1 Welcome
We’ve brought together some of our favourite resources to share with you online.
Across our learn, create and play pages you’ll find games to play, colouring sheets to doodle on, crafts to make, recipes to try, and videos to watch. You can also choose to dive into our ‘Investigate’ section to explore historic sites and topics in more depth.
Don’t forget to check out our medieval fun for families: train as a stonemason, kit yourself out as a jousting knight, party like a king or queen of the past, prepare for a medieval battle, create some royal works of art, and immerse yourself in medieval abbey life.
Educators can access information to support their planning in our educators area.
We hope you have fun playing, creating, exploring and investigating and that these resources will inspire you to visit some of our historic places in the future.
2 Gaelic
Halò agus Fàilte!
An seo gheibhear blas an asgaidh air cuid de na geamaichean is goireasan as fheàrr leinn, air an toirt seachad le, agus airson, beagan spòrs.
Hello and welcome!
Here you’ll find a taste of the games, creative activities and resources we have to offer.
Cluich / Play
Thoir a-mach na peansailean airson dath a chuir air uilebheistean! An seo gheibhear blas air cuid de na geamaichean againn.
Get your pencils at the ready to colour in a monster! Here you’ll find a taste of the games we have to offer.
An taigh-dubh Àrnol / The Arnol Blackhouse
Caisteal Shruighlea / Stirling Castle
Muillean Stanley / Stanley Mills
Cuir dath air eachdraidh / Colouring in history
Cruthaich / Create
Thoir a-mach na siosaran agus cruthaich an sgiath agad fhèin! An seo gheibhear cuid de na goireasan cruthachail againn.
Get the scissors out and create your own shield! Here you’ll find some of the creative resources we have to offer.
Cruthaich an sgiath agad fhèin / Make your own shield
Cruthaich na pupaidean agaibh fhèin / Make your own puppets
Cuir ri chèile taigh-dubh / Build our own Blackhouse
Rannsaich / Investigate
Rannsaich is faigh barrachd a-mach mu dheidhinn cuspairean is topaigean co-cheangailte ri dualchas agus eachdraidh na h-Alba an seo.
Research and dive into some topical resources connected with Scotland’s amazing history and heritage.
Antonine Wall information in Gaelic
Gairm Obar Bhrothaig - leabhran obrach / Declaration of Arbroath - Activity Book
Rùrachadh / Explore
Tha stòras prìseil againn ann an Alba de chultar, dualchas agus eachdraidh. Cleachd na goireasan an seo airson leum a-steach air.
We have a precious resource of culture, heritage and history in Scotland. Why not use these resources to explore them?
Tha sinn an dòchas gum bi deagh spòrs agaibh leis na goireasan seo.
Ma bhios ceistean, no molaidhean idir agaibh an cuir sibh brath thugainn aig gaidhlig@hes.scot
We hope that you have fun with these resources. If you have any questions or thoughts, please contact us at gaidhlig@hes.scot
3 Play
Play your way through Scotland’s history with games inspired by the past.
Role play activities
- Talk your way into a job with our That Job is History game of persuasion - there's an on-screen PowerPoint version [PPT, 2.40MB] and a download-and-print version [PDF, 1.10MB]
- Dive into Siege Quest, a choose-your-own-way adventure where you can explore life in a castle under siege
- Explore our '15 ways to play castles' ideas (ideas for play at home with primary school aged children)
- Open up our Playful Castles Pack (ideas for play at home with younger children)
- Create your own palace entertainment [PDF, 246KB]
- Plan a fabulous feast [PDF, 175KB] - you may also like our Medieval Feasting in the Great Hall information sheet and the Great Hall feast, draw and colour sheet
Games
- Play a game of tactics with counters: Merelles or Nine Men's Morris [PDF, 3.15MB]
- Get active with our Gardyloo game [PDF, 349KB]
- Have a go at our Abbey snakes & ladders game [PDF, 426KB]
- Take on our Minecraft/Lego Castle-building Challenge [PDF, 1.83MB]
- Enjoy sensory play activities [PDF, 335KB]inspired by masons' marks
- Play our Go Forth and Discover digital game (1.8GB .zip file download on The Forth Bridges website)
- Play our Go Roman digital game (download available for Android and iOS on the Antonine Wall website)
Word searches & code breaking
- NEW Try some code-breaking [PDF, 85KB] inspired by Linlithgow Palace!
