Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
in
central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
Scotland, northeast of
Glasgow and north-west of
Edinburgh. The
market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal
citadel, the
medieval old town with its merchants and tradesmen, the
Old Bridge and the port. Located on the
River Forth, Stirling is the administrative centre for the
Stirling council area, and is traditionally the county town of
Stirlingshire. Proverbially it is the strategically important "Gateway to the Highlands".
It has been said that "Stirling, like a huge
brooch clasps
Highlands and
Lowlands together". Similarly "he who holds Stirling, holds Scotland" is often quoted.
Stirling's key position as the
lowest bridging point of the River Forth before it broadens towards the
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth () is the estuary, or firth, of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth. It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south.
Name
''Firth'' is a cognate of ''fjord'', a Norse word meani ...
made it a focal point for travel north or south.
When Stirling was temporarily under Anglo-Saxon sway, according to a 9th-century legend, it was attacked by Danish invaders. The sound of a wolf roused a sentry, however, who alerted his garrison, which forced a Viking retreat. This led to the wolf being adopted as a symbol of the town as is shown on the 1511 Stirling Jug. The area is today known as Wolfcraig. Even today the wolf appears with a
goshawk on the
council's coat of arms along with the recently chosen motto: "Steadfast as the Rock".
Once the capital of Scotland, Stirling is visually dominated by
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...
. Stirling also has a medieval parish church, the
Church of the Holy Rude, where, on 29 July 1567, the infant
James VI was anointed King of Scots by
Adam Bothwell
Adam Bothwell, Lord of Session (c.1527, Edinburgh – 1593, Edinburgh), was a Scottish clergyman, judge, and politician. He served as Bishop of Orkney (1559), Commendator of Holyrood House (1570), Extraordinary Lord of Session (1563–4), and as ...
, the
Bishop of Orkney, with the service concluding after a sermon by
John Knox
John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
Born in Giffordgat ...
. The poet King was educated by
George Buchanan and grew up in Stirling. He was later also crowned King of England and Ireland on 25 July 1603, bringing closer the countries of the United Kingdom. Modern Stirling is a centre for local government, higher education, tourism, retail, and industry. The mid-2012 census estimate for the population of
the city is 36,440; the wider Stirling council area has a population of about 93,750.
One of the principal royal strongholds of the
Kingdom of Scotland, Stirling was created a
royal burgh by
King David I
David I or Dauíd mac Maíl Choluim (Scottish Gaelic language, Modern: ''Daibhidh I mac haoilChaluim''; – 24 May 1153) was a 12th-century ruler who was David, Prince of the Cumbrians, Prince of the Cumbrians from 1113 to 1124 and later Ki ...
in 1130. In 2002, as part of
Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to:
Queens regnant
* Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland
* Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022 ...
's
Golden Jubilee
A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations.
Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু ...
, Stirling was granted
city status.
History
Etymology
The origin of the name ''Stirling''
is uncertain, but folk etymology suggests that it originates in either a Scots or Gaelic term meaning the place of battle, struggle or strife. One proposal is that ''Stirling'' derives from Gaelic ''srib-linn'', meaning "stream-pool" or similar.
Other sources suggest that it originates in a
Brythonic
Brittonic or Brythonic may refer to:
*Common Brittonic, or Brythonic, the Celtic language anciently spoken in Great Britain
*Brittonic languages, a branch of the Celtic languages descended from Common Brittonic
*Britons (Celtic people)
The Br ...
name meaning "dwelling place of Melyn", with the first element being connected to
Middle Welsh ''ystre-'', "a dwelling".
The name may have originally been a
hydronym, and connected to Brittonic ''*lïnn'', "lake, pool" (
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
''llyn'').
It is often argued that Stirling is the fortress of ''Iuddeu'' or ''Urbs Giudi'' where
Oswiu of Northumbria was besieged by
Penda of Mercia in 655, as recorded in
Bede
Bede ( ; ang, Bǣda , ; 672/326 May 735), also known as Saint Bede, The Venerable Bede, and Bede the Venerable ( la, Beda Venerabilis), was an English monk at the monastery of St Peter and its companion monastery of St Paul in the Kingdom o ...
and contemporary annals.
Ancient history
A stone
cist, found in Coneypark Nursery in 1879, is Stirling's oldest catalogued artefact.
Bones from the cist were
radiocarbon dated and found to be over four millennia old, originating within the date range 2152 to 2021 BC. Nicknamed Torbrex Tam, the man, whose bones were discovered by workmen, died while still in his twenties. Other
Bronze Age finds near the city come from the area around
Cambusbarron.
It had been thought that the Randolphfield standing stones were more than 3000 years old but recent radiocarbon dating suggests they may date from the time of Bruce.
The earliest known structures in Stirling are now destroyed but comprised two Neolithic Cursus in Bannockburn. The earliest known surviving structure is a fort on
Gillies Hill were built by
Iron Age people over 2000 years ago. Two structures are known: what is currently called Wallstale Dun on the southern end of Touchadam Craig, and Gillies Hill fort on the northwest end of the craig. The Wallstale structure is later than the Gillies Hill fort and is related in form to brochs, these appear to coincide with the Roman period and there are around 40 or so in the wider area. South of the city, the King's Park prehistoric carvings can still be found.
Roman and early Medieval
Its other notable geographic feature is its proximity to the lowest site of subjugation of the River Forth. Control of the bridge brought military advantage in times of unrest and excise duty, or
pontage
Pontage was a term for a toll levied for the building or repair of bridges dating to the medieval era in England, Wales and Ireland.
Pontage was similar in nature to murage (a toll for the building of town walls) and pavage (a toll for paving ...
dues, in peacetime. Unsurprisingly excise men were installed in a covered booth in the centre of the bridge to collect tax from any entering the royal burgh with goods. Stirling remained the river's lowest reliable crossing point (that is, without a weather-dependent ferry or seasonal
ford) until the construction of the
Alloa Swing Bridge
The Alloa Swing Bridge was a railway swing bridge across the River Forth that connected Throsk and Alloa as part of the Alloa Railway. The structure was in use from 1885 until 1968.
History
The Alloa Railway obtained authority through an Act ...
between
Throsk
Throsk (In gd, Badan Deathach, meaning the thicket among the mist) is a village in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It lies on the A905 road east of Fallin close to the River Forth. The United Kingdom Census 2001 recorded the population a ...
and
Alloa in 1885.
The city has two
Latin mottoes, which appeared on the earliest burgh seal of which an impression of 1296 is on record. The first alludes to the story as recorded by
Boece who relates that in 855 Scotland was invaded by two
Northumbrian princes,
Osbrecht and
Ella
Ella may refer to:
* Ella (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname
Places United States
* Ella, Kentucky, an unincorporated community
* Ella, Oregon, an unincorporated community
* Ella, Pennsylvania, an unincorporate ...
. They united their forces with the Cumbrian Britons in order to defeat the Scots. Having secured Stirling castle, they built the first stone bridge over the Forth.
