2013 Magazine - Royal Caledonian Ball

James never lived to see it completed, dying
in 1542. It continued however to be home
to his widow, Mary de Guise and her
daughter, the young Mary Queen of Scots,
until she was sent to France in 1548.
Stirling Castle and its palace fell into
disrepair in the 17th century. When James,
Duke of Albany and York (the future James
VII and II), visited in 1681 it was thought
unfit for him to stay there.
Neglect led to decay, but refitting for
military use ensured that some areas of the
palace remained in very good condition as
the army often covered up, rather than
removed, original features
The castle stopped being a military depot in
1964, before later becoming a paid-for
visitor attraction.
The Restoration of the Royal
Apartments:
The restoration of the interior of the palace
apartments was based on the latest research
to painstakingly recreate the apartments.
Historic Scotland’s aim was to recreate the
most authentic experience possible by
transporting visitors back into the world of
the Scottish Renaissance royal court,
surrounded by beautiful decorations, crafts,
works of art and furniture.
Costumed interpreters now take on the
roles of everyone from Kings and Queens to
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court officials and noblemen. Visitors not
only see what a royal palace looked like
when it was new, but glimpse the lives of the
people who lived and worked there.
The result is a visitor experience unlike
anything else in Scotland.
Craft Skills:
Central to this was using traditional artists and
craftsmen to replicate authentic Renaissance
style by using age old techniques and craft
skills.
Craftspeople from across the UK were
carefully selected to help painstakingly bring
the interior of the palace back to its original
glory.
Historic Scotland’s aim is to allow visitors to
experience the Palace as it could have been
when it was completed in the 16th century.
The result is that a visit to the six royal
apartments in the palace is very different from
a typical trip to a historic building or museum,
because visitors see what everything was like
when it was new. The tapestries are bright not
faded, the furniture unblemished rather than
antique – the paintwork still fresh on the
walls.
Each detail is the result of meticulous research
– many items are copied from surviving
examples. In fact, an amazing range of sources
have been used. The overall impression is of
strong colours, detailed motifs, rich materials