Set high on its striking volcanic rock, Stirling Castle has been the scene of some of the most dramatic events in Scottish history, culminating in the unsuccessful siege by Bonnie Prince Charlie 200 years ago. It was the last siege of a castle on the British mainland. This text provides the reader with a tour of this historical site and evokes the changing life of the castle and its human dramas. It is a survey of a site which, strategically, was perhaps the most important in the whole of Scotland. It concentrates on the castle's construction, highlighting its pre-eminence from the 12th century and its development and strategic importance over the next 700 years. It also looks at the building of the magnificent royal residence during the 16th century by James IV, James V and James VI, and examines the adaptation of the castle as a major fortress in the 17th and 18th centuries.