sure that I 5 – standing for ‘Iacobus V’ (‘James V’) major restoration but parts everyone knew that he had built the – is carved above the windows. of it are open to visitors palace, so he put his initials on the wall – in Latin. The Latin for James begins with the letter I. Can you find his initials anywhere? The Palace is built around an inner Symbol of kingship and strength. square, known as the Lion’s Den. The They were the kings and wanted to story goes that lions used to be kept show off! here. Why do you think they wanted to keep lions? Where else can you see lions around Along the wall above the statues. On here? the roof of the Great Hall. What kind of evidence do you think Written descriptions of the palace from the builders and historians at Historic 500 years ago. Scotland are using to try and reconstruct DID YOU KNOW? Working out how it might have looked the Palace? from the signs of other building work. The King’s Presence How can they find out what it used to Chamber was originally be like? Comparing it with information from decorated with an other palaces of the time. amazing wooden carved Inside the Palace ceiling. On it were 38 carved wooden circles, Note to teachers: the situation inside the Palace varies as work is carried out in different like medallions, each areas. Access may be limited; and the Palace may be closed entirely at times. showing a carved face • Historic Scotland is working on restoring the Palace. They want to make it or head. Some of the look how it did 500 years ago. In the time of the Stewarts it would have been heads probably showed very luxurious. It would probably have been the grandest house in the whole important people at the of Scotland. The walls would have been lined with wooden panelling. There Stewart court, others would have been lovely carved wooden furniture. On the floor there would show people from have been sweet-smelling rushes or mats and the rooms would have been lit ancient legends and from and warmed by huge fires and flickering candle lamps. the Bible. You can see some of these carvings • Some rooms would have had beautiful tapestries on the walls for decoration and today in the Museum of to keep the room warm. Later on we can see craftspeople weaving tapestries like Scotland in Edinburgh. the ones that used to be here. Cross the Inner Close to stand by the Chapel door.

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Location 7: Chapel Royal 8

Background information: this may be read to pupils. • The Stewart kings and queens had their own private chapel at Stirling Castle. Mary Queen of Scots was crowned here when she was only a baby. Her son James was christened here in a golden font sent as a present by Queen Elizabeth of England. • When James VI and his Danish wife Anna had a baby boy called Henry, James wanted a wonderful setting for his christening. He ordered the palace builders to rebuild the chapel completely. The chapel was totally rebuilt between February and August, in time for a lavish christening celebration. • The stones for the chapel were cut and shaped by skilled builders called stonemasons. They were paid by how many stones they managed to cut. Each of the masons had a particular mark, like a signature. They carved their mark The Chapel Royal interior, into the stone, so that they could be paid the right amount. decorated in 1628 Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Look above the door on the outside. 1594 Can you find a date? What do you think this is the date of? The date of rebuilding the chapel for Henry’s christening. Look to the left of the first window on A cross with a line on top, like a picnic the left of the door, about 8 stones up. table. Can you find a mason’s mark? Can you see any others which are At least one other can be found. different shapes? Masons’ marks are always made up of Easier to carve. straight lines – why do you think this is? Go into the Chapel Royal.

DID YOU KNOW? In 1560 the official religion of Scotland changed from Catholic to Protestant. But Mary Queen of Scots was allowed to worship as a Catholic, as long as she did it in private. When her Protestant half- brother James found out this out, he was so angry that he attacked the priest at Stirling! The entrance to the Chapel Royal

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• In the time of the Stewarts, the chapel would have looked very different. It would have been darker, probably lit by candle light. There would have been an altar in the same place as the one you can see here today but there would also have been benches for people to sit on. The chapel we can see today was the first purpose built Protestant kirk in Scotland. • James VI’s second son, King Charles I, came to visit Stirling in 1633. The inside of the chapel was redecorated specially for his visit. You can see the paintings round the top of the chapel walls. • There is a display of carved wooden heads. These came from the Palace. There used to be lots of them set into the Palace ceiling. There are 33 of them left today. • Look at the tapestries. These are modern copies of medieval ones. They retell the story of hunting a .

The 1628 decoration of the Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Chapel Royal includes this Look at the wall at the opposite end Painting of an open window, with lots panel showing the Honours from the altar. What can you see? of decorations around it. of Scotland and the initials of Charles I, who was then the Why do you think the painter painted a Maybe to give an impression of more reigning monarch window? light inside. Look high up. Can you find the initials C = Carolus = Latin for Charles C R and the number 1 anywhere? R = Rex = Latin for King What do you think these stand for? 1= I CR1 = King Charles I Look at the tapestries. What stages in Pupils can work this out – the tapestries the unicorn hunt do they show? on display vary. Look at the cases with two carved Carving of man with beard and woman wooden circles. What can you see? wearing elaborate dress. Historians think that the woman was dressed up to take part in a play.

