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Stirling

Scotland Travel Guide

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Stirling city at dawn

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Overview

With an impregnable position atop a mighty wooded crag (the plug of an extinct volcano), Stirling's beautifully preserved Old Town is a treasure trove of historic buildings and cobbled streets winding up to the ramparts of its impressive castle, which offer views for miles around. Clearly visible is the brooding Wallace Monument, a strange Victorian Gothic creation honouring the legendary freedom fighter of Braveheart fame. Nearby is Bannockburn, scene of Robert the Bruce's pivotal triumph over the English in 1314.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom – December 20, 2019: Stirling Castle is a fortified wall sitting atop Castle Hill and is part of the Stirling Sill, a quartz-dolerite formation millions of years old. Records date it back to the early 12th century and the inner grounds are home to replicas of the famous Unicorn Tapestries. The castle offers spectacular views of Stirling from the Outer Defences.

    Stirling Castle

    Stirling

    Hold Stirling and you control Scotland. This maxim has ensured that a fortress of some kind has existed here since prehistoric times. You cannot help…

  • Old Town Jail

    Old Town Jail

    Stirling

    This impressive Victorian prison building lay derelict from the 1960s until 2015, when it was reopened as a visitor attraction. Costumed guides lead tours…

  • View of the Wallace monument from the castle of Stirling in Scotland.

    National Wallace Monument

    Stirling

    Perched high on a crag above the floodplain of the River Forth, this Victorian monument is so Gothic it deserves circling bats and croaking ravens. In the…

  • Bannockburn Heritage Centre

    Bannockburn Heritage Centre

    Stirling

    Robert the Bruce's defeat of the English army on 24 June 1314 at Bannockburn established Scotland as a separate nation. The Bannockburn Heritage Centre…

  • Argyll's Lodging

    Argyll's Lodging

    Stirling

    This elegant building is Scotland's most impressive 17th-century town house, built for a wealthy local merchant and later acquired by the Earl of Argyll…

  • Church of the Holy Rude

    Church of the Holy Rude

    Stirling

    The Church of the Holy Rude has been the town’s parish church for 600 years; the infant James VI was crowned here in 1567, making it the only British…

  • Smith Art Gallery & Museum

    Smith Art Gallery & Museum

    Stirling

    Oswald the museum cat greets visitors to this treasure trove of local history, which tells the story of Stirling from prehistoric to modern times. The…

  • Stirling Old Bridge

    Stirling Old Bridge

    Stirling

    Dating from the 15th century, this graceful arched stone bridge is one of the oldest in Scotland, now reserved for pedestrians and cyclists only. An…

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