On the top they reportedly raised a crucifix with the inscription: "Anglos, a Scotis separat, crux ista remotis; Arma hic stant Bruti; stant Scoti hac sub cruce tuti."
Bellenden translated this loosely as "I am free
marche
Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...
, as passengers may ken, To Scottis, to Britonis, and to Inglismen." It may be the stone cross was a
tripoint for the three kingdom's borders or
marches;
the cross functioning both as a dividing territorial marker, and as a uniting
witness stone like in the Bible story in Joshua 22. "
Angles and Scots here demarked, By this cross kept apart. Brits and Scots armed stand near, By this cross stand safe here." This would make the cross on the centre of the first stone bridge the
Heart of Scotland.
The Stirling seal has only the second part, in a slightly different form:
:''Hic Armis Bruti Scoti Stant Hic Cruce Tuti''
:(''Brits and Scots armed and near, by this cross stand safe here.'')
Apparently the Latin is not first rate having four syllables in "cruce tuti" but the meaning seems to be that the Lowland
Strathclyde Britons
Strathclyde (lit. " Strath of the River Clyde", and Strað-Clota in Old English), was a Brittonic successor state of the Roman Empire and one of the early medieval kingdoms of the Britons, located in the region the Welsh tribes referred to as ...
on the southern shore and the Highland
Pictish Scots on the northern shore stand protected from each other by their common Christianity.
A more modern translation suggests that rather than Briton, bruit might be better read as brute, ie brute Scots, implying a non-Scots identity was retained in Stirling for some time after inclusion into the land controlled by the King of Scots.
The second motto is:
:''Continet Hoc in Se Nemus et Castrum Strivelinse''
:(''Contained within this seal pressed down, the wood an' castle o' Stirlin' town.'')
It has been claimed that the "Bridge" seal was regarded as the Burgh seal proper, the "Castle" seal being simply a reverse, used when the seal was affixed by a lace to a charter. This agrees with a description in an official publication (which spells Bruti with only one letter t). Clearer images are available with different lettering.
Sibbald conflated the two mottos into a single rhyme; he gave no indication that he was aware of Boece's work.
Stirling was first declared a
royal burgh by
King David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
in the 12th century, with later charters reaffirmed by subsequent monarchs. A ferry, and later bridge, on the River Forth at Stirling brought wealth and strategic influence, as did its tidal port at Riverside. Major battles during the
Wars of Scottish Independence took place at the
Stirling Bridge in 1297 and at the nearby village of
Bannockburn in 1314 involving
William Wallace and
Robert the Bruce respectively. After the
Battle of Stirling Bridge, Wallace wrote to the
Hanseatic leaders of
Lübeck and
Hamburg to encourage trade between Scottish ports (like Stirling) and these German cities. There were also several
Sieges of Stirling Castle
There have been at least eight sieges of Stirling Castle, a strategically important fortification in Stirling, Scotland. Stirling is located at the crossing of the River Forth, making it a key location for access to the north of Scotland.
The c ...
in the conflict, notably in 1304.
Late Medieval and early Modern
Another important historical site in the area is the ruins of
Cambuskenneth Abbey, the resting place of
King James III of Scotland and his queen,
Margaret of Denmark. The king died at the
Battle of Sauchieburn by forces nominally led by his son and successor
James IV
James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of Sauchi ...
. During the
Wars of the Three Kingdoms, the
Battle of Stirling also took place in the centre of Stirling on 12 September 1648. The fortifications continued to play a strategic military role during the 18th-century
Jacobite risings. In
1715
Events
For dates within Great Britain and the British Empire, as well as in the Russian Empire, the "old style" Julian calendar was used in 1715, and can be converted to the "new style" Gregorian calendar (adopted in the British Empire i ...
, the
Earl of Mar failed to take control of the castle. In
January 1746, the army of
Bonnie Prince Charlie
Bonnie, is a Scottish given name and is sometimes used as a descriptive reference, as in the Scottish folk song, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean. It comes from the Scots language word "bonnie" (pretty, attractive), or the French bonne (good). That ...
seized control of the town
but failed to take the Castle. On their consequent retreat northwards, they blew up the church of
St. Ninians
St. Ninians is a long-standing settlement which is now a district of the city of Stirling in central Scotland. It is located approximately one mile south of the city centre. It was originally known as Eccles (i.e. 'church'), and may have bee ...
where they had been storing munitions; only the tower survived and can be seen to this day. The castle and the church are shown on
Blaeu's map of 1654 which was derived from
Pont
Pont, meaning "bridge" in French, may refer to:
Places France
* Pont, Côte-d'Or, in the Côte-d'Or ''département''
* Pont-Bellanger, in the Calvados ''département''
* Pont-d'Ouilly, in the Calvados ''département''
* Pont-Farcy, in the Cal ...
's earlier map.
Standing near the castle, the
Church of the Holy Rude is one of the town's most historically important buildings. Founded in 1129 it is the second oldest building in the city after Stirling castle. It was rebuilt in the 15th-century after Stirling suffered a catastrophic fire in 1405, and is reputed to be the only surviving church in the United Kingdom apart from
Westminster Abbey to have held a coronation.
On 29 July 1567 the infant son of
Mary, Queen of Scots, was anointed
James VI of Scotland
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...
in the church.
[ James' bride, Anne of Denmark was crowned in the church at ]Holyrood Palace
The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinbu ...
in Edinburgh. The Holy Rude congregation still meet and some 19th century parish records survive. Musket shot marks that may come from Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
's troops during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms are clearly visible on the tower and apse of the church.[
Economically, the city's port supported foreign trade, historically doing significant trade in the Low Countries, particularly with Bruges] in Belgium and Veere in the Netherlands. In the 16th century there were so many Scots in Danzig in Prussia that they had their own church congregation and trade is mentioned with that city in Stirling Council's minutes of 1560. Around John Cowane's time there is an account which states there were about 30,000 Scots families living in Poland although that was possibly an exaggeration. Trade with the Baltic
Baltic may refer to:
Peoples and languages
* Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian
*Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...
also took place such as a timber trade with Norway.
After the Jacobite threat had faded but before the railways were established, the Highland cattle drovers would use the Auld Brig on their way to market at Falkirk or Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir (; gd, Featha Thaigh nan Clach) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies within the Falkirk (council area), Falkirk council area of Scotland. The town is north-northwest of Falkirk and directly adjoins to Larbert in ...
. Three times a year, tens of thousands of cattle, sheep and ponies were moved together to the trysts in the south with some drovers going as far as Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
or even London's Smithfield. There is a record of a four-mile long tailback (of livestock) developing from St. Ninians
St. Ninians is a long-standing settlement which is now a district of the city of Stirling in central Scotland. It is located approximately one mile south of the city centre. It was originally known as Eccles (i.e. 'church'), and may have bee ...
to Bridge of Allan after a St. Ninians tollman had a dispute.
