Stirling Castle (27)
In the middle of the 14th century, the French chronicler Jean Froissart described Edinburgh as the capital of Scotland, and James III in the mid-15th century described the city as &quot;the principal burgh of our kingdom&quot;.  Be that as it may, Stirling was always the favoured location of the royal court.  

Alexander I died here in 1124.  King William I died here in 1214.  After the murder of James I at Perth in 1437, Queen Joan brought the young James II here for safety.  In 1486, Margaret of Denmark, Queen of James III, died here.  In 1513, Queen Margaret Tudor retired here for safety after the death of James IV at the Battle of Flodden and her 2 year old son was crowned as James V that same year.  Mary Queen of Scots was crowned here in 1542.  The future King James VI was baptised here in 1566 and was crowned in the nearby Church of the Holy Rude the following year.  In 1594, King James VI's son Henry was baptised in the Chapel Royal in an event appropriately grand for a future king - which he wasn't of course, because he died before his father.  Not long after that of course, the royal court moved to London and on 30 March 1685, Stirling Castle officially became a military base rather than a Royal Palace.
dji0906 stirling stirlingcastle scotland fortress royalpalace maryqueenofscots