1174

December 8

Captured by the English, William I of Scotland was forced to sign the Treaty of Falaise. The treaty made Scotland a feudal possession of England and William and his nobles swore fealty to Henry II. William had to hand over several castles to the English in return for his freedom. One of these was Stirling Castle. This treaty was overruled by King Richard I in return for funds paid by Scotland that Richard needed for his crusade in 1189. ^[1]

1297

September 11

William Wallace and Andrew De Moray leaders of the Scottish revolt in the South and North joined forces and defeated the English army led by Surrey at Stirling. The Scots caught the English forces as they crossed a bridge across the Forth. ^[1]

1303

December

Edward spent the winter months at Dunfermline Abbey where he planned the attack on Stirling Castle. ^[2]

1304

Spring

Edward began a siege of Stirling Castle. ^[2]

1304

July

The Scots surrendered Stirling Castle to Edward. The constructions of a huge trebuchet was ordered by the English king to bombard the castle into submission. The siege engine was called Warwolf. ^[2]

1313

June

Stirling Castle was still under the control of English forces but was under siege from the Scots led by Edward Bruce. Bruce and the English commander, Sir Philippe de Mowbray, came to an agreement that if English forces had not reached the castle by midsummer 1314, Mowbray would surrender the castle to the Scots. Bruce even let Mowbray leave the castle to inform the English king of the agreement. ^[3]

1314

June 17

Edward II and his army left Berwick to march to Stirling Castle which they had to reach before midsummer's day if the castle were to be saved from falling back into the hands of the Scots. ^[3]

1314

June 24

Forces led by Edward II were defeated by Robert I at Bannockburn. Edward was trying to reach Stirling Castle to relieve the English forces there. This was an important battle for the Scots to win and helped them to make some gains of land in northern England even if the success was short-lived.

1337

August

King Edward III reached Stirling Castle with supplies to assist the English garrison there that was under siege from Sir Andrew Moray. ^[2]

1425

May 24

When James I returned to Scotland and take the thone he found that the country was in a poor state of affairs. There were many barons who had used the time of his imprisonment to further their own ambitions rather than to protect Scotland and it's people. These included Murdoch Stewart and his sons, Walter and Alexander. Murdoch had been acting as regent since the death of his father, Robert Duke of Albany in 1420. King James had Walter, Alexander and finally Murdoch arrested and executed at Stirling Castle.

1452

February

During a meeting at Stirling Castle between the Earl of Douglas and King James II the 8th Earl refused to meet the King's demands. Angered by the refusal James stabbed the Earl and killed him.

1513

September 21

Shortly after the death of his father, James V was crowned King of Scotland at Stirling Castle. His mother, Margaret became regent as the young king was too young to rule.

1513

September 21

Shortly after the death of his father, James V was crowned King of Scotland at Stirling Castle. His mother, Margaret became regent as the young king was too young to rule.

1547

September 10

Thousands of Scots gathered near the town of Musselburgh, just to the east of Edinburgh. They faced an English army led by the Duke of Somerset. The Scots had a good position on the battle field but wasted it when they attacked. The Scots were heavily defeated. The defeat at Pinkie Cleugh was a threat to Mary, Queen of Scots, and so she was secretly moved from Stirling Castle to the Augustinian Inchmahome Priory located on an island on lake Menteith. ^[4]

1571

September 4

The regency of Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox was ended when he was assassinated during a raid by forces loyal to Mary, Queen of Scots, in Stirling. The raid was part of the ongoing civil war in Scotland between the factions supporting Mary and those supporting her son James VI. His death was a blow to the pro-English faction and marked the continuation of political instability in Scotland.