25 May 2011 Last updated at 00:44

In pictures: Stirling Castle's Royal Palace revealed

Tapestries adorn the wall of Stirling Castle's Royal Palace

After a decade of research and years of painstaking craftsmanship, Stirling Castle's Royal Palace is almost ready to reopen to the public

Historic Scotland has spent £12m restoring the palace, with the aim of recreating what it would have looked like in its 16th Century prime

The royal palace was built for James V and Mary of Guise in 1538

The refurbishment includes four tapestries depicting a new interpretation of The Hunt of the Unicorn series

The tapestries were woven by West Dean Tapestry Studio. The final one will be ready to hang in the palace next year

The palace authorities say the aim of the restoration has been to make the interior "instantly recognisable" to its 16th Century residents - were they able to walk through the door today

A triptych in one of the rooms features Saint Cecilia and St Clare, both of whom were closely associated with Mary de Guise, the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots

Every detail in the palace has been made to match 16th Century style as far as possible, though there are subtle clues to the furniture and fittings' more modern origins in places

Even the colours used in the restoration were thoroughly researched - though the palace said it had stopped short of using 16th Century paint mixtures, which contained lead and arsenic

The drapes and much of the soft furnishings were made by Somerset-based Stuart Interiors

Many of the palace fittings were copied from contemporary works, but if nothing was available, experts made their best guess at what the design should look like

Costumed interpreter at the Royal Palace, Stirling Castle

The castle's guides dress up in 16th Century costumes when conducting tours of the palace to the public

Duncan MacLachlan said he spent months researching his role as Alexander Stuart, one of the Queen's close gentlemen

The same attention to details is also paid to the costumes the guides wear

The Royal Palace will be officially opened on 4 June. Members of the public wishing to go will need to apply for tickets, the palace said. [Words and pictures by Christopher Sleight]

Tayside and Central Scotland

In pictures: Stirling Castle's Royal Palace revealed

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