Stirling

Stirling is a small city in the Central Belt of Scotland; it's the county town of Stirlingshire. For centuries this was the main route between the Highlands and the Lowlands, guarded by the castle on its battleship of a crag, and with the River Forth sweeping round as a moat. The Scots won two famous victories against the English on the nearby fields, at Stirling Bridge and at Bannockburn. Medieval Scottish rulers made it their residence and capital.

Stirling Castle

For the population-2000 village in southeastern Ontario, Canada see Belleville (Ontario)#Stirling

The city limits also include Bridge of Allan, the village north of the river which is now the campus for Stirling University, and Dunblane further north. They're described on their own pages.

The TIC is 🌍 VisitScotland Stirling iCentre in the Old Town Jail, on St John St near the castle. It's open daily 10:00-17:00.

Get in

Overview of Stirling

By plane

Edinburgh Airport EDI ^IATA is the nearest, and has a good range of flights domestically, within Europe and beyond. It's 29 miles / 47 km southeast of Stirling, a 30-min drive along the M9 motorway. Or take the bus or tram from the airport to Haymarket station for frequent trains to Stirling.

Glasgow Airport GLA ^IATA likewise has good domestic and European flights but fewer long-haul. It's also the wrong side of the city for Stirling. By road, follow M8 east then M74 to avoid city centre traffic, then head north on M73 to M80. Or take the airport bus into Glasgow then the train.

By train

Wikivoyage has a guide to Rail travel in the United Kingdom.

Stirling has trains every 30 mins from Glasgow Queen Street, Edinburgh Waverley and Haymarket, and Perth; and hourly from Aberdeen and Dundee. There are trains every 15 mins from Dunblane and hourly from Alloa. From Inverness there's an hourly service, alternately direct or changing at Perth.

From Manchester or Birmingham change in Glasgow. From London, York and Newcastle you usually change in Edinburgh, but there are two direct daytime trains from London King's Cross taking 5 hr 30 min.

Two Caledonian Sleeper trains run overnight from London Euston. The Highland Sleeper, departing around 21:00, calls at Stirling before 05:00 on its way to Inverness; the southbound train picks up shortly after midnight to reach Euston by 08:00. You might prefer to take the Lowland Sleeper north near midnight, changing in Glasgow around 07:00 for a morning train to Stirling; the southbound train leaves Glasgow Central at 23:30 to reach Euston by 07:00.

🌍 Stirling station. The station is central, and staffed throughout its opening hours. A few convenience shops here. Keep your ticket, you need it to exit the barriers. (updated Mar 2019)

By bus

First Scotland East Bus X36 runs from Glasgow Buchanan Street to Stirling every 30 mins M-Sat and hourly Sunday, via Cumbernauld and Denny.

Scottish Citylink Bus 909 runs from Edinburgh St Andrew Square every two hours via the airport, Bo'ness, Grangemouth and Falkirk to Stirling (90 mins), with two buses a day extending to the University campus. Buses run M-Sa 07:00-20:00 and at midnight from Edinburgh, 04:30-17:30 from Stirling; only two on Sunday. There's also a slower First Bus 38 between Edinburgh and Stirling via Linlithgow and Falkirk. Other buses link Stirling to Callander, Alloa, and two Saturdays a month to Tyndrum via Lochearnhead and Killin.

The Citylink buses from Glasgow to Aberdeen and Inverness rush past on the M9 and don't call at Stirling. The Megabus from London Victoria leaves at noon (M-Sat) and calls at Birmingham, Manchester, Preston, Lancaster and Glasgow, reaching Stirling just after midnight, and continuing north via Perth and Dundee to Aberdeen. The southbound bus doesn't call at Stirling, travel via Edinburgh or Glasgow.

National Express NX 592 leaves London Victoria every night at 23:00 and runs via Heathrow Airport, Carlisle and Glasgow to reach Stirling at 08:30, continuing to Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen. Change at Perth for the connecting bus to Pitlochry, Aviemore and Inverness. The southbound bus calls at Stirling around 21:00 to reach London by 07:00.