Leave the chapel and turn right. Turn right again to enter the Douglas Gardens.

Douglas Gardens DID YOU KNOW? Background information: this may be read to pupils. When Mary Queen • This garden feels peaceful now, but in 1452, Mary’s great-great-grandfather, of Scots’ son James James II, murdered one of his enemies close to this spot. William, the 8th Earl was christened, the of Douglas had been invited to Stirling specially to talk about how he and the celebrations at Stirling king could sort out their differences. He was a bit suspicious about coming, Castle lasted for days. but the king promised that he would be safe. But as they were talking, James There were fireworks – the lost his temper and murdered the earl. first ever seen in Scotland and a mock- medieval It is possible to go up on to the walls and look around. You get a great view from battle and tournament. here and a real sense of Stirling’s commanding location. No wonder Mary had to Pupils may be interested to see that Queen Victoria and her descendants have borrow money from the carved their initials into the wall top – but do pupils think the royals should have merchants of Edinburgh to done this? pay for it all! After this, head back into the Inner Close and into the Great Hall, by the entrance close to the Chapel Royal.

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Location 8: Great Hall 9

Background information: this may be read to pupils. • This is the Great Hall of Stirling Castle. It has been restored to how it might have looked in the 1500s. • All castles had halls – but this one was the biggest ever built in Scotland. It was built for feasts, celebrations and important official events, like meetings of Parliament or royal christenings. • Mary Queen of Scots celebrated the birth of her son James here. The celebrations went on for three days and included the first fireworks display ever in Scotland. When James’ son Henry was christened, he went one better. As part of the celebrations, there was a fantastic display here in the grand hall, which included dragging in a huge ship, stuffed full of an amazing variety of fish. The Stewarts certainly knew how to party! The interior of the Great Hall with its hammerbeam roof • After the Stewarts left Scotland, the hall wasn’t used much. It was used as living accommodation for soldiers who were based at the castle. The hall was split into three floors and had lots of internal walls too. After the soldiers finally left in 1964, Historic Scotland decided to rebuild the Great Hall. They started in the late 1960s but it was not opened by the Queen until 1999. • One of the biggest jobs was to rebuild the roof in the original style. It is called a hammerbeam roof. Skilled woodworkers used 400 oak trees to build the roof – which is made up of 1,300 beams. Their tools haven’t changed since medieval times – though the methods have. The roof was built without using a single nail. Instead, all the beams lock together like jigsaw pieces and are held in place with more than 3,000 wooden pegs. • The walls were repainted outside in a colour called ‘King’s Gold’. Historians have worked out that all the buildings in the castle would have been painted this colour.

The Great Hall, which was completed in the early 1500s and restored in the 1990s

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Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Look around you. How many fireplaces can you find? What were they used for? For warming the room and for light. Look at the big one at the end of the Several trees! hall. How much wood would you need to have a fire here? There are two other things in the hall Wood panelling. which helped keep it warm in the old Heavy hangings to keep draughts out. days, apart from the fires. What are they? Where would the king or queen sit? At the head of the hall, on platform, where the double chairs are. Why was this the best place? Warm – right beside fire. Well lit – beside windows. The windows probably had beautiful Lit up in beautiful colours – like gods! stained glass. How would the king and queen have looked when the sun was shining through? The Stewarts loved dancing and music. Musicians’ gallery at the far end of the Look around the hall and see if you can hall and halfway along one wall. work out where the musicians would have been. Not everything in the hall is traditional. No electric light – would have used See if you can identify some things candles or oil lamps (see replica candle which would not have been here in the stands) time of the Stewarts. No heaters – would have used the fires. Do you know what they would have No speakers for amplified music – used instead? would have had live music. No ramps, barriers, fire extinguishers etc. Rebuilding the hall helped Historic • Foresters and sawyers to cut wood; Scotland learn a lot about building • joiners or woodworkers to build the methods in the past. roof, fit the paneling and make the furniture; Look at the hall, and see how many • stone masons to cut and shape the different jobs it would take to build a stones; hall like this. • builders to build the walls; • plasterers to cover the walls; • glaziers to fit the windows; • people to weave the fabric and fit the curtains etc; • metal worker to shape metal stands for candles etc; • plumber to build drains and guttering; • painter or ‘harler’ to paint and decorate inside and out. Leave the Great Hall by the doorway at the table end of the hall. Follow the signs across the outer close to the Great Kitchens.

