Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Queen of Scots

Stirling Castle sits atop an intrusive crag, It is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs, giving it a strong defensive position. Its strategic location has made it an important fortification in the region from the earliest times. Most of the principal buildings of the castle date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Before the union with England, Stirling Castle was also one of the most used of the many Scottish royal residences, very much a palace as well as a fortress. Several Scottish Kings and Queens have been crowned at Stirling, including Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1542. There have been at least eight sieges of Stirling Castle, including several during the Wars of Scottish Independence, with the last being in 1746, when Bonnie Prince Charlie unsuccessfully tried to take the castle.

The fortress of Dumbarton was the stronghold of the kingdom of Alclud until the Vikings destroyed the fortress after a four-month siege in 870. This led to the emergence of the new kingdom of Strathclyde. The title "king of the Britons of Srath Clúade" was first used in 872. Dumbarton was later the county town of the county of Dumbartonshire. The name comes from the Scottish Gaelic "Dùn Breatainn" meaning "fort of the Brythons (Britons)". Alexander II granted the status of royal burgh in 1222. Dumbarton Castle has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It sits on a volcanic plug of basalt known as Dumbarton Rock. Mary, Queen of Scots stayed at Dumbarton Castle in July 1563. After the defeat at the Battle of Langside in 1568 she tried to reach the Castle, but went instead to England. John Fleming, 5th Lord Fleming, keeper of the Castle went with her into England and was allowed to return. When William Kirkcaldy of Grange governor of Edinburgh Castle changed sides to support Mary, this became a problem for Regent Moray. The subsequent conflict is known as the Marian Civil War. Fleming's defence of Dumbarton for Mary was staunch, assisted by the timely arrival of supply ships from France. The castle was captured by the forces of Regent Lennox in 1571, who used ladders to scale the rock and surprise the garrison. Today not much survives from the medieval castle: the 14th-century Portcullis Arch, the foundations of two towers. There is a 16th-century guard house. Most of the existing structures were built in the 18th century, including the Governor's House.

In the Middle Ages, Linlithgow rose to prominence as a royal town and residence, centred on Linlithgow Palace, a residence of the Scottish kings on the raised hill beside the loch, as it was a logical stopover between Edinburgh to the east and Stirling to the west. In the Middle Ages, Linlithgow rose to prominence as a royal town and residence, centred on Linlithgow Palace, a residence of the Scottish kings on the raised hill beside the loch, as it was a logical stopover between Edinburgh to the east and Stirling to the west. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries. Mary, Queen of Scots, was born at Linlithgow Palace in 1542. The security of the palace by fitting was increaed by iron window grills. Regent Arran was worried his enemies, including Cardinal Beaton, would take Mary. He considered putting the queen in Blackness Castle, a stronger fortress. Henry VIII hoped that Mary would be separated from her mother and taken to Tantallon Castle. Mary was teething and plans to move her were delayed. Following lengthy negotiations between the armed factions at Linlithgow, Mary was taken to Stirling Castle by her mother, escorted by the Earl of Lennox, and an armed force. As an adult Queen Mary often visited Linlithgow, but did not commission new building work at the palace. After the Union of the Crowns in 1603 the Royal Court became largely based in England and Linlithgow was used very little. The North Range, said to be in very poor condition and collapsed in 1607. In 1746 the palace burned out.

In the Middle Ages, Linlithgow rose to prominence as a royal town and residence, centred on Linlithgow Palace, a residence of the Scottish kings on the raised hill beside the loch, as it was a logical stopover between Edinburgh to the east and Stirling to the west. In the Middle Ages, Linlithgow rose to prominence as a royal town and residence, centred on Linlithgow Palace, a residence of the Scottish kings on the raised hill beside the loch, as it was a logical stopover between Edinburgh to the east and Stirling to the west. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries. Mary, Queen of Scots, was born at Linlithgow Palace in 1542. The security of the palace by fitting was increaed by iron window grills. Regent Arran was worried his enemies, including Cardinal Beaton, would take Mary. He considered putting the queen in Blackness Castle, a stronger fortress. Henry VIII hoped that Mary would be separated from her mother and taken to Tantallon Castle. Mary was teething and plans to move her were delayed. Following lengthy negotiations between the armed factions at Linlithgow, Mary was taken to Stirling Castle by her mother, escorted by the Earl of Lennox, and an armed force. As an adult Queen Mary often visited Linlithgow, but did not commission new building work at the palace. After the Union of the Crowns in 1603 the Royal Court became largely based in England and Linlithgow was used very little. The North Range, said to be in very poor condition and collapsed in 1607. In 1746 the palace burned out.