Created as a ‘pleasure palace’ of country sports and leisure pursuits for the Stuart monarchs, Fife’s magnificent Falkland Palace is one of Scotland’s finest Renaissance palaces. Though partly in ruin, the palace, now managed by the National Trust for Scotland, has been restored and reconstructed to look much as it would have done during its prime in the 16th and 17th centuries, with ornate furnishings and elaborate painted ceilings.
As the favoured country retreat for the Stuart kings and queens – the Balmoral of its time if you like – the palace has more than its fair share of stories to tell.
There was a hunting lodge on the site from the 12th century,
