Stirling (
GaelicScottish Gaelic is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages, and is distinct from the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages, which includes Welsh, Cornish, and Breton. Scottish, Manx and Irish Gaelic are all descended from Old Irish...
:
Sruighlea,
ScotsScots or Lowland Scots is the variety of Germanic language traditionally spoken in lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster. It is not to be confused with Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language varieties traditionally spoken in the Highlands and Hebrides....
:
Stirlin) is a
cityCity status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
and former ancient
burghA Burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United Kingdom...
in
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and is at the heart of the wider
Stirling council areaStirling is one of the 32 unitary local government council areas of Scotland, and has a population of about 85,000. It was created under the Local Government etc Act 1994 with the boundaries of the Stirling district of the former Central local government region, and it covers most of the former...
. The city is clustered around a large
fortressStirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, a volcanic crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
and mediæval old-town beside the
River ForthThe River Forth , 47 km long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland....
. Historically it was strategically important as the "Gateway to the Highlands", with its position near the boundary between the
Scottish LowlandsThe Scottish Lowlands , although not officially a geographical area of the country, in normal usage is generally meant to include those parts of Scotland not referred to as the Highlands , that is, everywhere due south and east of a line The Scottish Lowlands (a' Ghalldachd, meaning roughly 'the...
and
HighlandsThe Scottish Highlands include the rugged and mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault, although the exact boundaries are not clearly defined, particularly to the east...
, and its crossing of the Forth, the nearest to the river mouth.
It is a centre for local government, higher education, retail, and light industry. Its population (as of the
2001 censusA nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census....
) was 41,243, making it the smallest city in Scotland.
One of the principal royal strongholds of the
Kingdom of ScotlandThe Kingdom of Scotland was a state in North-West Europe which existed from 843 until 1707...
, Stirling was created a
Royal burghA royal burgh was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished in 1975, the term is still used in many of the former burghs....
by
King David IDavid I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots . The youngest son of Malcolm III and Margaret, David spent most of his childhood in Scotland, but was exiled to England temporarily in 1093...
in 1130, which it remained until 1975, when the county of
StirlingshireStirlingshire or the County of Stirling is a registration county of Scotland, based around Stirling, the former county town. It borders Perthshire to the north, Clackmannanshire and West Lothian to the east, Lanarkshire to the south, and Dunbartonshire to the south-west.Until 1975 it was a county...
was absorbed into
Central RegionCentral Region was a local government region of Scotland from 1975 to 1996. It is now divided into the council areas of Falkirk, Stirling, and Clackmannanshire, which had previously been districts within Central...
. In 2002, as part of
Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known informally as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
's
Golden JubileeA Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In the Commonwealth Realms :In the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth Realms, a Golden Jubilee celebration is held in the 50th year of a monarch's reign.- For Queen Elizabeth II :...
, Stirling was granted
city statusCity status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
.
History
Originally a
Stone AgeThe Stone Age is a broad prehistoric time period during which humans widely used stone for toolmaking.Stone tools were made from a variety of different sorts of stone. For example, flint and chert were shaped for use as cutting tools and weapons, while basalt and sandstone were used for ground...
settlement, Stirling has been strategically significant since at least the
Roman occupation of BritainRoman Britain was those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and about 410. The Romans referred to their province as Britannia...
, due to its naturally defensible
crag and tailA crag is a rocky hill or mountain, generally isolated from other high ground. Crags are formed when a glacier or ice-sheet passes over an area that contains a particularly tough chunk of rock...
hill (latterly the site of
Stirling CastleStirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, a volcanic crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
), and its commanding position at the foot of the
Ochil HillsThe Ochil Hills is a range of hills in Scotland north of the Forth valley bordered by the towns of Stirling, Alloa, Kinross and Perth...
on the border between the
LowlandsThe Scottish Lowlands , although not officially a geographical area of the country, in normal usage is generally meant to include those parts of Scotland not referred to as the Highlands , that is, everywhere due south and east of a line The Scottish Lowlands (a' Ghalldachd, meaning roughly 'the...
and
HighlandsThe Scottish Highlands include the rugged and mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault, although the exact boundaries are not clearly defined, particularly to the east...
, at the lowest crossing point of the
River ForthThe River Forth , 47 km long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland....
