Stirling Castle -inside King James palace

Afternoon visit to Stirling castle with family.

Here we have an actor playing the part of a court official inside King James V palace.

James V wasn't old enough to walk when he was crowned king of Scotland in the Chapel Royal. By the time he was old enough to rule in 1528, squabbling noblemen had virtually bankrupted his kingdom.

But James was determined to be a Renaissance prince who could look his European contemporaries in the eye. He married well - twice - and used the huge dowries he received to create a vibrant, cosmopolitan royal court.
As a Renaissance man, James was a patron of poets and writers as well as a skilled lute player who could sight read music. However one contemporary dryly noted: "his voice was 'rawky and harsk".