Craggy crossroads

The rock’s spot proved particularly strategic, straddling the intersection between the Highlands to the north and west and the Forth Valley down to Edinburgh to the southeast. Anyone who built a stronghold here would have sight – and control – of the crossroads between the two regions. They’d also be able to watch the much-used bridge over the River Forth, a key crossing point between the Highlands and the south of Scotland. This was a big reason why the castle would play such a key role in various conflicts.

The most famous of these conflicts were the Wars of Scottish Independence. In the late 13th Century, Scotland’s King John was proving less pliable to the English King Edward I’s demands than expected. After the final straw, when the Scottish nobility negotiated a treaty with France against England, Edward invaded and captured Stirling Castle. Led by legendary fighter William Wallace and Andrew Moray, the Scots won the castle back in the famed Battle of Stirling Bridge. This view from Stirling Castle looks across the site of that battle to the National Wallace Monument, the stone tower built in homage to the Scottish war hero.

But their success did not hold out: after a crushing defeat at the Battle of Falkirk, the Scots gave the castle up to the English once more. Scottish forces including Robert the Bruce – later King of Scots – besieged the castle, successfully wresting it back. But by 1303, the tides had turned again: the English now held the upper hand in the conflict, even though they didn't yet hold the castle. (Credit: Amanda Ruggeri)