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 Stirling Castle |
 Doune |
 Strude Mill, Alva |
In March 2002 Stirling became Scotland's latest, and sixth, city in celebration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
The City stands in a strategically important position, at the lowest ancient crossing point of the River Forth. There is evidence of a fortress at Stirling as far back as prehistoric times, guarding the passage between the lowlands and highlands. Whoever controlled the fortress effectively controlled Scotland.
Because of this, much of Scotland's history has been played out in Stirling. During the 1200s and 1300s control was wrested from the English, then lost: before being regained after the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. It was at Stirling Castle, between the 1400s and 1600s that the Stuarts chose to make their home and where Mary Queen of Scots was crowned in 1543. In the 1700s Stirling once more became strategically important during the Jacobite rebellions. See our Historical Timeline.
Today, Stirling Castle dominates the skyline of the city and is an impressive place to visit. It sits upon a great crag with Stirling laid out below it. Views from the castle esplanade are excellent, most notably of the Wallace Monument and of the craggy outline of Dumyat and the Ochils beyond.
In the old town are the Church of the Holy Rude and Old Town Jail. Both welcome visitors. Also of interest is Argyll's Lodging, dating in part from the early 1500s, but now restored to its 17th Century splendour, when it was an impressive town house. Just across the River Forth from Stirling are the remains of Cambuskenneth Abbey.
Two and a half miles north of Stirling is the former spa town of Bridge of Allan. An ornamental clock stands in the main street and the Holy Trinity Church contains furniture designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. There is a glassware factory and shop. On the banks of Allan Water and five miles north of Stirling is Dunblane. Dominated by its Cathedral it has been an important ecclesiastical centre since around AD600.
Further afield, some eight miles north-west of Stirling, is the village of Doune. Its 14th Century castle was a popular royal hunting lodge. It is one of the best preserved of its type and was the location for the filming of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". Nearby is the mill-village of Deanston.
Stand on the battlements of Stirling Castle and look north to the hill of Dumyat. Running east from Dumyat are the Ochil Hills, including Ben Cleuch and King's Seat Hill, which provide some excellent hillwalking. Hidden away towards the eastern end of the Ochils is Dollar Glen, with Castle Campbell at its head. Along the foot of the hills are the four "Hillfoot" settlements. From west to east these are: Menstrie, Alva, Tillicoultry and Dollar.
The countryside to the east of Stirling lies in Clackmannanshire, Scotland's smallest local authority area. As well as the Hillfoots, other settlements include Alloa and Clackmannan.
On the opposite side of the River Forth lies the village of Airth. The nearby Dunmore Park is home to the remarkable Pineapple, while the estate village of Dunmore is one of the prettiest in Scotland.
