Join STV’s ‘The Hour’ today and you can see inside the castle’s fully refurnished palace for the very first time.

Presenter Bruce Devlin came along to have a special tour round in advance of our big opening weekend of events on 4 and 5 June. While he was here he met some of the costumed characters who will guide visitors round the palace, which Historic Scotland has returned to how it may have looked in the 1540s.

After learning how to sword fight, and meeting a herald who taught him all about 16th century manners (for example don’t pick fleas off yourself in front of royalty) Bruce was granted the ultimate privilege – an audience with the queen in her bedchamber.

So, tune to ‘The Hour’ at 5pm this afternoon and find out what happened when Bruce came face to face with Mary of Guise, the widow queen of Scotland.

And if you want to be among the first people to actually go inside the palace, you can book now for our opening celebrations.

There will be a huge amount to see and do, and you may even get to meet Her Grace for yourself.

Matthew Shelley, Stirling Castle communications