Victorian and Modern
In the early 19th century an "exceedingly low" cost steamboat service used to run between Stirling and Newhaven Newhaven may refer to:
Places
* Newhaven, Derbyshire, England, a hamlet
*Newhaven, East Sussex, England, a port town
* Newhaven, Edinburgh, Scotland
*Newhaven Sanctuary, Northern Territory, Australia
*Newhaven, Victoria, Australia
Other uses
*Ne ...
or Granton. The coming of the railways in 1848 started the decline of the river traffic, not least because the Alloa Swing Bridge
The Alloa Swing Bridge was a railway swing bridge across the River Forth that connected Throsk and Alloa as part of the Alloa Railway. The structure was in use from 1885 until 1968.
History
The Alloa Railway obtained authority through an Act ...
downstream restricted access for shipping. The railways did provide opportunity too with one Riverside company selling their reaping machines as far afield as Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
and Australia. Similarly, in 1861, a company making baby carriages was set up. These prams were exported to Canada, South America, India and South Africa.
The Princes Street drill hall was completed in 1908 and the Municipal Buildings, which formed the headquarters of Stirling Burgh Council for much of the 20th century, were completed in 1918.
After the blockades of the World Wars there was some increase in the use of the port including a tea trade with India. However, with normal shipping lanes open, the growth of the railways including The Forth Rail Bridge, left the harbour uneconomical and by the mid 20th century the port had ceased to operate.
Governance
In terms of local government, the city of Stirling is a part of the wider Stirling Council area, which is based at Old Viewforth and governs on matters of local administration as set out by the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994. The current members of the Council were voted in 2017 for a term of office of 5 years. The May 2017 local government election resulted in the Scottish Conservative
The Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party ( gd, Pàrtaidh Tòraidheach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Tory an Unionist Pairty), often known simply as the Scottish Conservatives and colloquially as the Scottish Tories, is a centre-right political par ...
party and Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...
each winning nine councillors, while the Labour Party won four seats and the Scottish Green Party won one. However, subsequently one Conservative councillor left the party to sit as an Independent. The Provost of Stirling is Cllr Christine Simpson.
For the purposes of the Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...
, the city of Stirling forms part of the Stirling constituency of the Scottish Parliament constituency. The Stirling Scottish Parliament (or ''Holyrood'') constituency created in 1999 is one of nine within the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region. Each constituency elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; gd, Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, BPA; sco, Memmer o the Scots Pairliament, MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.
Electoral system
The ad ...
(MSP) by the first past the post system of election, and the region elects seven additional members to produce a form of proportional representation. The constituency's Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; gd, Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, BPA; sco, Memmer o the Scots Pairliament, MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.
Electoral system
The ad ...
(MSP) is Evelyn Tweed
Evelyn Tweed is a Scottish politician who has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Stirling since 2021. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been a councillor in Stirling for Trossachs and Teith ward since 201 ...
of the Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...
(SNP).
In terms of national government, the city of Stirling forms part of county constituency of Stirling constituency of the House of Commons, electing one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the parliament of the United Kingdom by first past the post system. Alyn Smith of the SNP is the MP for Stirling constituency of the House of Commons since the 2019 general election.
Historical voting records can be found in online databases.
Geography
Stirling is renowned as the ''Gateway to the Highlands'' and is generally regarded as occupying a strategic position at the point where the flatter, largely undulating Scottish Lowlands meet the rugged slopes of the Highlands along the Highland Boundary Fault. The starkness of this contrast is evidenced by the many hills and mountains of the lower Highlands such as Ben Vorlich and Ben Ledi
Ben Ledi (Beinn Leitir in Scottish Gaelic) is a mountain in Stirling (council area), Stirling, Scotland. It is high, and is therefore classified as a Corbett (hill), Corbett. It lies about northwest of Callander, near the village of Kilmahog. I ...
which can be seen to the northwest of the city. On the other hand, the Carse of Stirling, stretching to the west and east of the city, is one of the flattest and most agriculturally productive expanses of land in the whole of Scotland.
The land surrounding Stirling has been most affected by glacial erosion and deposition. The city itself has grown up around its castle which stands atop an ancient quartz-dolerite sill
Sill may refer to:
* Sill (dock), a weir at the low water mark retaining water within a dock
* Sill (geology), a subhorizontal sheet intrusion of molten or solidified magma
* Sill (geostatistics)
* Sill (river), a river in Austria
* Sill plate, a ...
, known as the Stirling Sill
The Stirling Sill is an outcropping of a large quartz-dolerite intrusion or sill that underlies a large part of central Scotland, and may be contiguous at great depth. The sill is of very late Carboniferous age or more probably Permian, as it pen ...
, a major defensive position which was at the lowest crossing point on the River Forth. Stirling stands on the Forth at the point where the river widens and becomes tidal. To the east of the city the Ochil Hills dominate the skyline with the highest peak in the range being Ben Cleuch, although Dumyat
Dumyat or Dunmyat (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Mhèad) is a hill at the western extremity of the Ochil Hills in central Scotland. The name is thought to originate from ''Dun'' (hill fort) ''of the Maeatae''.
Although relatively small (its height ...
is more noticeable from Stirling. The Ochils meet the flat carse ( floodplain) of the River Forth to the east of the distinctive geographical feature of Abbey Craig, a crag and tail
A crag (sometimes spelled cragg, or in Scotland craig) is a rocky hill or mountain, generally isolated from other high ground.
Origin
Crags are formed when a glacier or ice sheet passes over an area that contains a particularly resistant r ...
hill upon which stands the 220 ft (67 m) high National Wallace Monument
The National Wallace Monument (generally known as the Wallace Monument) is a 67 metre tower on the shoulder of the Abbey Craig, a hilltop overlooking Stirling in Scotland. It commemorates Sir William Wallace, a 13th- and 14th-century Scottish hero ...
.
Areas of Stirling
Top of the Town consists of Broad Street, Castle Wynd, Ballengeich Pass, Lower Castle Hill Road, Darnley Street, Baker Street ( formerly Baxters St), St John Street and St Mary's Wynd. These streets all lead up to Stirling Castle and are the favourite haunt of tourists who stop off at the Old Town Jail, Mar's Wark
Mar's Wark is a ruined building in Stirling built 1570–1572 by John Erskine, Regent of Scotland and Earl of Mar, and now in the care of Historic Scotland. Mar intended the building for the principal residence of the Erskine family in Stirli ...
, Argyll's Lodging
Argyll's Lodging is a 17th-century town-house in the Renaissance style, situated below Stirling Castle in Stirling, Scotland. It was a residence of the Earl of Stirling and later the Earls of Argyll. The Royal Commission regards it as “the ...
and the castle. Ballengeich Pass leads to the graveyard at Ballengeich and the Castle Wynd winds past the old graveyard. The Top of the Town from Broad Street upwards is renowned for its cobblestoned roads, and cars can be heard rattling over the cobblestones on the way down. Craft shops and tourist-focused shops are evident on the way up and once at the top, panoramic views are available across Stirling and beyond.