- NEW Imagine living like royalty with our palace-inspired wordsearch [PDF, 81KB]
- Check out 23 wordsearches and 3 colouring sheets made by our friends at Twinkl all about Historic Environment Scotland sites
- Solve this word search about rocks and stones in Scotland's historic buildings
- Can you solve this easy word search about traditional buildings in Scotland?
- Solve this more challenging word search about traditional buildings in Scotland
- Find the different building types in this word search
We’d love to hear about your learn at home activities – do share your #LearningWithHES online!
If you’d like to give us feedback on these resources please get in touch by emailing learning@hes.scot.
4 Make and create
Whether it’s planning for a medieval feast or designing your own shield, here’s where to get creative!
Inspired by castles
- Make Dorothea in her Tower (craft) and be inspired by the Maiden's Leap story
- Design a cardboard castle stronghold [PDF, 2.53MB]
- Make a working trebuchet [PDF, 3.02MB]
- Make a mini catapult [PDF, 1.67MB]
- Use what you have at home to build seven castle features [PDF, 629KB]
- Castle construction challenges:
- Make a paper Royal Bed Chamber [PDF, 875KB]
View our Craft Knight Playlist on Youtube
Inspired by knights
- Make your own jousting helmet [PDF, 507KB], horse [PDF, 1.29MB] and lance [PDF, 890KB]
- Make your own heraldic shield [PDF, 533KB]
- Craft Knight: Make your own toy horse and knight for jousting [PDF, 396KB]
- Make gauntlets with Craft Knight on YouTube: Lockdown Edition
Inspired by medieval times
- Become a Soapmason [PDF, 311KB]
- Bake some Mary Queen of Scots shortbread [PDF, 916KB]
- Create your own seal with carving tools
- Create your own seal matrix without carving tools
- Create an amazing paper abbey [PDF, 2.28MB]
- Make your own jester hat [PDF, 330KB]
- Make your own mask inspired by the carved stone heads from Elgin Cathedral
- Make your own Robert the Bruce mask
- Make your own Queen Margaret mask
- Make lion and unicorn puppets
- Make a lion headband [PDF, 493KB]
- Make some royal biscuits [PDF, 146KB]
Inspired by traditional building materials
- Get your scissors and glue ready and make a model Blackhouse [PDF, 307KB]
- Learn about iron as a building material create a casting from chocolate!
Inspired by UNESCO World Heritage sites
- Make your own Edinburgh Sedan Chair [PDF, 3.99MB]
- Make your own St Kilda Island [PDF, 1.49MB]
- Make your own St Kilda Mailboat [PDF, 764KB]
- Make your own Neolithic Carved Stone Ball [PDF, 238KB]
- Make your own Neolithic Pinch Pot [PDF, 230KB]
Inspired by Scottish Buildings
Inspired to make your own Scottish town or city? Download our papercraft templates for Scottish buildings from tower blocks to tenements.
We’d love to hear about your learn at home activities – do share your #LearningWithHES online!
If you’d like to give us feedback on these resources please get in touch by emailing learning@hes.scot.
5 Draw and colour
Do you like to doodle and dream – or focus and shade? Get those pens and pencils ready!
Inspired by unicorns!
Inspired by medieval times
- Draw a portrait in a border inspired by the Stirling Heads
- Create your own Stirling Heads portrait
- Colour in a Castle
- Colour in a Crown
- Colour in a Jousting Knight
- Colour in a Unicorn
- Imagine a busy Castle Kitchen
- Fill your Feasting Plate
- Imagine a Great Hall Feast
- Create a portrait of Mary Queen of Scots
Inspired by Scottish historic sites
Get creative with the kids or bring some mindfulness to your day as you colour in some of your favourite Historic Environment Scotland sites like Stirling Castle, Melrose Abbey, or the Blackhouse in Arnol. Learn about the materials these places were built with, and the people who made them.
Download the colouring sheets nowInspired by UNESCO World Heritage sites
- Antonine Wall [PDF, 2.16MB]
- Forth Bridge [PDF, 1.66MB]
- Heart of Neolithic Orkney [PDF, 1.91MB]
- New Lanark [PDF, 2.14MB]
- Old and New Towns of Edinburgh [PDF, 1.31MB]
- St Kilda [PDF, 2.09MB]
- All six Scottish WHS [PDF, 735KB]
- Scotland's World Heritage Site Map [PDF, 394KB]
We’d love to hear about your learn at home activities – do share your #LearningWithHES online!
If you’d like to give us feedback on these resources please get in touch by emailing learning@hes.scot.
6 Explore
Take a closer look at Edinburgh Castle with our new ThingLink
Click on the buttons of this new interactive map to find out more about life at Edinburgh Castle.
