Stirling Castle

It has been the wish of Mr Flum for some time to visit Stirling Castle so today we went there. A brief stop at Linlithgow allowed us to observe the two minutes silence, before we continued the journey.

The photo represents two of the 37 oak roundels that decorate the ceiling in the King's Inner Hall, on the left King James V, on the right his second wife, Queen Mary of Guise. These are the father and mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, who was born in Linlithgow but baptised and crowned here at Stirling.

The roundels in place are all replicas by sculptor John Donaldson, following restoration of the 1540's splendour; the originals are too fragile to be reinstalled but many are on display here in a dedicated gallery, or in the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh. The copies were taken from the originals or, if missing, created from accurate drawings made in 1817.

These are just a few details of the visit, which included the Great Hall with roundels of stained glass depicting coats of arms and a hammer beam roof, the Palace with it decorated ceilings, and the Chapel Royal, all with so much fascinating history. I wish I had more extras available. The cafe is good, too! 

The day began with a wonderfully coloured sky and a fabulous sunset followed us home.