All areas
* Abbey Craig
* Airthrey
* Allan Park
* Back o' Hill
* Bannockburn
* Borestone
* Braehead
* Bridgehaugh
* Broomridge
Broomridge is a district in the south of the city of Stirling, Scotland, located north of Bannockburn and east of St. Ninians. It is home to Bannockburn High School and is also served by Braehead Primary School in the neighbouring district of Bra ...
* Brucefields
* Burghmuir
* Cambusbarron
* Cambuskenneth
Cambuskenneth ( gd, Camas Choinnich ) is a village in the city of Stirling, Scotland. It has a population of 250 and is the site of the historic Cambuskenneth Abbey. It is situated by the River Forth and the only road access to the village is alo ...
* Causewayhead
* Chartershall
* Corn Exchange
* Cornton
* Coxethill
* Craigforth
* Craigmill
* Craig Leith
* Cultenhove
* Dumyat
Dumyat or Dunmyat (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Mhèad) is a hill at the western extremity of the Ochil Hills in central Scotland. The name is thought to originate from ''Dun'' (hill fort) ''of the Maeatae''.
Although relatively small (its height ...
* Forthbank
* Gillies Hill
* Gowan Hill
* Hillpark
* Kenningknowes
* Kersemill
* Kildean
* King's Park
* Ladyneuk
* Laurelhill
* Livilands
* Loanhead
* Logie
* Mote Hill
Mote Hill is the northern tip of the Gowanhills, Stirling, the northern half of the Royal Park that extends around Stirling Castle. The wider park includes the King's Knott and sections of a 2-metre-high deer wall, first established in the 12th ...
* Meadowforth
* Mercat Cross
* Pirnhall
* Queenshaugh
* Raploch
Raploch, known locally as The Raploch or The Raptap, is a district of the city of Stirling, which lies to the south of the River Forth in central Scotland.
The first houses were built in the late 17th century, after the land had been sold by the ...
* Randolphfield
* Riverside
* Spittal Hill
* Springkerse
* St. Ninians
St. Ninians is a long-standing settlement which is now a district of the city of Stirling in central Scotland. It is located approximately one mile south of the city centre. It was originally known as Eccles (i.e. 'church'), and may have bee ...
* Top of the Town
* Torbrex
Torbrex is a small village in Scotland.
Geographically Torbrex is enclosed within Stirling by Cambusbarron
Cambusbarron is a village in Stirling, Scotland. In the 2001 census, it had a population of 3,224. There is evidence of settlement at ...
* Whins of Milton
* Viewforth
* Westhaugh
* Wolfcraig
Historical place names for Stirling town in 1858–61 were compiled by O.S. map makers.
Climate
Like most of the United Kingdom, Stirling has an oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
( Köppen ''Cfb'') with mild summers and cool, wet winters. Stirling has some of the warmest summers in all of Scotland, being relatively far away from the cooling effects of the North Sea and the Firth of Clyde.
Demography
The settlement
Settlement may refer to:
*Human settlement, a community where people live
*Settlement (structural), the distortion or disruption of parts of a building
*Closing (real estate), the final step in executing a real estate transaction
*Settlement (fina ...
of Stirling had a population of 48,440 in 2012. According to the 2001 census, 52.7% of the population was female compared to 47.2% male. Stirling had both a smaller proportion of under 16s, at 16.7% compared to the Scottish average of 19.2%, and a smaller proportion of those of pensionable age: 17.8% – compared to the Scottish average of 18.6%.
Historical records also exist both in book form and in online databases.
Culture
Walking the Marches is a custom probably started in the 12th century. The only way the town's boundaries could be protected was to walk round inspecting them annually. The walk was followed by a dinner. This was traditionally done by the Birlaw men made up from members of the Seven Trades, the Guildry and Council. In 2014 the tradition was revived after an official abeyance of several years.
There are about sixteen libraries and two mobile libraries in Stirling. The Smith Art Gallery and Museum is now free to tourists and residents alike. Shearer's 1895 Penny Guide to Stirling and Neighbourhood used to list it under "How to spend a few hours on a wet day".
The Macrobert Arts Centre
Macrobert Arts Centre is a multi-arts venue located on the main campus of the University of Stirling, Scotland. The Arts Centre offers a varied programme of events and experiences – cinema, comedy, dance, exhibitions, family, get involved, ...
has a variety of exhibitions and performances. There are many events at the Stirling Tolbooth
Stirling Tolbooth is a municipal building in Broad Street, Stirling, Scotland. The structure, which was the original meeting place of Stirling Burgh Council, is a Category A listed building.
History
The first building on the site was a mediev ...
and at The Albert Halls.
Stirling has hosted the National Mòd
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ...
several times: in 1909, 1961, 1971,1987 and 2008.[List of Mod's places]
for each year on Sabhal Mòr Ostaig website
Religion
There are currently about 20 churches in the city.
These include:
Church of Scotland
*Allan Park South Church
*Cambusbarron Parish Church
*Church of the Holy Rude
*North Parish Church
*St Columba's Church
*St Mark's Parish Church
*St Ninians Old Parish Church
*Viewfield Church
Roman Catholic
* Holy Spirit, St. Ninians
St. Ninians is a long-standing settlement which is now a district of the city of Stirling in central Scotland. It is located approximately one mile south of the city centre. It was originally known as Eccles (i.e. 'church'), and may have bee ...
* Our Lady and St Ninian's, Bannockburn
*St Margaret of Scotland and Holy Spirit, Raploch
Raploch, known locally as The Raploch or The Raptap, is a district of the city of Stirling, which lies to the south of the River Forth in central Scotland.
The first houses were built in the late 17th century, after the land had been sold by the ...
* St Mary's Church, Top of the Town
Other churches
* Cornerstone Community Church
*Cornton Baptist Church
*Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
* St Ninians United Free Church of Scotland
*Stirling Baptist Church
*Stirling Free Church
*Stirling Methodist Church
*St. Ninian's Community Church
*The Salvation Army
Islam
* Central Scotland Islamic Centre
Economy
With Stirling's development as a market town and its location as the focus of transport and communications in the region, it has developed a substantial retail sector serving a wide range of surrounding communities as well as the city itself. Primarily centred on the city centre, there are a large number of chain stores, as well as the Thistles shopping centre. However this has been augmented by out-of-town developments such as the Springkerse Retail Park on the city bypass to the east of Stirling.
A major new regeneration project
Regeneration may refer to:
Science and technology
* Regeneration (biology), the ability to recreate lost or damaged cells, tissues, organs and limbs
* Regeneration (ecology), the ability of ecosystems to regenerate biomass, using photosynthesis
...
on the site of the former port area and the former Ministry of Defence site, adjacent to Stirling Railway Station, is currently underway. Known as Forthside, it has the aim of developing a new waterfront district linked to the railway station via Forthside Bridge. The development comprises retail, residential and commercial elements, including a conference centre, hotel and Vue
Vue or VUE may refer to:
Places
* Vue, Loire-Atlantique, a commune in France
* The Vue, a skyscraper in Charlotte, North Carolina
Arts, entertainment and media
* Vue (band), a rock and roll band from San Francisco, California
* Vue Cinemas, a cin ...
multiplex cinema, that will ultimately expand the city centre area, linking it to the River Forth, which has been cut off from the city centre area since the construction of the A9 bypass under the railway station in the 1960s.
