Stirling Castle sits atop an intrusive crag, part of the Stirling Sill formation, with steep cliffs on three sides. Almost all present buildings were constructed between 1490 and 1600. James IV built the Great Hall after the King's Old Building was completed in 1497.
James V began the Royal Palace in the 1530s, and it was largely complete by the late 1540s. It was built under Sir James Hamilton of Finnart, Master of Works until his execution in 1540, with masons brought from France. The article describes it as the first Renaissance palace in the British Isles, French-inspired in architecture and German-inspired in decoration.
William Schaw, the Royal Master of Works, is credited with the Chapel Royal, rebuilt for the 1594 baptism of Prince Henry. A 12 million pound Royal Palace project reopened on June 5 to 6, 2011.
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