Stirling Castle, Ladies' Lookout

SPARC: Stirling Castle Palace Archaeological and Historical Research

The Stirling Palace project was intended to extend existing research within an innovative and practical fieldwork and research framework. The results of this work were also intended to advance a new level of understanding of the sequence of building and alteration within the palace.

The investigation of the palace in particular sought to detail exactly how the complex was adapted to meet each new role over the centuries on a room-by-room, range-by-range and floor-by-floor basis. Excavation was targeted to show how alterations to the palace affected previous structures, either by inclusion within the new plan, truncation, or total destruction. The combined research then sought to place the site within its British and European context, and trace its transition from royal household to officer’s mess.

Information from Project website: http://sparc.scran.ac.uk/home/fieldwork/fieldwork.html?current=three

Work for SPARC was carried out from 2003 - 2006, with the majoirty of the work taking place between 2003 - 2005, and with a small phase of additional work in March 2007.

The results of these excavations have brought to light evidence of how the Palace of James V inherited certain key structures and spaces, which were refined in the mid 16th-century Palace layout. In addition, there is new evidence to suggest that the West Range was subsequently remodelled in the late 16th century and 1620s, before its conversion to military use in the later 17th century.

Information from OASIS Id: kirkdale1-504420 (D Murray) 2004

NS 7899 9403 Various archaeological watching briefs were carried out between 1 April–29 September 2008 at Stirling Castle Palace before and during restoration works in 2008.

SCPP-2008-02 – Monitoring of slab removal prior to excavations between the Governor’s Kitchen and the King’s Old Buildings.

SCPP-2008-03 and SCPP-2008-06 – Monitoring of the excavation of a new drain along the base of the main W elevation of the palace (on the Ladies’ Lookout) – Most of this drain’s route was through backfill from the 2004 excavation of the Ladies’ Lookout. However, the S end of the drain revealed more of the foundations of the ragged angled wall at the SW corner of the Palace. OASIS Id: kirkdale1-504381

SCPP-2008-07 – Monitoring of the construction of new doorways in the Palace – The doorways were constructed between the King and Queen’s bedchambers and also between the Queen’s Inner and Outer Halls. Wall fabric and original door features revealed during restoration were recorded.

SCPP-2008-11: Inside the Palace the re-pointing of a relieving arch in the King’s closets was monitored and organic material sealed behind it was sampled. Also, the removal of plaster from the S end of the upper corridor of the West Range was monitored and recorded as it revealed roof fabric.

SCPP-2008-15: The removal of 20th-century service conduits from the King’s Inner Hall and the Queen’s Inner Hall was monitored and the residual plaster sealed behind was recorded.

Kirkdale Archaeology

Funder: Historic Scotland

Paul Fox, Sarah Hogg, David Murray and Alan Radley 2008

Analysis of the animal bone from the excavation of the Ladies' Lookout. Analysis of the animal bone completed in line with standard archaeological practice.

The animal bones indicated good preservation conditions and most likely represent domestic kitchen waste rather than exclusively deriving from primary butchery. As would be expected from a consumer site there was no evidence of neonatal animals and the age at death suggested mainly the consumption of prime age animals. The main domesticates, cattle, sheep and pig were well represented in the assemblage. The presence of both red and roe deer indicates hunting of these animals. A significant number of dog bones were retrieved, relatively unusual in an archaeological context, at least three dogs were represented but no complete burial was observed, either during excavation or during the post-excavation analysis of the bone. Thus it is possible that these bones have been moved from their original burial place and redeposited from elsewhere. They did not bear butchery bones or any other indications that they might represent some use of dead dogs, such as for skins, which might result in the carcasses being dumped as rubbish (dogs are normally found as burials).

Information from OASIS Id: kirkdale1-504403 (J Thoms) 2008

A phased account of the results of the excavation of the Ladies' Lookout at Stirling Castle. This was a report produced as part of the work at Stirling Castle begun in the mid-2000s, which culminated in the publication of 'With Thy Towers High: The Archaeology of Stirling Castle and Palace' (Historic Scotland, Edinburgh, 2015).

Information from OASIS ID: kirkdale1-504434 (D Murray) 2008

A general discussion of the evidence produced as a result of the work at Stirling Castle begun in the mid-2000s, which culminated in the publication of 'With Thy Towers High: The Archaeology of Stirling Castle and Palace' (Historic Scotland, Edinburgh, 2015). A general discussion of the evidence produced as a result of the work at Stirling Castle begun in the mid-2000s, which culminated in the publication of 'With Thy Towers High: The Archaeology of Stirling Castle and Palace' (Historic Scotland, Edinburgh, 2015).

Information from OASIS ID: kirkdale1-504429 (G Ewart) 2008

An examination of 4386 fragments of clay tobacco pipe that were retrieved during the Ladies' Lookout excavations of 2003-2004. This was a report produced as part of the work at Stirling Castle begun in the mid-2000s, which culminated in the publication of 'With Thy Towers High: The Archaeology of Stirling Castle and Palace' (Historic Scotland, Edinburgh, 2015).

Information from OASIS ID: kirkdale1-504409 (D Gallagher) 2008

SCPP: Stirling Castle Palace Project

A variety of archaeological work was carried out between 2008 and 2009 by Kirkdale Archaeology under the framework of the Stirling Castle Palace project. This included work on the Palace, Kings Old Buildings, Govenor's Kitchen, Princes Tower, and Douglas Gardens and involved excavations, watching briefs, and standing building recordings.

A watching brief was maintained during the excavation of two trenches to install footings for handrail uprights serving the wall walk stairs to the northeast and southwest of the Douglas Gardens. Surfaces and stone slabs of unknown date revealed in the trenches were left undisturbed and not investigated, while the areas of excavation were adjusted to avoid any further disturbance.

At the same time, a watching brief was maintained during turf removal at the Ladies Lookout. The Ladies Lookout was extensively excavated by Kirkdale Archaeology during the SPARC project from 2003 - 2005. No additional archaeological features were found during the turf removal.

Paul Fox 2014

Sponsor: HS

Kirkdale Archaeology

NS 78971 94045 The archaeological Watching Brief took place. A 6.75 by 0.50m trench was excavated at Ladies’ Lookout and a 5.70 by 0.50m trench was excavated within the Esplanade. Excavation for the planting of new yew vegetation within Stirling Castle revealed a series of redeposited topsoil fills. The area along Ladies’ Lookout had been extensively excavated under archaeological conditions by Kirkdale Archaeology under the framework of the Stirling Castle Palace Archaeological and Historical Research project (2003-2006). Further works during this watching brief resulting in the recovery of SF01, a 17th century white clay pipe bowl. No further archaeological remains were identified. Excavation within the Esplanade revealed a series of fills and no archaeological remains were identified.

Information from S. Morris – AOC Archaeology Group, 2023.

OASIS ID: aocarcha1-513395