In the service sector, financial services
Financial services are the Service (economics), economic services provided by the finance industry, which encompasses a broad range of businesses that manage money, including credit unions, banks, credit-card companies, insurance companies, acco ...
as well as tourism are the biggest employers. The financial services and insurance company Prudential established a large and base at Craigforth on the outskirts of Stirling in the 1970s.
In terms of tourism, the presence of such historical monuments as Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument and other nearby attractions like Blair Drummond Safari Park
Blair Drummond Safari Park is a family visitor attraction located near Stirling in Scotland. It opened to the public on 15 May 1970 and is home to over 350 animals, many of which roam freely or are kept in large enclosures in the estate. The Sa ...
has bolstered Stirling's position as a significant tourist destination in Scotland.
The University of Stirling and Stirling Council are two of the biggest employers in the area. Knowledge related industries, research and development
Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in Europe as research and technological development (RTD), is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products, and improving existi ...
as well as life sciences
This list of life sciences comprises the branches of science that involve the scientific study of life – such as microorganisms, plants, and animals including human beings. This science is one of the two major branches of natural science, the ...
have clustered around the university in the Stirling University Innovation Park, close to its main campus.
Mauchline ware started producing wooden snuff-boxes in 1790 in Mauchline, Ayrshire. They were produced of the wood from the trees from the Castle craig. Today they are highly collectible.
Stirling is home to national construction companies Ogilvie Group, chaired by Duncan Ogilvie, who was listed in the ''Sunday Times Rich List'' as being worth £32 million in 2009.
A Bank of Scotland survey in 2009 found that workers in Stirling had the highest average earnings of £716 a week.
Transport
The City of Stirling is home to a large number of commuters but has fewer commuting to work in other areas, than travel into the city. About half of Scotland's population live within an hour's travel time of Stirling.
Local bus services to districts within the city are almost completely provided by buses operated by McGill's Scotland East. The surrounding towns, like Bridge of Allan, Alloa, Falkirk
Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a ...
and Glasgow via Cumbernauld have services from the bus station.
Coaches to many Scottish towns and cities also run regularly.
There are also railway links from Stirling railway station, including inter-city rail services to Aberdeen, Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
, Edinburgh Waverley, Inverness
Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...
, Glasgow Queen Street, and London King's Cross
King's Cross railway station, also known as London King's Cross, is a passenger railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden, on the edge of Central London. It is in the London station group, one of the busiest stations in the United King ...
. Services to Alloa, Bridge of Allan, Falkirk
Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a ...
and Dunblane also run. Stirling Council provides some approximate journey times. Working lines include the Highland Main Line
The Highland Main Line is a railway line in Scotland. It is long and runs through the Scottish Highlands linking a series of small towns and villages with Perth at one end and Inverness at the other. Today, services between Inverness and Edi ...
, the Edinburgh–Dunblane line
The Edinburgh–Dunblane line is a railway line in East Central Scotland. It links the city of Edinburgh via Falkirk to the city of Stirling and the town of Dunblane.
Service provision
Connections to other services
This line connects into oth ...
and the Croy Line. The station formerly provided direct railway services to Callander
Callander (; gd, Calasraid) is a small town in the council area of Stirling, Scotland, situated on the River Teith. The town is located in the historic county of Perthshire and is a popular tourist stop to and from the Highlands.
The town ser ...
and Oban
Oban ( ; ' in Scottish Gaelic meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William. During the tourist season, th ...
, and to Loch Lomond, over very scenic lines, and a fast service to Dunfermline
Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...
.
Cities with motorways links close to Stirling include Glasgow, via the M80 motorway past Cumbernauld, and Edinburgh, via the M9 motorway past Falkirk. To the north, the M9 provides access to Dunblane with easy links to Perth and further beyond the Central Belt.
Stirling has no airport, but there are international airports at Glasgow and Edinburgh which can be reached within an hour. Light aircraft can be chartered at Cumbernauld Airport
Cumbernauld Airport is a general aviation airport located northeast of Glasgow at Cumbernauld in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The airport is primarily used for the training of fixed wing and rotary wing pilots; it also boasts a helicopter ch ...
.
Stirling used to have steamboats which carried hundreds of passengers a day. There is currently no working port at Stirling but there are plans to develop the river and the harbour which might include links with towns on the Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth () is the estuary, or firth, of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth. It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south.
Name
''Firth'' is a cognate of ''fjord'', a Norse word meani ...
. Since the Forth
Forth or FORTH may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''forth'' magazine, an Internet magazine
* ''Forth'' (album), by The Verve, 2008
* ''Forth'', a 2011 album by Proto-Kaw
* Radio Forth, a group of independent local radio stations in Scotla ...
is tidal at Stirling, development of pontoon style landing stages could potentially allow river taxis and tourist boats to operate during the summer.
Sports and recreation
Stirling is home to professional league teams in football, rugby and cricket.
Marathon
The first Stirling Scottish Marathon
The Stirling Scottish Marathon, previously named the Great Stirling Run between 2018 and 2019, is a long-distance running event held in Stirling, Scotland. The first event was held on 21 May 2017, with the subsequent event taking place on 29 Apri ...
was held on 21 May 2017.
Curling
The National Curling Academy is located in Stirling Sports Village. It was opened in 2017 by Eve Muirhead. They use facilities linked to The Peak. It was hoped this would increase the chances of British medals at events like the Winter Olympics and Paralympics
The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaired ...
.
Football
Men
The senior football team, Stirling Albion, play in the Scottish League Two
The Scottish League Two, known as cinch League Two for sponsorship reasons, is the fourth tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottish League Two was ...
at their home ground at Forthbank Stadium. In July 2010, the Stirling Albion Supporters' Trust successfully took over the running of the club buying out the long-serving chairman, Peter McKenzie, after 14 months of campaigning. This made Stirling Albion the first fully owned community club in the history of British football, after previous attempts made by Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
, Liverpool and Rangers
A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to:
* Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...
.
Women
Stirling University L.F.C.
Stirling University Womens Football Club is a women's football club that play in the Scottish Women's Premier League, the top division of women's football in Scotland.
History
Founded in March 2015, the team is a football partnership between ...
are the premier women's football team. They play in the Scottish Women's Premier League
The Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) is the highest level of league competition in women's football in Scotland. Its two divisions are SWPL 1 and SWPL 2. The league was formed when the Premier Division of the Scottish Women's Football League ...
