The Sheriff Court

In Scotland the central courts of each province (or county) keep their original names from medieval times: The Sheriff Court. At that time the sheriff was mayor and judge of a particular area, such as Stirling (like the famous Sheriff of Nottingham and Robin Hood). Although the headquarters of these courts have always been in the same place (approximately), the building that stands today was built in early Victorian times (when the Gothic movement played an important part in artistic expression), so these courts may seem like the typical home of a horror movie, but in this area (and in most of the UK) this was a representative style of the elite and upper class.