Discover our historic sites through films made by schools
Find out about some of Scotland's most exciting historic places with help from a series of videos made by learners, for learners. The films were made in partnership with the BBC L.A.B and primary and secondary school pupils across Scotland and explore:
Explore Linlithgow Palace with the Junior Tour Guides
Watch our new film to find out about the Stewart Kings and Queens, understand coded messages, learn palace etiquette, discover the food eaten at royal feasts, and practise a court dance.
- Take a quiz to see how much you remember about the film! [PowerPoint, 2MB]
- Try some code-breaking [PDF, 85KB] inspired by Linlithgow Palace!
- Imagine living like royalty with our palace-inspired wordsearch [PDF, 81KB]
If you're an educator, you might also want to look at our suggestions of learning resources linked to the film, a range of drama and dance activities, and script ideas for an assembly-style presentation (along with some images for presentations).
View films about the Children of Edinburgh Castle
These short films (under 1 minute) have been scripted and performed by young people.
These historic fictions give us glimpses into the stories of children living in and around Edinburgh Castle in very different times and in very different circumstances - some that historical records can tell us about, and others that we have had to imagine.
- Eleanor, the lady-in-waiting from Africa, by Freya from Lyceum Youth Theatre
- Mary, the Redcoat's Daughter, by Xanthe from Lyceum Youth Theatre
- Rhiannon, the warrior's sister, by Maya from Lyceum Youth Theatre
- Francois, the prisoner of war, by Jason from Lyceum Youth Theatre
- Anna, the treasure hunter, by Rowan from Lyceum Youth Theatre
- Agnes, the servant, by Penelope from Lyceum Youth Theatre
- Wee Rab, the cannon cleaner, by Alfi from Lyceum Youth Theatre
- James V of Scotland, the captive king, by Jamie from Lyceum Youth Theatre
- Margaret, the teenage queen, by Ramona from Lyceum Youth Theatre
- Janet, the girl under siege, by Lola from Lyceum Youth Theatre
- Joan, the king's sister, by Niamdh from Deaf Action Youth (supported by Solar Bear)
- Seumas, the pipe-maker's son, by Seumas from Sabhal Mor Ostaig
View augmented reality (AR) models:
- Explore 3D models of Edinburgh Castle, Skara Brae and Caerlaverock Castle
- Explore 3D models of historic sites, carved stones, rock art and artefacts on Sketchfab
- Explore AR models of Rosslyn Chapel and the Nagasaki Crane
Watch our video guides and bring some of our remarkable historic places and their stories into your home.
Visit Doune Castle and Orkney with the Junior Tour Guides
Explore historic sites through our apps:
- Maeshowe: download for iOS or Android and virtually explore the chambered tomb in the heart of Neolithic Orkney. Give our Maeshowe Challenge [PDF, 220KB] a go too
- Antonine Wall: download from Apple Store and Google Play to explore and learn about the Antonine Wall
- Digital Documentation Companion: download for iOS and Android to explore 3D models of sites and objects through Augmented Reality (AR)
Research different parts of Scotland’s heritage:
- Browse half a million images, videos and audio files all about heritage and culture on Scran
- Investigate archaeological, industrial and maritime sites and buildings across Scotland on Canmore
- Delve into our historic object collections from our properties in care
- Search through the finds people have made along the Antonine Wall
- Get to know your Rock Art with a special searchable database
- Enjoy recordings of stories, songs, music, poetry and factual information from Tobar an Dualchais
- Get to know Stirling with Wallace High School YouTube videos
We’d love to hear about your learn at home activities – do share your #LearningWithHES online!
If you’d like to give us feedback on these resources please get in touch by emailing learning@hes.scot.
7 Investigate
Looking for information about Scotland’s past and ideas for investigating people, events and places? Start your investigations here!
Learn more about Historic Scotland sites
- The team from Twinkl has created 11 fantastic resources for upper primary learners all about Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle. Visit the Twinkl website to download free-to-access resources, including introductory PowerPoints, differentiated comprehension packs, artefact discussion cards, cooperative learning activities, timeline challenges, podcasts, hotspot photos and more!
- Investigating the Sealants of the Declaration of Arbroath - this resource, produced jointly with National Records of Scotland, allows P7/S1 pupils studying the Scottish Wars of Independence to investigate the individuals who attached their seals to the Declaration of Arbroath.