. Their home ground is The Gannochy Sports Centre at Stirling University
The University of Stirling (, gd, Oilthigh Shruighlea (abbreviated as Stir or Shruiglea, in post-nominals) is a public university in Stirling, Scotland, founded by royal charter in 1967. It is located in the Central Belt of Scotland, built w ...
.
Rugby
Stirling County currently play in rugby's Scottish Premiership Division One.
Basketball
Stirling Knights
The Stirling Knights are a Scottish basketball club based in the city of Stirling
Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by ...
Basketball Team are based at the Peak at Forthbank beside Forthbank Stadium.
Athletics
The athletics team Central Athletic Club are based at the University of Stirling.
Hockey
The University Stirling Wanderers Hockey Club have also moved to a brand new (international standard) pitch at Forthbank for season 2008–09.
Cricket
Next to this pitch there is also the ground of Stirling County Cricket Club, whose pavilion captured an architectural award in June 2009, three years after its opening.
Scotland international footballers Billy Bremner
William John Bremner (9 December 1942 – 7 December 1997) was a Scottish professional footballer and manager. Regarded as one of the game's great midfielders, he combined precision passing skills with tenacious tackling and physical stam ...
, John Colquhoun, Duncan Ferguson
Duncan Cowan Ferguson (born 27 December 1971) is a Scottish former professional footballer. Ferguson was the caretaker manager of Everton in 2019 and 2022. He began his career at Dundee United in 1990, and moved to Rangers in 1993 for what was ...
, female footballer Frankie Brown
Frankie Brown (born 8 October 1987) is a Scottish international footballer who currently plays for Bristol City in the FA WSL.
Playing career
A right sided defender, Brown began her footballing career with Falkirk Girls and was called up to ...
and brothers Gary
Gary may refer to:
*Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
*Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary
Places
;Iran
*Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province
;Unit ...
and Steven Caldwell
Steven Caldwell (born 12 September 1980) is a Scottish former footballer, coach, and executive. Playing as a defender, mostly as a centre back, Caldwell won 12 caps for the Scotland national team and has played over 300 league matches in h ...
were born in Stirling. So were rugby internationals Kenny Logan
Kenneth McKerrow Logan (born 3 April 1972) is a retired Scottish rugby union player who played wing for Stirling County RFC and Glasgow District at amateur level; Glasgow Warriors, Wasps RFC and London Scottish at professional level; and ...
, Allister Hogg
Allister Hogg (born 20 January 1983 in Stirling, Scotland) is a Scottish rugby union footballer who plays at either flanker or number eight formerly for Scotland and vice-captain for Newcastle Falcons.
Early life
He attended Stirling High Scho ...
and Alison McGrandles, jockey
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...
Willie Carson, and cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
er Dougie Brown
Douglas Robert Brown (born 29 October 1969) is a Scottish former cricketer and former head coach of the United Arab Emirates national team. Brown represented the Scottish national team as an all-rounder at One Day International (ODI) and Tw ...
.
The University of Stirling is a major centre of sports training and education in Scotland. It was designated as Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence by the Scottish Government in 2008. The headquarters of the Scottish Institute of Sport is a purpose-built facility on the campus which opened in 2002. Also at the university is the Scottish National Swimming Academy, where Rio 2016, Olympic silver medalists and students at the university, Duncan Scott and Robbie Renwick
Robert Peter Renwick (born 21 July 1988) is a Scottish former competitive swimmer who represented Great Britain at the Olympics and FINA world championships, as well as Scotland in the Commonwealth Games. Renwick is a world champion and a Co ...
trained. Commonwealth gold medalist Ross Murdoch, who also competed at Rio 2106, is a student at the university. The Gannochy National Tennis centre, which is seen as a tennis centre of excellence, was where Andy Murray
Sir Andrew Barron Murray (born 15 May 1987) is a British professional tennis player from Scotland. He was ranked world No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 41 weeks, and finished as the year-end No. 1 in 2016. Murray h ...
and his brother Jamie Murray honed their skills as juniors. Gordon Reid, wheel chair Olympic gold medalist in 2016, was a tennis scholar at the university. The university men's and women's golf teams are consistently ranked among the best in Europe.
The university has a dedicated sports studies department, which is within the Faculty of Health Science and Sport, and is ranked amongst the best in the United Kingdom for its provision of sports facilities, with the maximum 5-star award, shared by 16 other universities in the UK. The University of Stirling also currently hosts the Scottish men's lacrosse champions.
Stirling and its surrounding area has a number of 9- and 18-hole golf courses, the largest of which is the Stirling Golf Course, located in the Kings Park area of the city. The Peak, a new Sports Village, was opened in April 2009 to cater for a range of sporting activities.
In June 2014, Stirling will become the home of Scottish cricket after an agreement between Stirling County Cricket Club, Cricket Scotland and Stirling Council. It is hoped that the redevelopment of the ground will start at end 2014 with the intention being to upgrade it to international match standards. Scotland will play the majority of their home international games at the ground, starting with the World T20 qualifiers in the summer of 2015.
The development will see a new pavilion and indoor training facility built at New Williamfield
New Williamfield No. 1 Oval is a cricket ground in Stirling, Scotland. The ground is owned and used by Stirling County Cricket Club.
The first recorded match held on the ground came in 2007 when Stirling County played West Lothian. The ground wa ...
, the home of Stirling County Cricket Club, with Cricket Scotland relocating its headquarters from the National Cricket Academy at Ravelston, Edinburgh.
Education
The University of Stirling opened in 1967 on a greenfield site outside the town. Currently there are 11,100 students studying at the university, of which 7,995 are undergraduates and 3,105 are postgraduates. There are 120 nationalities represented on the university campus, with 19% of students coming from overseas. It has grown into a major research centre, with a large Innovation Park located immediately adjacent to the main university campus. Innovation Park has grown since its initiation in 1993, and is now home to 40 companies engaging in various forms of research and development
Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in Europe as research and technological development (RTD), is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products, and improving existi ...
. In January 2008 it was announced that students from Singapore would be able to gain degrees in retail from the University of Stirling in a tie-up with the country's Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP).
Stirling is also home to part of the wider Forth Valley College which was formed on 1 August 2005 from the merger of Falkirk
Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a ...
, Stirling and Clackmannan colleges.
There are four main high schools in Stirling itself – Stirling High School, with a school roll of 964 pupils, Wallace High School with 958 pupils, St Modan's High School
St Modan's Roman Catholic High School is an S1-S6 Catholic high school in Stirling, Scotland.
History
In September 1933, St Modan's High School was officially opened by Archbishop McDonald of St Andrew's and Edinburgh. It was located in Barnsda ...
with 912 pupils, and Bannockburn High School in Broomridge with 752 pupils. All the city's secondary school premises have been redeveloped as a result of a Public-private partnership scheme. Stirling also has a Gaelic-medium unit situated in the city's Riverside Primary School which teaches pupils from across Stirling and Clackmannanshire through the medium of Scottish Gaelic.
