Cafe & Shops

The Castle Cafe

Stirling Castle is an essential part of any visit to central Scotland. Visitors will find that in addition to the obvious historical reasons to visit, there is also a small collection of excellent shops and a rather good cafe in highly atmospheric surroundings.

The Whisky Shop Cafe Interior in Casemates Tickets and Main Shop

On passing through the main gate you will see the ticket office in a converted hay store to your left across the Guardroom Square. This is also home to the castle's main shop, offering a wide range of goods on two floors.

Having obtained your ticket you pass through the inner gate, to be presented with the immediate temptation of the Castle Cafe. The entrance is to your right and the cafe's seating is housed in converted casemates: vaulted chambers set deep within the thick artillery-proof walls of the Outer Defences.

On days when Scotland's weather is being kind you can sit on the terrace on top of the cafe, with truly spectacular views to the north east past the Wallace Monument to the Ochil Hills.

The castle's other two shops are more specialised and are found in the Main Guard House in the Outer Close. To reach these you pass through the Forework Gatehouse and head to your right, away from the more obvious attractions of the Great Hall and the Palace.

Here you will find the castle's excellent bookshop selling a very wide selection of historical and other books about Scotland, about castles, about Stirling Castle in particular and the many figures who have played a role in its story. It is worth noting that the castle's main shop also stocks books, but a less extensive range of them.

The final shop is the most recent addition. Next to the bookshop and ideally placed to attract visitors waiting for a guided tour is the castle's whisky shop. This stocks a good range of scotch whiskies including the product of the nearest distillery, Deanston, in Doune.

You can also purchase, and usually sample, the Wallace whisky liqueur here. What's nice about the whisky shop is the way they tend to have a selection rather different from the usual suspects seen in most Scottish supermarkets.

No-one will come to Stirling Castle for the shopping opportunities: but it's good to see a small collection of relevant and well run shops meeting visitors' needs here. It's also nice to know that there's a means of resolving the hunger and thirst very likely to result from a tour round this very large castle.