We are coming up to a sad anniversary in the more recent history of the castle – the destruction the once-magnificent Governor’s House. This was also known as the Old Palace, a term that needs to be seen in context as the New Palace was commissioned by James V in 1538. Within its walls was the Douglas Room, reputedly among the most beautiful in the castle.

A newspaper cutting of 1 November, 1855, reports that the blaze began on Sunday night and wasn’t finally put out until 7am on Monday, leaving the ancient apartments “a heap of ruins”. An estimated £1,000 of private property – a huge amount – belonging to officers of the 90th Stirlingshire Militia, who used the building, was lost. Most of the regimental silver plate went as well.

Not much is known about what was there before the fire, but we were recently sent a copy of a lithograph of the Douglas Room. It shows an apartment of wonderful elegance, splendidly furnished and draped, with gorgeous panelling on the walls. Beyond it, through a graceful archway, can be glimpsed another spacious apartment, now also lost forever.

The lithograph was created in 1856 by Mrs Tennent of Pyanancles, who had been brought up in the Governor’s House, from her own sketch, and was a memorial to its lost glory. Thanks to her efforts we at least have something to tell us what this gracious piece of Scottish heritage was like.

Of course, stories like these, send chills through the bones of our team who are refurbishing the New Palace – ready for reopening to the public next April. Part of the project has involved elaborate precautions such separating the building into zones with fire resistant materials in the ceilings and walls. There are also advanced electronic “sniffers” constantly scanning the air for smoke particles. On top of that is a hi-tech water mist fire suppression system, which puts out the flames by starving them of oxygen.

Thankfully we don’t have one of the worries that the mid-19th century firefighters faced. At that time the castle was an active military base, and the newspaper report of the blaze chirpily reports that it took place “in the immediate vicinity of the regimental and general powder magazines, in which are stored about 900 barrels of gunpowder”.