In popular culture
# Stirling: Gateway to the Highlands (1938) B&W 20 mins silent – video 1: Street scenes from Stirling. video 2: pre-WW2 soldiers at the castle.
# Stirling Charities Day (13 May 1939) B&W 7 mins silent – Includes shots of kids, costumes and carriages.
# Neighbours – (1952) violent Oscar winning animation by the Stirling-born Canadian film maker Norman McLaren
William Norman McLaren, LL. D. (11 April 1914 – 27 January 1987) was a Scottish Canadian animator, director and producer known for his work for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).Rosenthal, Alan. ''The new documentary in action: a caseb ...
.
# River Forth (1956) B&W silent 15 mins – Including animals being herded through the streets.
# The Heart of Scotland (1962) colour sound 24 mins – Shots of the castle with commentary on Bruce and Wallace.
# Holiday Scotland (1966) colour and sound 42 mins – Includes Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...
and Stirling Bridge.
#Kidnapped
Kidnapped may refer to:
* subject to the crime of kidnapping
Literature
* ''Kidnapped'' (novel), an 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson
* ''Kidnapped'' (comics), a 2007 graphic novel adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's novel by Alan Grant and Ca ...
(1971) dir. Delbert Mann – Starring Michael Caine – with several scenes in Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...
.
# Royal Stirling (1972) colour and sound 23 mins – Includes a lion cub at the castle, motor racing and shots of Blair Drummond Safari Park
Blair Drummond Safari Park is a family visitor attraction located near Stirling in Scotland. It opened to the public on 15 May 1970 and is home to over 350 animals, many of which roam freely or are kept in large enclosures in the estate. The Sa ...
#The University of Stirling (1973) colour and sound 19 min – 1970s campus, students and teachers (includes Norman MacCaig
Norman Alexander MacCaig DLitt (14 November 1910 – 23 January 1996) was a Scottish poet and teacher. His poetry, in modern English, is known for its humour, simplicity of language and great popularity.
Life
Norman Alexander MacCaig was born ...
).
# FutureWorld Stirling 1984 (1984) 28 minutes – dir. Peter G. Reilly for Stirling District Council – has Magnus Magnusson
Magnus Magnusson, (born Magnús Sigursteinsson; 12 October 1929 – 7 January 2007) was an Icelandic-born British-based journalist, translator, writer and television presenter. Born in Reykjavík, he lived in Scotland for almost all his life, a ...
explaining ambitious plans for the Top of the Town. It is more of a series of pieces to camera than Cumbernauld, Town for Tomorrow, as Magnusson moves from the Smith through various well-known but dilapidated buildings to Gowan Hill and back to the castle. At each stop he presents John W. Morgan's script which gives something of the history or the proposed plans for revitalising the area.
#Gregory's Two Girls
''Gregory's Two Girls'' is a 1999 Scottish film, set in Cumbernauld and also in various locations in Edinburgh. It is the sequel to ''Gregory's Girl'' (1981), which also starred John Gordon Sinclair and Kennie Pullen and was written and directed ...
(1999) dir. Bill Forsyth – has scenes at and around Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...
.
# To End all Wars (2001) dir. David L. Cunningham
David L. Cunningham, born in Switzerland (February 24, 1971) and raised in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, is an international filmmaker. Besides his documentary credits in more than 40 countries, Cunningham has also directed several feature films including ...
has scenes at Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...
.
#Way Back Home (2010) Has Danny MacAskill perform stunts on his bike on Stirling Bridge.
# KJB: The Book That Changed the World (2011) Has John Rhys-Davies narrating scenes about James VI at Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...
.
#Britain's Lost Routes with Griff Rhys Jones
''Britain's Lost Routes with Griff Rhys Jones'' is a British documentary television series broadcast on BBC One. It is about the history of travel routes through Great Britain and is presented by Griff Rhys Jones
Griffith Rhys Jones (born ...
(2012) Episode 3 shows the difficulties "Highland Cattle Drovers" might have had at Frew and shows aerial shots and taking cows across the Auld Brig.
# Secrets of Great British Castles (2015) Dan Jones presents the History of Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...
up to James VI.
#Netflix drama Outlaw King had scenes filmed at Mugdock Country Park
Mugdock Country Park is a country park and historical site located partly in East Dunbartonshire and partly in Stirling, in the former county of Stirlingshire, Scotland. It is around north of Glasgow, next to Milngavie (from which the park is easi ...
with a production/support team camped at Falleninch Field, situated beneath Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...
.
Twinned cities
* Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
* Dunedin, Florida
Dunedin is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The name comes from ''Dùn Èideann'', the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Dunedin is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area and is ...
, United States
* Óbuda
Óbuda was a town in Hungary that was merged with Buda and Pest on 17 November 1873; it now forms part of District III-Óbuda-Békásmegyer of Budapest. The name means ''Old Buda'' in Hungarian (in German, ''Alt-Ofen''). The name in Bosnian, ...
, Hungary
* Summerside, Prince Edward Island
Summerside is a Canadian city in Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is the second largest city in the province and the primary service centre for the western part of the island.
History
Summerside was officially incorporated as a town on ...
, Canada
* Kecioren, Turkey
Notable residents
* Dorothy Angus
Dorothy Angus (1891–1979) was a Scottish embroidery artist
Biography
Anna Dorothy Angus was the daughter of the Presbyterian Minister James Angus in Stirling, Scotland and was born in 1891. Angus attended Edinburgh College of Art. She went o ...
– embroidery artist
* Frank and Harold Barnwell
Richard Harold Barnwell (3 April 1879 – 25 August 1917) was an English aviation pioneer, who began as an aircraft builder. He died while test-flying an early Vickers fighter aircraft.
Life
He was born in Lewisham in southeast London on 3 Apr ...
– pilots and aircraft designers
* Frank Beattie
Frank Whitfield Beattie (17 October 1933 – 19 November 2009) was a Scottish football player and manager. He spent his entire senior playing career with Kilmarnock, making 422 league appearances between 1954 and 1972. He was captain of Kil ...
– footballer
* Alexander Beith - Moderator of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland Free Church of Scotland may refer to:
* Free Church of Scotland (1843–1900), seceded in 1843 from the Church of Scotland. The majority merged in 1900 into the United Free Church of Scotland; historical
* Free Church of Scotland (since 1900), rema ...
* Billy Bremner
William John Bremner (9 December 1942 – 7 December 1997) was a Scottish professional footballer and manager. Regarded as one of the game's great midfielders, he combined precision passing skills with tenacious tackling and physical stam ...
– former Leeds and Internationalist footballer
* Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman – former Prime Minister
* Gary Caldwell
Gary Caldwell (born 12 April 1982) is a Scottish former professional footballer and coach who is the current manager of Exeter City. Caldwell played for Newcastle United, Darlington, Coventry City, Derby County, Hibernian, Celtic, Wigan Ath ...
– Former Scotland International footballer and manager.
* Steven Caldwell
Steven Caldwell (born 12 September 1980) is a Scottish former footballer, coach, and executive. Playing as a defender, mostly as a centre back, Caldwell won 12 caps for the Scotland national team and has played over 300 league matches in h ...