- Take our Edinburgh Castle Maths Quest for 8 - 11 year olds
- Explore our Declaration of Arbroath Illustrated Activity Booklet
- Practice your coordinates with a map of Edinburgh Castle
- Watch 'Màiri Bànrigh na h-Alba' - an account of three important moments in Mary Queen of Scots' life as told in Gaelic by the pupils of Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pàirce.
Delve into Scotland's historic environment
- Read 10 blogs all about archaeology
- Find out more about the World Heritage site New Lanark
- Learn about the sites along the Antonine Wall
- Take our Antonine Wall Sketchfab challenge and investigate 3D models of historic places and objects
- Use 3D models on Sketchfab to investigate how people used medieval armour to get Dressed for Success
- Learn Gaelic vocabulary about the historic environment
Visit partner websites to explore castle life
- Watch short BBC Teach videos about features of a castle. famous sieges. and the life of a knight
- Watch fun short films about castles in Scotland with BBC Bitesize
- Watch videos about medieval life with the Learning Officer from HES partner site Dundonald Castle
Take a look at our information sheets
Guiding you through food, work and play in medieval Scotland:
- Cooking in a Medieval Castle
- Cooking in a Medieval Village
- Medieval Feasting in the Great Hall
- Having Fun in Medieval Scotland
- Keeping Clean in Medieval Scotland
- Working in a Medieval Castle
- Medieval Abbey Gardens
We’d love to hear about your learning activities – do share your #LearningWithHES online!
If you’d like to give us feedback on these resources please get in touch by emailing learning@hes.scot.
8 Resources for educators
These resources are designed to support learning practitioners explore topics with their learners. We’ve also included links to some of the excellent materials developed by other heritage organisations.
Explore Linlithgow Palace with the Junior Tour Guides
Your learners can get a fantastic introduction to life at Linlithgow Palace in a brand new 25 minute film created by the Linlithgow Palace Junior Tour Guides.
Find out about the Stewart Kings and Queens, understand coded messages, learn palace etiquette, discover the food eaten at royal feasts, and practise a court dance.
We have a selection of accompanying teaching resources to extend learning about the Palace, which hosted Scottish royalty for over 600 years.
For educators:
- A resource overview and some activity suggestions linked to the film [PDF, 262KB]
- Drama and dance activities [PDF, 462KB]
- Ideas and script for an assembly-style presentation [PDF, 230KB]
- Images of Linlithgow Palace to accompany the assembly presentation ideas [PowerPoint, 1MB]
For learners:
- A quiz about the film [PowerPoint, 2MB]
- A palace-inspired wordsearch [PDF, 81KB]
- A code-breaking activity sheet [PDF, 85KB]
Twinkl resources about Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle for primary learners
Our friends at Twinkl have created 11 fantastic new resources about two of our best-known historic sites. Visit the Twinkl website to download free-to-access resources, including:
- PowerPoint introductions to Edinburgh Castle & Stirling Castle
- A research scavenger hunt activity about Edinburgh Castle
- Differentiated reading comprehension resources for both castles
- A podcast about Stirling Castle's past offering creative writing inspiration
- A hotspot picture giving information about Edinburgh Castle's prisons of war
- A QR timeline activity about Edinburgh Castle
- A cooperative learning activity based on children's jobs at Stirling Castle
- A Stirling Castle timeline matching activity
- Blether station cards about Edinburgh Castle's artefacts
Some of these resources are also available in Gaelic and the full set of translations will be available soon.
Cyber skills lesson - Defend Stirling Castle!
What do you get when you cross an ancient medieval castle with cutting edge cyber security? Help your learners build cyber security skills to defend one of Scotland's most important historical sites - Stirling Castle. No knowledge of long-swords required. During the interactive online game your learners will find out about modern cyber security defences and their medieval parallels and work together to stop the attack.
Upper primary Maths Challenge booklet - can be used at any castle!
This printable A5 pupil booklet and accompanying teachers' notes can be used to inspire learners with outdoor maths challenges whilst they visit a historic castle. Explore symmetry, angles, money, shapes and different units of measurement.
World War One trail at Edinburgh Castle for upper primary
Learners can step into the shoes of a First World War recruit arriving at Edinburgh Castle for the first time with a brand new learning resource!
Designed for primary 5-7, the WWI Trail is full of activities to help young learners explore how soldiers might have felt and thought about their new role. There are tips and teachers notes including objects to find, questions to answer, and creative writing and drawing challenges.
This resource has been created in partnership with National Museums Scotland, the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum, the Royal Scots Museum and the Museum of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and the Scottish National War Memorial.
The trail is designed to be used during a visit to Edinburgh Castle.