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Location 9: Great Kitchens 11 The Great Kitchens area starts with a short video about food and cooking in the medieval period. Then proceed into the main kitchen area. Background information: this may be read to pupils. • In here you can see what the palace kitchens might have looked like. This is where food for the Stewart kings, queens and their important guests was prepared. • You will have to bring the kitchens to life in your imagination. Imagine the noise, the smells, the sounds and the heat from the fires. • There are four parts to the kitchen: the cooking area, the preparation area, the bakehouse, and the area for putting completed dishes. As you go around, try and work out which area you are in. The reconstructed interior of • As you are looking around, think about these questions. When you come out, we the Great Kitchens can discuss them all together.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses What food can you see that is the same Same: many of the fruits and as food we have today? vegetables; meat, seafood, bread, eggs. What foods are completely different? Different: not many people eat swans, rabbits etc today. Most of the food you can see here Most food in the kitchens is local. would be grown in Scotland. Some food came from overseas. What can you see that would be grown locally? Can you find anything which might Food from abroad: some fruits (e.g. figs, have come from another country? peaches). How is this kitchen the same as Same: tables for preparing food; place kitchens today? How is it different? for cooking food; lots of sharp knives. Different: no running water, candles instead of electric light, no fridges. How many different jobs can you see Washing up, cooking by fire, carrying being done in these kitchens? food, rolling pastry, serving food, pounding spices, peeling cabbages, baking etc. Are any jobs done by children? Young boy is working by fire; another boy has dropped the milk. Imagine you are a guest of the king or Pupils’ own responses. queen tonight. Choose four things you DID YOU KNOW? would like to eat! When the royal court Leave the kitchens. Turn right and walk down the slope through the North Gate to moved from Linlithgow to reach the weaving studio. Here, skilled weavers are re-creating a set of medieval Stirling in 1543, it took 19 tapestries. It is probably best to discuss the points below before visiting the studios, carts to move the contents so as not to disturb the weavers too much. of the royal larder and all the cooking and baking equipment.

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Location 10: Tapestry Studio 13

Background information: this may be read to pupils. • This area is called the Nether Bailey. In this courtyard area there used to be food stores, a blacksmith’s and other workshops. Nowadays there is a modern weaving studio where we can see weavers at work. • In the time of the Stewarts, tapestries were a popular way of decorating your walls. They were hung up to look beautiful and helped to keep out the cold.. • James IV and James V were big collectors of tapestries. In 1539 there were over 100 tapestries at the palace! Some of these were bought by James IV and were handed to his son. Others came from each of their wives. They were valuable and were kept carefully. • Eventually the tapestries became worn out. By the time of Mary Queen of Scots, some of the tapestries had been recycled into bed coverings and chair seats. The Tapestry Studio at the far end of the Nether Bailey • The tapestries were woven on looms. The threads are made from wool, silk and in some cases gold thread. There is a project going on at Stirling Castle to recreate a set of tapestries made round about 1500. The weavers are copying a set which is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and which tells the story of a unicorn hunt. There are seven in the series.

Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses Look closely at the tapestry. How many Will depend on whatever is being woven colours is the weaver working with? at the time. What is the picture? What way up is it? Tapestry is woven sideways. Can you see what the weavers use to A paper pattern is placed behind the help them copy the picture? weaving. How do you think they get the tapestry Tapestry is cut from the loom when it’s off the screen? finished. DID YOU KNOW? Tapestries were very expensive. Having Expensive materials – silk and gold The original Unicorn tapestries was a way of showing off thread. tapestries were made how rich you were. Why do you think Took a very long time to make. around 1500 in France they cost so much? for a noble family. They How long do you think it takes to weave Takes around four years. were handed down in the a tapestry the size of the ones in the family but eventually went chapel? Can you find out? missing. In the 1850s the The Stewarts were always on the move, Tapestries could be rolled up and taken Count de la Rochefoucauld from one palace to another. Can you with the royal baggage to the next decided to recover his think of another advantage of the palace. tapestries from this point of view? family’s lost possessions. He met a peasant woman After your visit to the studio, you may wish to let your pupils walk around the walls. who claimed she had Please ensure that they walk, rather than run, and supervise them closely at all times. some curtains covering Our tour is now finished. As you leave the castle, get the pupils to think about what vegetables in her barn. they have learnt: When the count looked, the ‘curtains’ turned out to • What have we found out about what changes the Stewarts made to Stirling Castle? be • What have we found out about how the Stewarts lived? tapestries! • What have we found out about how the people who worked here and how they lived?

