Stirling Castle A few structures of the fourteenth century remain, while the outer defences fronting the town date from the early eighteenth century. 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, and others were born or died there. 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
Castle Stuart during the English Civil War and Charles I was executed. The castle lay derelict for 300 years before being restored; it is currently used as a luxury hotel. The seaside links golf course at Castle Stuart along Moray Firth opened in 2009, co-designed by two Americans: managing partner Mark Parsinen and golf course architect Gil Hanse. It was voted as Best New Course for 2009 by "Golf" magazine. The course hosted the Scottish Open in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2016. Castle Stuart Castle Stuart is a restored tower house on the banks of the Moray Firth, about northeast of Inverness.