Stirling Castle

Type: Cooking, Culinary, Sauce


Synonyms: Sterling Castle, King Noble


Identification: Large, round tending to round flattened. Skin base colour is bright green maturing to yellow as it ripens. Blushed and striped orange on the sun exposed face and marked with large lenticels. The calyx is large and partly open, set in a deep and narrow basin. The stem is short and slender, set in a deep and funnel shaped, russeted cavity.


Characteristics: The flesh is white, coarse-grained, tender and juicy. Acidic and fruity

Uses: An early cooking apple. Also used to make a tart and fruity, pale-coloured apple sauce.


Origins: Stirling Castle apple was raised in th 1820s by John Christie, a nurseryman who also kept a toy shop at Causey Head, near Stirling, Scotland. Introduced by Drummonds Nursery, Stirling. First recorded in 1831 and widely grown through to the early 1900s. It fell out of favour with commercial growers in the 1920-30s when it was found to be damaged by lime sulphur sprays which were widely used at the time. Still a popular garden variety in the North and Scotland.


Cultivation: Small, upright spreading tree. Bears fruit on spurs. Produces heavy crops.


Cold Storage: Keeps four months.


Harvest: In the middle of the fourth period.


Pollination Group: D


Pollination Peak: 14


Cold Storage Weeks: 16