Sights in Stirling
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Stirling Castle
Hold Stirling and you control Scotland. This maxim has ensured that a fortress of some kind has existed here since prehistoric times. Commanding superb views, you cannot help drawing parallels with Edinburgh castle – but many find Stirling’s fortress more atmospheric; the location, architecture and historical significance combine to make it a grand and memorable sight. This means it draws plenty of visitors, so it’s advisable to visit in the afternoon; many tourists come on day-trips from Edinburgh or Glasgow, so you may have the castle to yourself by about 4pm.
Admission costs for the castle will rise once the Royal Palace opens. The mooted price at time of researc…
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National Wallace Monument
Towering over Scotland’s narrow waist, this nationalist memorial is so Victorian Gothic it deserves circling bats and ravens. It commemorates the bid for Scottish independence depicted in the film Braveheart. From the tourist office, walk or shuttle-bus up the hill to the building itself. Once there, break the climb up the narrow staircase inside to admire Wallace’s 66 inches of broadsword and see the man himself re-created in a 3-D audiovisual display. More staid is the marble pantheon of lugubrious Scottish heroes, but the view from the top over the flat, green gorgeousness of the Forth Valley, including the site of Wallace’s 1297 victory over the English at Stirling …
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B
Museum of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
In the King’s Old Building is the Museum of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, which traces the history of this famous regiment from 1794 to the present day. It has a great collection of ornately decorated dirks (daggers). In another part of the castle, the Great Kitchens are especially interesting, bringing to life the bustle and scale of the enterprise of cooking for the King. Near the entrance, the Castle Exhibition gives good background information on the Stuart kings and updates on current archaeological investigations
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C
Wallace Monument
Two and a half miles north of Stirling is Scotland’s impressive Victorian monument to Sir William Wallace, who was hung, drawn and quartered by the English in 1305. The view from the top, of no less than seven battlegrounds, is as breathtaking as the 67m climb up to it. The monument contains interesting displays, including a parade of other Scottish heroes and Wallace’s mighty two-handed sword. Clearly, the man was no weakling.
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Stirling Castle & Argyll’s Lodging
Hold Stirling and you control the whole country. This simple strategy has ensured that a castle has existed here since prehistoric times. The superb views it commands mean you cannot help drawing parallels with Edinburgh Castle – but Stirling is better. Location, architecture and historical significance combine to make it one of the grandest of all Scottish castles.
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E
Argyll's Lodging
Complete with turrets, spectacular Argyll's Lodging is the most impressive 17th-century town house in Scotland and you'll find it by the castle, at the top of Castle Wynd. It's the former home of William Alexander, Earl of Stirling and noted literary figure. It has been tastefully restored and gives an insight into lavish, 17th-century aristocratic life.
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F
Church of the Holy Rude
The Church of the Holy Rude has been the town’s parish church for 600 years and James VI was crowned here in 1567. The nave and tower date from 1456, and the church has one of the few surviving medieval open-timber roofs. Stunning stained-glass windows and huge stone pillars create a powerful effect.
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Bannockburn Heritage Centre
At Bannockburn Heritage Centre the history pre- and post-battle is lucidly explained. The audiovisual could do with a remake, but there’s lots to do for kids, and an intriguing recreation of Bruce’s face which suggests that he may have suffered from leprosy in later life.
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G
Cowane’s Hospital
Behind the church is Cowane’s Hospital, built as an almshouse in 1637 by the merchant John Cowane. There’s a family-tree database here, where you can search for your ancestors if they were born around this area.
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H
Old Town Jail
The Old Town Jail is a great one for kids, as actors take you through the complex, portraying a cast of characters that illustrate the hardships of Victorian prison life in innovative, entertaining style.
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Royal Burgh of Stirling Visitor Centre
The Royal Burgh of Stirling Visitor Centre has an audiovisual presentation and exhibition about Stirling, including the history and architecture of the castle.
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