– footballer
* Willie Carson – jockey
* Duncan Ferguson
Duncan Cowan Ferguson (born 27 December 1971) is a Scottish former professional footballer. Ferguson was the caretaker manager of Everton in 2019 and 2022. He began his career at Dundee United in 1990, and moved to Rangers in 1993 for what was ...
– footballer
* Robert Garnock
Robert Garnock (c. 1660 – 1681) was a Scottish covenanter. He was baptised by James Guthrie (minister), James Guthrie and like him was hanged in Edinburgh although at a different time and place; Guthrie was executed about 20 years before Garn ...
– Covenanter, hanged in Edinburgh
* John Grierson
John Grierson (26 April 1898 – 19 February 1972) was a pioneering Scottish documentary maker, often considered the father of British and Canadian documentary film. In 1926, Grierson coined the term "documentary" in a review of Robert J. Fla ...
– documentary film pioneer
* James Guthrie – minister and Protester
* Michael Hay
Michael Hay was a British-French lawyer who was best known for his legal work within North Korea, where he opened the first, and to date only, foreign law firm in North Korea. Hay was voted one of Asia's Leading Lawyers three years consecutively b ...
– lawyer
* Thomas Hamilton, mass murderer responsible for the Dunblane massacre
* Gail Honeyman – novelist
* King James VI of Scotland – former resident
* Stephen Kingsley
Stephen Iain Kingsley (born 23 July 1994) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian and the Scottish national team. He has previously played for Falkirk, Swansea City, and Hull City, a ...
– footballer
* John Joseph Jolly Kyle
John Joseph Jolly Kyle (2 February 1838 – 23 February 1922) was a pioneering Argentine chemist. Born and educated in Scotland, he emigrated to Argentina in 1862, and on the outbreak of the Paraguayan War served as a pharmacist in the Argentin ...
– pioneer chemist
* Christian Maclagan – Sunday School teacher, antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...
, early archaeologist
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
, and suffragist
*Bill Macnaught
William John Macnaught (born 1951) was New Zealand's National Library of New Zealand#National librarians, National Librarian from 2011 to 2020. Before becoming National Librarian he was manager of Puke Ariki in New Plymouth, New Zealand, and Hea ...
- National Librarian of New Zealand, 2011–2020
* Mary, Queen of Scots – former resident
* Mirren Mack
Mirren Mack (born 1997) is a Scottish actress, known for portraying Kaya on the BBC drama '' The Nest'', Florence in ''Sex Education'', Queenie in the National Theatre’s 2022 production of '' Small Island'', and Princess/Empress Merwyn in the ...
– actress
* Muir Mathieson – film music composer
* Lauren Mayberry – musician
* John McAleese
John Thomas "Mac" McAleese, MM (25 April 1949 – 26 August 2011) was a British soldier who took part in several late 20th century conflicts with the British Army's Royal Engineers and the Special Air Service, which is now within the umbrella o ...
– team leader during the SAS
SAS or Sas may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''SAS'' (novel series), a French book series by Gérard de Villiers
* ''Shimmer and Shine'', an American animated children's television series
* Southern All Stars, a Japanese rock ba ...
assault on the Iranian embassy in May 1980
* Norman McLaren
William Norman McLaren, LL. D. (11 April 1914 – 27 January 1987) was a Scottish Canadian animator, director and producer known for his work for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).Rosenthal, Alan. ''The new documentary in action: a caseb ...
– animation pioneer
* Neil Oliver – television presenter
* John Paton – Victoria Cross recipient
*Patrick Simson
Patrick Simson (1566-1618) was a presbyterian minster who served in Stirling during the reign of James VI of Scotland. Despite his opposition to Episcopalianism, he had the respect of king James and several of his court. He was born in Perth in ...
– minister respected by James VI
* Anna Sloan
Anna Sloan (born 5 February 1991) is a Scottish curler. She was the longtime third for the Eve Muirhead rink. Representing Scotland, they won the 2011 European Championships, the 2013 World Championships, and the 2017 European Championships. ...
– Olympic curler, bronze medalists at the 2014 Winter Olympics
, ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'')
, nations = 88
, events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, athletes = 2,873
, opening = 7 February 2014
, closing = 23 February 2014
, opened_by = President Vladimir Putin
, cauldron =
, stadium = Fisht Olympic ...
* Kirsty Young
Kirsty Jackson Young (born 23 November 1968) is a Scottish television and radio presenter.
From 2006 to 2018 she was the main presenter of BBC Radio 4's ''Desert Island Discs''. She presented ''Crimewatch'' on BBC One from 2008 to 2015.
Early ...
– television presenter
Freedom of the City
The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the City
The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...
of Stirling.
Individuals
* HRH Duke of York: 29 August 1928.
* HRH Duchess of York: 29 August 1928.
* HRH Duchess of Edinburgh: 1948.
* Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
Francis William Saunders : 17 July 2008.
* Irvin Iffla
Irvin Bancroff Iffla (20 January 1924 – 16 March 2012) was a Jamaican-born cricketer who lived and played in Scotland.
Life
He was born in Kingston, Jamaica the son of Donald Keith Iffla (1893-1926) and his wife Epoldina Maud Patterson ...
: 3 April 2009.
* Sir Andrew Murray
Sir Andrew Murray (1298–1338), also known as Sir Andrew Moray, or Sir Andrew de Moray, was a Scottish military and political leader who supported King David II of Scotland against Edward Balliol and King Edward III of England during the Seco ...
: 22 April 2014.
Military Units
* The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland.
Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...
: 1947.
* 43 Squadron RAF: 2005.
* The Royal Regiment of Scotland: 10 March 2012.
See also
*Black Bond
The Black Bond was a 1773 agreement by three councillors in the Scottish burgh of Stirling to illegally influence the elections of councillors and magistrates and the appointments of council officers. The agreement came to the attention of the a ...
* Lecropt
* List of places in Stirling (district)
* List of places in Scotland
*Stirling City Choir
Stirling City Choir was formed in 1951 as Stirling Choral Union. It is a large mixed voice choir based in Stirling, Scotland, which has performed a variety of mainstream choral works as well as original compositions by members of the choir.
Hi ...
*List of town defences in Scotland
This list of town defences in Scotland identifies both the defensive walls and stone walls that were built around towns and cities in Scotland. Scottish burghs were rarely enclosed by walls unlike many English and Welsh cities and towns such ...
References
*
External links
Stirling Council Website
Mapping the Town
the history of Stirling, presented by Julian Richards ( BBC Radio 4) ( RealAudio format)
Video footage of St Ninian's Chapel and Well
series of lectures about the history of Stirling by Dr Murray Cook, Stirling Council's archaeologist
{{Authority control
County towns in Scotland
Cities in Scotland
Royal burghs
Large burghs
Ports and harbours of Scotland
Highland Boundary Fault