The magnificent Unicorn tapestries hanging in the Queen’s Inner Hall of the Palace were commissioned especially for Stirling Castle. They have been woven by hand, using techniques dating back to the 1400s.



The tapestries are closely based on a set of seven held by the Metropolitan Museum of New York at its Cloisters Museum. The original tapestries were produced in the early 1500s in the Low Countries.

We know that James V had two sets of tapestries featuring unicorns. Tapestries were extremely expensive and were prized by the wealthy elites of the European Renaissance.

Work began on the new tapestries in 2001 and is due to be completed in 2013. Four of the seven are being woven in a purpose built studio within Stirling Castle. The public are invited to witness the weavers at work.

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