Stirling Castle

I headed out from Edinburgh on the train to Stirling Castle.

I signed up for a very entertaining guided tour of the castle. It has a history dating back to the 12th century, and has been the site of numerous battles (including those of the wars of Scottish independence), and the coronations of Scottish Kings and Queens. It is an atmospheric place, with views across the surrounding countryside and right up to the highlands.

---

We visited the great hall which has been restored to a lot of it's former glory, with replicas of the medieval thrones of the Scottish Kings and Queens on display. 

Inside the castle there were a whole lot of careful reproductions of tapestries and the ornate furnishings of the time. Brightly coloured crests on the wall and painted ceilings have been restored the colours that they were painted in medieval Scotland.

The King and Queen's bedrooms were the most beautiful rooms in the castle. The walls were hung with beautiful tapestries which included Scottish symbolism (plenty of unicorns). 

King's bedchamber.

Queen's bedchamber.

Where Giovanni took his flying leap.

The Castle is situated on a high hill, and on most sides drops away steeply into a cliff. An early attempt at human powered flight was made in 1507 by Giovanni Damiano de Falcucci, an Italian at the Scottish court. The whole court trooped out to the loftiest part of the castle to watch, and waited with bated breath as Giovanni, wearing a pair giant feathered wings took a running leap from the battlements. Unfortunately instead of soaring off into the distance, he simply fell inelegantly into the forest below. He did survive but injured his thigh (and possibly his pride) in the process.
Still, you have to give him full marks for enthusiasm.

---

The author at Stirling castle.