Royal opening for Stirling Palace

The spectacular £12m refurbished royal palace at Stirling Castle was officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen on the 6th of July 2011.

First Minister Alex Salmond joined Her Majesty and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh to meet some of the many craftspeople who created the intricate carvings, tapestries and paintings that bring the royal apartments to life as Scotland’s most recently opened heritage attraction.

First Minister Alex Salmond said:

“The re-creation of the Royal Palace at Stirling as it would have looked during the reign of the Stewart Dynasty is testament to the magnificent craftsmanship and dedication of a superb conservation team from both Scotland and France.
The three-year refurbishment by Historic Scotland will bring real benefits to the tourist economy both for Stirling and Scotland as a whole and begins a new chapter in the history of one of our country’s best-loved attractions.”

Stirling Castle

The Ultra Fire Group, working as part of a pan European team, have installed a state-of-the-art fire suppression system utilizing the existing fabric of the building to run pipes through ancient culverts and defensive architectural structures.

The fire suppression system protects the gallery housing the 34 surviving Stirling Heads, the 16th century carved wooden roundels that would have adorned the ceiling of the King’s Inner Hall.

Not only has there been no intrusion into the fabric of the historic building, but in the event of a fire, the low-pressure water mist system would use less than 1/3 of the normal amount of water used by traditional sprinklers.

The huge benefit of this to Heritage Scotland and any other heritage location is that not only is any fire-risk well covered, but in the event of activation, the structure, fabric and the artifacts within the castle would be susceptible to a greatly reduced risk of water and smoke damage.

Nick Ketteridge, the Technical Director of Ultra Fire Group, said “The installation here at Stirling has certainly been a challenge, but by working closely with both the architects and heritage Scotland, the results have been outstanding, and admired by many. We are proud to have been involved in a project of such historical significance ”

For further details of this unique installation and advice on how Ultra Fire Group sympathetically brings technology and heritage together, visit the Ultra Fire Group website.