By car

Stirling is on the main A9/M9 route from the central belt of Scotland to the Highlands, some 28 miles (45 km) northeast of Glasgow via M80, and 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Edinburgh via M9. From London and the Midlands it's usually quickest to follow M6, M74 then M73 onto M80.

Get around

To the University 3 miles north by Bridge of Allan: the uni-link Bus UL runs every 30 mins from Stirling bus station direct to the campus. Bus 54 also runs there every 30 mins via Bridge of Allan village.

See

Wallace Monument

• 🌍 Stirling Castle, Castle Esplanade, Stirling FK8 1EJ (Limited parking here, seek alternatives), ☎ [phone]. Daily Apr-Sept 09:30-18:00, Oct-Mar 09:30-17:00. Pocket-sized edition of Edinburgh Castle, similarly poised on a crag with steep cliffs on three sides and tail of glacial rubble. It dates back at least to 12th C, but most of the interior is from 15th & 16th C when James IV, V and VI developed it as a royal residence in Renaissance style. It became an army base in 1800 and remains the HQ of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, though they are nowadays quartered in Edinburgh. Visits take in the Great Hall, the Palace and Chapel Royal, the kitchens, tapestries, vaults, the gardens, and Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders regimental museum. There is limited access for those with restricted mobility, but the "access gallery" gives them a view of the hard-to-reach sections. Argyll's Lodging just outside the castle is normally included in the ticket, but it's closed for building work. Unicorn Cafe inside the castle serves good quality food but is pricey. Adult £16, child £9.60, concs £12, cheaper online, free with Explorer Pass. (updated Mar 2019)
• Argyll's Lodging, Castle Wynd (on the right as you approach the castle), ☎ [phone]. Closed. The well-preserved 17th-century town house, erected by the 1st Earl of Stirling, is a fine example of renaissance architecture. In 2019 it's closed for building maintenance, re-opening date not known. Included in the Stirling Castle ticket. (updated Mar 2019)
• 🌍 Church of the Holy Rude, St John Street FK8 1ED. Beautiful church dating to 15th C with impressive stained glass; James VI of Scotland was crowned here. See also the adjacent cemetery, where one gravestone depicts an 1822 victim of body-snatching. Free, donations welcome. (updated Mar 2019)
• Opposite Holy Rude, Mar's Wark is the facade of a 16th C townhouse; that's all that remains.
• 🌍 Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Albert Place / Dumbarton Road FK8 2RQ. Tu-Sa 10:30-17:00, Su 14:00-17:00. Small art gallery, local museum and cafe. Galleries One & Two have rotating exhibitions. "Stirling Story" in Gallery 3 sets out the history of the area and local industry. Displays the world's oldest football - did Mary Queen of Scots really play keepy-up with this? Free. (updated Mar 2019)
• 🌍 Cambuskenneth Abbey, Ladysneuk Road FK9 5NG (use footbridge from Riverside Drive). Apr-Sept daily 09:00-17:30. Ruins of an Augustinian 12th C abbey, on a loop of land far side of the meandering River Forth. It's mostly just courses of masonry but the bell tower has been restored. You can see the graves of Queen Margaret of Denmark and her husband James III here. Free. (updated Mar 2019)
• 🌍 Stirling Old Bridge, north edge of town (next to modern A9 bridge). Always open. This stone bridge was built some time in the 15th C. The timber bridge that it replaced, 180 yards upstream, caused the English downfall at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297: see Bridge of Allan for this story. Free. (updated Mar 2019)
• The other bank of the river is Bridge of Allan: visit here for the Wallace Monument and Stirling University. It also includes the abbey, but that's easier to reach from Stirling.
• 🌍 Bannockburn (Battle of Bannockburn Experience), Glasgow Road, Stirling, ☎ [phone]. Daily 10:00-17:00. England's King Edward II tried to install a puppet king on the throne of Scotland, and garrisoned Stirling Castle. In 1314 the Scots under Robert the Bruce beseiged the castle then attacked the English forces to the south at Bannockburn. They won, a victory still celebrated today, eg in the song Flower o' Scotland. There's a monument and statue of Robert the Bruce that you can visit free anytime. But what the crowds come for is the Battle of Bannockburn Experience which is a 3D immersive battle game - no paintball involved but lots of CGI as you manouevre your assigned army unit. Admission is only by timed slot, with limited capacity so they often book out. After briefing and familiarisation, you spend 45 mins in battle play. Adult £11.50, child (minimum age 7) £8.50. (updated Mar 2019)

Do

• See Bridge of Allan for walks in the nearby hills.
• Watch Rugby Union at Stirling County RFC. They play in the Premiership, the top tier of Scottish club rugby. Their home ground is Bridgehaugh Park, just north of the A9 bridge out of town.