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Additional resources

For teachers www.scran.ac.uk A good source of photographs and images of objects, Richard Fawcett, Stirling Castle (Historic Scotland, including objects from Stirling Castle. Also includes 1999). The official guidebook, giving further details on resource packs for pupils, worksheets and lesson plans the architecture and history of the site. across a range of subjects. Investigating Medieval Castles in Scotland (Historic www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/stirling/stirlingcastle Scotland, 2005). An excellent booklet designed for This site has some lovely photographs, a good historical teachers with lots of background on castle life and overview and a very useful clickable map. suggestions for class activities. Also downloadable from the Historic Scotland website. www.historic-scotland. gov.uk/index/education_unit For pupils Investigating The Wars of Independence 1296–1357 Terry Deary, Horrible Histories: Bloody Scotland (Historic Scotland, 2005). A useful booklet designed (Scholastic, 1998). One of the ever-popular Horrible for teachers with lots of background on the wars and Histories. Lively, engaging and provocative. suggestions for class activities. Also downloadable from the Historic Scotland website. www.historic-scotland. Margaret Simpson, Mary Queen of Scots and her Horrible gov.uk/index/education_unit Husbands (Scholastic, 2001). Similar in approach to Bloody Scotland. Investigating Mary Queen of Scots (Historic Scotalnd, 2006). A useful booklet with background information Allan Burnett, Robert the Bruce and All That; William about the Queen and her eventful life, suggestions Wallace and All That; Mary Queen of Scots and All for sites to visit and classroom activities. Also That (Birlinn, 2006). Three titles from a new series downloadable from the Historic Scotland website. presenting key characters from the past in a lively and www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/education_unit engaging style. Historic Scotland Siege Engines worksheets These Phil Roxbee Cox, What were Castles For? (Usborne downloadable worksheets are most suitable for able Publishing Ltd, 2002) upper primary/lower secondary pupils. They provide Christopher Gravett, Eyewitness Castle (Dorling instructions on how to construct a working model Kindersley 2002). Lavishly illustrated guide to castles siege engine or trebuchet. and castle life across the world. www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/education_unit Colin Dargie, Stuart Scotland (Heinemann, 2002). Chris Tabraham, and One of the excellent Explore Scottish History series. (Historic Scotland, 2000). An excellent general guide Richly illustrated with photographs and contemporary to the development of Scotland’s castles. accounts. John Guy, My Heart is My Own: the Life of Mary Queen www..co.uk/scotland/education/as/burghlife/ of Scots (Harper, 2004). A gripping biography, highly Explore 16th-century life in Stirling and gain readable and drawing on many new sources of admission to a feast with Mary Queen of Scots. evidence. www.ltscotland.org.uk/scottishhistory Angela Royston, Mary Queen of Scots (Pitkin Unichrome An excellent library of resources for pupils relating to Ltd, 2000). A well-illustrated bookelt, also suitable for various eras in Scotland’s history. Useful for personal more able pupils. research projects. Includes games and information. National Archives of Scotland, Scotland in the 16th www.nationalgeographic.com/castles/enter.html Century (NAS and LTS, 2004). An excellent resource Explore a virtual castle. with CD-ROM which helps teachers and pupils investigage life in 16th-century Scotland.

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Other places to visit

Here are some suggestions for other places to visit which The National Wallace Monument, just outside Stirling may complement your visit to Stirling Castle. Built in 1869 to commemorate Wallace’s victory at Stirling Argyll’s Lodging, Stirling – Historic Scotland Bridge, this tower is a great vantage point. Displays relating to the life of Wallace, including the 700 year-old Argyll’s Lodging is Scotland’s most splendid and complete ‘Wallace Sword’. Set in lovely woodlands. example of a 17th-century townhouse. Situated on the upper approaches to Stirling Castle, its fine architecture Tel: 01786 472140 marks it out as a property intended for a great nobleman serving the royal court. Tel: 01786 431319 Castle, Doune – Historic Scotland is a magnificent late-14th century courtyard castle with a splendid reconstructed hall. A great place to visit if you are exploring castle life. Acknowledgements Tel: 01786 841742 Author: Elspeth Mackay , Linlithgow – Historic Scotland Layout and Production: The House All the Stewart kings lived here, and it was the birthplace Production Editor: Andrew Burnet of Mary Queen of Scots. Its ruins are still magnificent, in Series Editor: Sue Mitchell particular the courtyard with its stunning fountain. All images © Crown copyright, reproduced courtesy of Tel: 01506 842896 Historic Scotland, except where stated. Bannockburn Battlefield and Heritage Centre, © Historic Scotland 2008 Bannockburn, Stirling – National Trust for Scotland Historic Scotland The site of Robert the Bruce’s famous victory over the Longmore House English in 1314. Activities for schools. Salisbury Place Tel: 0844 4932139 Edinburgh, EH9 1SH

s Linlithgow Palace, home to Stewart royal households s Doune Castle

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HISTORIC SCOTLAND education