Sterling Castle, Scotland
Fridge Magnet of Sterling Castle, Scotland - Day 54 - Daily Content Challenge
My fridge magnet today shows Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, Scotland. Ruth and I were able to take Mom and Dad to visit Stirling Castle when they joined us for a trip to the UK and Ireland 30 years ago. I don’t think I bought the magnet back then. I probably purchased it on a more recent trip.
Stirling Castle is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both architecturally and historically. The castle sits on top of Castle Hill and is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs, which made it an important fortification in the area from the earliest of times.
Before Scotland was united with England, Stirling Castle was also one of the most used of the Scottish royal residences. It was very much a palace as well as a fortress. Several Scottish Kings and Queens have been crowned at Stirling, including Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1542.
There have been at least eight sieges of Stirling Castle. The last one was in 1746 when Bonnie Prince Charlie unsuccessfully tried to take the castle.
Today Stirling Castle is a tourist attraction open to the public year-round. It is managed by Historic Environment Scotland and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. In the UK, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The castle parade ground has been used as an open-air concert venue for several acts. The esplanade also hosts the city of Stirling’s Hogmanay celebrations.