- Download our downloadable PDF version
- View our online version
- Accompanying teachers' notes are available too.
Edinburgh Castle Maths Quest
Aimed at P5-7 pupils, your learners can enjoy this Edinburgh Castle themed maths quest in the classroom, at home or outdoors.
Alternatively, if you're visiting Edinburgh Castle with your learners you'll want to use this on-site version.
Investigating the Sealants of the Declaration of Arbroath
Declaration of Arbroath resources
Illustrated activity booklet about the Declaration of Arbroath and accompanying teachers' notes.
Heritage at your fingertips
Ideas for learning practitioners looking to explore heritage digitally with learners.
Drama activities for primary schools
Take a peek at seven drama activities that can support topics such as Castles and Wars of Independence. They were created by drama specialist and author Barbara Henderson to celebrate her new novel for upper primary pupils – The Siege of Caerlaverock. You’ll find a reflective reading classroom pack, featuring a range of Historic Environment Scotland learning resources, on the Cranachan Publishing website.
Virtual visits to Edinburgh & Stirling Castles
If you’re looking for a virtual class trip, delve into our Edinburgh and Stirling Castle online resources with your learners. We can’t wait to hear how educators use these resources to develop learning activities. Do let us know how you craft your #LearningWithHES!
Take a look at some sample virtual visit ideas for using the resources:
- Plot to capture Edinburgh Castle!
- Virtual work experience at Edinburgh Castle
- Stirling Castle: pick ‘n’ mix medieval jobs
Primary Sources
Scran - digital heritage and cultural resources
Access half a million images, videos and audio files on material culture and human history.
National Record of the Historic Environment
Explore archaeological, industrial and maritime sites and buildings across Scotland.
Historic Environment Scotland Properties in Care Collections
Delve into the history of Scotland by exploring our historic object collections.
PastMap
Locate Scotland’s archaeological and historic sites on this interactive online map (includes a short video tutorial)
Antonine Wall finds
Search the database for a large number of finds along the Antonine Wall
Historic Environment Scotland’s Sketchfab account
Explore over 300 3D models of historic sites such as Edinburgh and Caerlaverock Castles and varied collection items.
Learning Links
Antonine Wall learning resources
Edinburgh World Heritage learning resources
Go Forth - Forth Bridge learning resources
BBC Teach short films about castles in the UK (first level)
BBC Bitesize short films about castles in Scotland (second level)
BBC Teach longer films about castles in the UK (third level)
Archaeology Scotland’s Heritage Resources Portal (resources from multiple organisations)
People of medieval Scotland resources by University of Glasgow and Education Scotland (castle themes for early, second and fourth level)
Forestry and Land Scotland's Into the Wildwoods resource about Mesolithic hunter-gatherers
Forestry and Land Scotland's The First Foresters resource about the Neolithic pioneers
Careers in Heritage
Could some of your learners play a part in Scotland’s history? You can find out about some of the different roles we do by watching our videos about Working in Heritage.
Your learners will hear remarkable stories from people working at HES who will tell you all about their roles, including:
- Modern apprentices at Edinburgh Castle
- Interns at the Engine Shed
- Visitor operations staff at Melrose Abbey, Cairnpapple Hill and Urquhart Castle
- Conservation staff
We've also developed an interdisciplinary resource with Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) and other heritage organisations that focuses on heritage careers - it's aimed at S2-S4 students and links to the 3rd and 4th level of the Curriculum for Excellence. The resource been developed to provide activity over two 50 minute lessons, but content can be used separately to support in class learning and extracurricular sessions. It uses interactive activities to broaden students awareness of what the heritage sector is, the diversity of job roles within it and the skills required to do those roles. Learners will be able to use this knowledge in the 'design a visitor centre' activity. To find out more and download the resources, please visit the DYW website and scroll down to the Cultural Heritage Careers section.
We’d love to hear how you've used these resources – do share your #LearningWithHES with us online!
If you’d like to give us feedback on these resources please get in touch by emailing learning@hes.scot.
9 Castle Science
What comes to mind when you think of castles?
Are they impenetrable fortresses or feats of science, maths, and engineering? They were both!
In this film explore the innovative science, technology, engineering, and maths used in castle construction and destruction.
Have you ever wanted to design or lay siege to a castle?
Join our adventure to build and experiment with different types of catapults and archways using objects you can easily find at home. Learn about friction, force, gravity, and combustion as you discover the science behind designing, building, and besieging a castle!
These activities were developed by Glasgow Science Centre in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland.