Doune Castle

Doune Castle is a medieval castle located in Stirling, Scotland. It was built in the late 14th century by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, the son of King Robert II of Scotland. The castle was originally intended to be a royal retreat, and as such it reflects current ideas of what a royal castle should be. It was designed as a courtyard castle, with ranges of buildings on each side, although only the northern and north-western buildings were completed. These include a large tower house over the entrance, which contained the rooms of the Lord and his family, and a separate tower containing the kitchen and guest rooms. The castle passed to the crown in 1425, after Albany’s son was executed, and it was used as a royal hunting lodge and dower house. In the later 16th century, it became the property of the Earls of Moray. The castle saw military action during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and the Jacobite risings in the 17th and 18th centuries. It fell into ruin by the 19th century, but was restored in the 1880s. Today, it is maintained by Historic Environment Scotland and is open to the public.