The 10 skeletons and the royal chapel were only found due to archaeological excavations being carried out in advance of the Stirling Castle Palace Project. The work was carried out in 1997, in an area called the Army Kitchen, to find out more about what the castle was like when the Renaissance royal palace was commissioned by James V in 1538. Uncovering a lost chapel from a much earlier date, and burials within it, was quite a surprise.

It is now hoped that the stories of the people who were buried there – and the fabulous facial reconstruction of the knight – will be included in new exhibitions being created as part of the palace project. These will be in the Queen Anne Garden Casemates, overlooked by the palace, and will explore the history of the castle and those who lived and worked there from medieval to modern times.

The exhibitions, along with the £12 million refurbishment of the palace itself, are due to be completed for spring 2011.

Read more on the Palace Project