The City with a Stirling Reputation.

There’s no finer place to start your Stirling journey than in its enchanting and well-conserved Old Town,  home to a wealth of beautiful architecture, cobbled streets and uninterrupted views of the surrounding countryside. Sequestered in this area you’ll find the Old Town Jail and the Old Town Cemetery, both boasting an abundance of history and tales (some rather gruesome). 

Stirling is sometimes described as ‘Victorian gothic’  in the best of ways, with its medieval castles, brooding monuments and well-preserved heritage. One spot that fully embodies this character is the National Wallace Monument, whose 67-metre tower warrants the presence of a fairytale villain – But in fact commemorates William Wallace and his bid for Scottish independence. 

Perched atop a crag – (and at the top of everyone’s highlights list!) stands Stirling Castle and its Royal Palace. Although much of the castle’s grounds underwent restoration in 2011, don’t expect anything too progressive; the aim of the reconstruction was to mirror the original Franco-Scottish inspired 15th century building that it once was. Being one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, it is also the site of an archaic parish that was interestingly founded long before Stirling Castle during the reign of David I in 1129. 

More must-visit locations include Doune Castle, the Duke of Albany’s 14th-century fortress, which you have surely seen in Monty Python’s Holy Grail, Game of Thrones or Outlander. Not to forget the Bannockburn Heritage Centre, which uses interactive technology to depict Robert the Bruce’s defeat of the English Army.