Stirling Castle: Where the highlands meet the lowlands!

Stirling Castle is a well preserved, still in use, castle in the heart of the city of Stirling. Perched high atop a hill, the castle looms over the city and is known for being the meeting point between the Scottish highlands and lowlands. Stirling castle overlooks the Wallace Monument, which commemorates Sir William Wallace, a 13th- and 14th-century Scottish hero!

Steeped in history, the castle was mostly built between 1490 and 1600. Stirling has been used as both a bastion against many sieges as well as a Scottish royal residence; it was Mary, Queen of Scots' childhood home.

The grounds of the castle are meticulously well kept. The most beautiful, Queen Anne Garden (pictured above), is landscaped with colorful roses, hearty shrubbery, and a impressively manicured lawn.

From the royal halls, to the queen and kings sitting rooms and bed chambers, each inch of Stirling Castle has been beautifully restored to its former hand painted glory. It's really a menagerie of rainbow colors everywhere you look and it's almost overwhelming.

After touring the inside buildings, there's even an exhibit showcasing work by modern weavers who are researching medieval weaving techniques, colour palettes and materials in order to recreate and restore more of the castles textiles.

Riverfront, Perth

On your way out, you can grab a coffee or a nosh at the castle's Unicorn Café, named after Scotland's national animal, the Unicorn!

Here's some fun facts:

• The castle esplanade, or parade ground, has been used as an open-air concert venue for band such as REM, Bob Dylan, and Rod Stewart!

• 6-700,000 people visit Stirling, all year round!

• An illustration of Stirling Castle features on the reverse side of a current series of £20 notes issued by the Clydesdale Bank!

• and finally, due to its similar appearance to Colditz Castle in Saxony, Germany, the castle was used to film the exterior shots for the 1970s TV series Colditz!

On our way home, we took a quick stroll through Riverside Park in Perth. It was absolutely lovely and has some great views of the riverfront. We didn't spend much time here, but we will definitely come and spend a day exploring the city.

Check out the galley or click any of the images below to be taken to the full album of our visit to Stirling Castle!