As 16th-century courtiers swept through the countryside towards Stirling castle they must have made quite an impression on ordinary farming folk. Their finery and expensive fashions would have been a world away from what a typical Scot could afford. Among them would be foreigners – diplomats, soldiers and others – from distant lands. This was very much the case when the castle was a main residence of Mary de Guise in the 1540s and 50s. New research has even revealed what appear to be the first clear records of Africans at the castle’s royal palace.

Freelance historian, John Harrison, was commissioned to investigate original documents about life at the palace as part of Historic Scotland’s £12 million project to return it to how it may have looked in the mid-16th century. One of Mr Harrison’s key sources was The Bread Book, an account of who received loaves from the royal kitchens throughout 1549. On most days a loaf was granted to the Morys – or Moors – who Mr Harrison believes were probably either black Africans or Arabs originating from North Africa.

“This is a fascinating glimpse of the diversity of the royal court at Stirling in the mid-16th century. It was quite cosmopolitan at the time, with the French Mary de Guise at its head, and surrounded not just by Scots but by people from Spain, the Rhineland and what is now Belgium. There were a few English, but they were mostly prisoners. Just who the Moors were, and what they were doing, is difficult to say. They were quite low in the court hierarchy, but were part of the household and getting bread at royal expense,” says Mr Harrison.

Hints have survived that there may have been Africans in Scotland even earlier. It has been assumed that the ‘the Lady with the Meikle Lips’, referred to in a poem by Dunbar, was black. But such references are mostly rather uncertain, and may have other explanations. The importance of The Bread Book is its clarity at a time when record-keeping was still relatively thin. Just as fascinating is what The Bread Book adds to our understanding of the way the court was run, and who had access to the queen. The evidence suggests that rather than acting like many of the Tudor dynasty in England and taking her main meals in private, deep within the network of royal apartments, Mary de Guise would dine in the Queen’s Outer Hall.

“Quite a wide range of people had access to her, not ordinary farmers but lots of people who were fairly well-to-do, which is important as she was working hard to build and protect the interests of her young daughter – Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary de Guise was an intelligent, decisive woman and a smart operator. In modern terms she was networking, building contacts, hearing news, being seen and generating support. Just as important is that this tells us that she was part of a tradition that allowed a queen to work in this way,” says Mr Harrison.

The years around 1549 were of enormous importance. Government was controlled by the Earl of Arran, who was regent, and the young Mary, Queen of Scots had been sent to France for her own safety as Scotland was facing repeated military aggression from England. Mary de Guise, as widow of James V and with an important influence on access to French money and troops, was hard at work building her political strength. This is reflected in the lists of people she entertained such as Arran, the Argylls, the Gordons of Huntly and the Kennedys of Cassillis. The records studied by Mr Harrison also show that Mary de Guise would lay on the very best cuisine for honoured guests. Some were even treated to sweets such as gateaux, which were a great luxury at a time when sugar was an expensive rarity.

According to Mr Harrison there were also specific practical advantages in following the French style and eating in the outer hall of the palace. “It had the easiest access to the kitchens and was also the largest space. And once everyone had finished eating the tables could be cleared away to make space for dancing and entertainment.”

The research is highly important for the palace project because Historic Scotland needs as much information as possible about court life in the mid 16th-century to tell this story to visitors. Peter Yeoman, Historic Scotland head of cultural resources, said: “When the palace opens to the public in 2011 there will be costumed interpreters to tell them about the people and events in each of the rooms. Research like this allows us to recapture exactly what was going on and give them a sense of life in the 1540s. It helps us make sure that visitors will have an experience that is authentic, informative and a great deal of fun.”