Stirling Attractions

A stay in a Stirling hotel takes you to Scotland’s natural gateway, where the soil was once as rich in the blood of English invaders as it now is in tourists asking directions to the castle.

Historic Stirling

Stirling Castle towers over the greatest battlefields in Scotland’s history. Besieged more than 16 times, it hosted the coronation of Mary, Queen of Scots and the baptism of James VI. The French-influenced Argyll’s Lodging is the most complete surviving example of a 17th-century townhouse in Scotland.

Art and museums in Stirling

Kids get a certificate, adults a sizeable oxygen debt to repay, after climbing the 246 steps to the top of the Wallace Monument at Abbey Craig. It marks where Sir William Wallace ordered an attack at the 1297 Battle of Stirling Bridge. The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum houses the world’s oldest football.

Quirky things to do in Stirling

The statue of William Wallace beside the visitor centre caused controversy thanks to its strong resemblance to Mel Gibson who played him in Braveheart. Kids at the Old Town Jail dress up like 19th-century prisoners during tours conducted by actors telling gruesome stories of life behind bars.

Events in Stirling

The September Off the Page Stirling Book Festival has big-name author readings and creative workshops. Tartan Day in early April is a celebration of all things Scottish including traditional dancing and even demos on how to knit tartan.

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