Siberian Tiger at Blair Drummond Safari Park

• 🌍 Blair Drummond Safari Park, Blair Drummond, FK9 4UR (six miles to the west of Stirling on A84), ☎ [phone]. Mar-Oct daily 10:00-17:00. Drive-through safari park, plus enclosures for chimps, sea lions, bugs, birds of prey, petting farm etc. Plus lots of theme-park stuff like pedalos and zipwires that charge extra. No dogs. adult £18, cheaper online. (updated Mar 2019)
• Briarlands Farm (on A84 next to Safari Park.). Feb-Dec daily 10:00-17:30. Children's farm: petting zoo, fruit-picking, go-karting, trampolines, a maize maze and other family activities. Adult £5.75. (updated Mar 2019)
• Stirling Highland Games are held in mid-August at the Sports Village. The next event is Sat 17 Aug 2019.

Buy

• Port Street is dominated by the usual range of high-street shops and banks. Stirling has a limited range of independent shops which tend to be located on side streets or north of the train station.
• Europa Music. An excellent Independent music store specialising in everything they can. 
• Thistle Centre. Large city centre shopping complex featuring the usual range of British high street stores. Open late Thursday nights. 
• Supermarkets Include Tesco, located 5 minutes from the train station, which has a good, if limited, range and is cramped inside, Sainsbury's 5 minutes further from Tesco which has a marginally better selection and higher quality products and Morrison's which is 20 minutes walk from the city centre. All these supermarkets remain open M-Sa until at least 9PM. Sainsbury's is open until 10pm 7 days a week.

Eat

• Fast food outlets are Greggs (various locations), McDonalds (by station) and Pizza Hut (300 yards north of station). Lots of cheap & cheerful restaurants and takeaways also.
• Poonthais (formerly Willawan), 9 Baker Street, Stirling FK8 1BJ. Tu-Su 12:30-14:00 & 17:30-23:00. Highly commended Thai restaurant. (updated Mar 2019)
• The Greengrocer Cafe, 81 Port St, FK8 2ER. Superb gourmet sandwich lunch menu and amazing cakes. 
• 🌍 Napizza, 15 Friars Street, FK8 1HA, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tu-Su 13:00-16:00 & 17:00-22:00. Neapolitan pizza baked in a mosaic-covered wood burning oven. Half a dozen tables, reserve during busy times. Does takeaways. (updated Jan 2018)
• 🌍 The Crossed Peels, 8 Spittal Street. Daily 08:00-00:00, food until 22:00. Wetherspoon pub with food all day (updated Nov 2018)
• Splurge at 🌍 Hermann's, Mar Place House, 58 Broad Street FK8 1EF, ☎ [phone]. Daily 12:00-15:00, 18:00-23:00. Excellent Austrian/Scottish fusion restaurant. Offers delicious local produce with an original twist. (updated Mar 2019)

Drink

Bars

• 🌍 Nicky-Tams, 29 Baker Street. Stirling's Most Haunted Bars - a bar with a friendly atmosphere, mostly visited by students of the university. Monday night is WII Night upstairs on the big screens, Wednesdays 9PM is jam night, Saturday 4PM-6PM local musicians are featured. Sunday night is Quiz/DJ Night, great prizes and bubbly on offer. Fresh food is served from noon-9PM daily, and all food is sourced locally from Farm Assured Farms for the best tastes. Beer from £2.50 a pint. Cocktails from £2. Shots from £1. Student prices Su, M & Th night. One of Stirling's best bars! 
• Corn Exchange (formerly Pivo), 11-13 Corn Exchange Road FK8 2HX. F Sa 11:00-01:00. Now a Belhaven pub, has decent food and good meals. (updated Mar 2019)
• The Portcullis, Castle Wynd, ☎ [phone]. Located at the bottom of the castle car park. Good whisky selection. Also offers good quality meals and accommodation. 
• The Settle Inn, 91 Saint Mary's Wynd, ☎ [phone]. Traditional pub close to the castle. Frequent live music. Board games available for customers to play. 

Clubs

• Fubar, 6 Maxwell Place. 2 floors, upstairs you'll find the 70's dancers Boogie Express on a Saturday night. £8 entry at weekends.. 
• Dusk, Baker Street, ☎ [phone]. New card system in place for Fridays and Saturdays, allow free entry before midnght and cheaper drinks. Mondays and Thursdays entry from £3 with drinks from £1.. 

Sleep

Budget

• Stirling Youth Hostel, St John Street FK8 1EA (Opposite TIC, turn 2nd left after Highland Hotel), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Built behind the façade of an old church, it offers 2 to 6-bedded rooms, good self-catering kitchen, internet, friendly staff and TV-room; breakfast £7.50. Book ahead during summer. Open all year. Private room (sleeps 2) £40, dorm beds Adults £15.50 Child £14. (updated Mar 2019)
• 🌍 Willy Wallace Hostel, 77 Murray Place FK8 1AU, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 10:00. Located in the centre of the old town, mixed & female dorms, lounge. Open all year. Dorm bed £16, double room £42. (updated Mar 2019)

Mid-range

• Premier Inn is on the riverside just east of the railway station.
• Lots of B&Bs, those central include Lost Guest House at 4 Melville Terrace, Castle Walk B&B on Back Walk, and Munro's at 14 Princes St.
• The Golden Lion is a 3-star hotel at 8 King St FK8 1BD, B&B double £60.
• Stirling Highland Hotel, Spittal St FK8 1DU (Along main street to castle), ☎ [phone]. Hotel in Victorian schoolhouse in old centre. B&B double £110. (updated Mar 2019)
• Hotel Colessio, 33 Spittal St FK8 1DX (Along main street to castle), ☎ [phone]. Central boutique hotel. B&B double £90. (updated Mar 2019)
• 🌍 Holiday Inn Express Stirling, Springkerse Business Park FK7 7XH (A mile east of town on A91), ☎ [phone]. Modern chain hotel with 80 a/c guest rooms, meeting facilities, bar, coffee lounge and free parking. 20 mins walk from centre, but use the Park & Ride bus from the nearby Morrison's supermarket, every 12 mins Mon-Sat. B&B double £85. (updated Mar 2019)
• There's a caravan site at Blair Drummond by the safari park.
• 🌍 Hillview Cottage, Kirk Lane, Blair Drummond FK9 4AN (off A84 near safari park), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Open all year, with 3 en suite bedrooms (sleep 2, 3 or 4). Just 50 yards off main road yet quiet. B&B double £70. (updated Mar 2019)

Connect

• 🌍 Stirling Central Library, Corn Exchange Road. M-Sa until at least 5PM. Several computers with free internet access available, though you may need to join a queue. 

Cope

• Post Office is within WH Smith, opposite Marks & Spencer, Thistle Shopping Centre

Go next

• Bridge of Allan — a town north-west of Stirling which is nice to walk around; the Lecropt Kirk is close-by
• Dollar — (10 miles (16 km) east of Stirling on the A91) to visit Castle Campbell and walk through Dollar Glen.
• Doune — (10 miles northwest of Stirling off the A84) with Doune Castle, 14th century castle with a great view over the landscape. Take a walk along a river right behind the castle. The castle was used during the filming of Monty Python and the Holy Grail to portray most of the castles in the film.
• Dunblane — with Dunblane Cathedral, an impressive cathedral with an early Pictish stone found on the site.

Routes through Stirling

Perth ← Dunblane ←	N  SE	→ Falkirk → Edinburgh
merges with ←	N  SW	→ Cumbernauld → Glasgow