. It remained the river's lowest crossing until the construction of the
Kincardine BridgeThe Kincardine Bridge is a road bridge crossing the Firth of Forth from Falkirk council area to Kincardine-on-Forth, Fife, Scotland.-History:The bridge was constructed between 1932 and 1936, designed by Donald Watson...
further downstream in the 1930s. It is supposed that Stirling is the fortress of
Iuddeu or
Urbs Giudi where
Oswiu of NorthumbriaOswiu , also known as Oswy or Oswig , was King of Bernicia. His father, Æthelfrith of Bernicia, was killed in battle, fighting against Rædwald, King of the East Angles and Edwin of Deira at the River Idle in 616...
was besieged by
Penda of MerciaPenda was a 7th-century King of Mercia, a kingdom in what is today the English Midlands. A pagan at a time when Christianity was taking hold in many of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, Penda participated in the defeat of the powerful Northumbrian king Edwin at the Battle of Hatfield Chase in 633...
in 655, as recorded in
BedeBede , also Saint Bede, the Venerable Bede, or Beda , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria.He is well known as an author and...
and contemporary annals.
A ford, and later bridge, of the River Forth at Stirling brought wealth and strategic influence, as did its port. The town was chartered as a royal burgh by
King DavidDavid I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots . The youngest son of Malcolm III and Margaret, David spent most of his childhood in Scotland, but was exiled to England temporarily in 1093...
in the 12th century, with charters later reaffirmed by later monarchs (the town then referred to as
Strivelyn). Major battles during the
Wars of Scottish IndependenceThe Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries....
took place at the
Stirling BridgeThe Battle of Stirling Bridge was a battle of the First War of Scottish Independence. On 11 September 1297, the forces of Andrew Moray and William Wallace defeated the combined English forces of John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey and Hugh de Cressingham near Stirling, on the River Forth.-The...
in 1297 and at the nearby village of
BannockburnThe Battle of Bannockburn was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence. It was the decisive battle in the First War of Scottish Independence.-Prelude:...
in 1314 involving Scottish freedom fighters
William WallaceSir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who is known for leading a resistance during the Wars of Scottish Independence and is today remembered in Scotland as a patriot and national hero....
and Robert the Bruce respectively. There was also several
Sieges of Stirling CastleThere have been at least sixteen 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...
in the conflict.
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. Other sources suggest it originates in a
BrythonicThe Brythonic languages form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family, the other being Goidelic. The name Brythonic was derived by Welsh Celticist John Rhys from the Welsh word Brython, meaning an indigenous Briton as opposed to an Anglo-Saxon or Gael...
name meaning "dwelling place of Melyn". The town has two
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
mottoes, which appeared on the earliest burgh seal of which an impression of 1296 is on record:
- Hic Armis Bruti Scoti Stant Hic Cruce Tuti (The Britons stand by force of arms, The Scots are by this cross preserved from harms) and
- Continet Hoc in Se Nemus et Castrum Strivilinse (The Castle and Wood of Stirling town are in the compass of this seal set down.)
Standing near the castle, the Church of the
Holy RoodHolyrood is an anglicisation of the Scots haly ruid .The name Holyrood may refer to:-Scotland:* Holyrood, a metonym for the Scottish Parliament, or the Scottish Parliament Building * Holyrood, Edinburgh, one of the areas of Edinburgh , named after Holyrood...
(Holy Cross) is one of the town's most historically important buildings. The
Church of the Holy RudeThe Church of the Holy Rude is the second oldest building in Stirling, Scotland, after the Castle. The church was founded in 1129 during the reign of David I as the parish church of Stirling....
, which was rebuilt in the 1400s after Stirling suffered a catastrophic fire in 1405, is the only surviving church in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
apart from
Westminster AbbeyThe Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster...
, to have held a coronation. On the 29 July 1567 the infant son of
Mary Queen of ScotsMary I was Queen of Scots from 14 December 1542 to 24 July 1567. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King James V. She was six days old when her father died and made her Queen of Scots...
was crowned
James VI of ScotlandJames VI & I was King of Scots as James VI from 1567 to 1625, and King of England and Ireland as James I from 1603 to 1625....
here. Musket shot marks from
CromwellOliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland.He was one of the commanders of the New Model Army which defeated the royalists in...
's troops during the War of the Three Kingdoms are clearly visible on the tower and apse. Another important historical religious site in the area is
Cambuskenneth AbbeyCambuskenneth Abbey is a ruined Augustinian monastery located on an area of land enclosed by a meander of the River Forth near Stirling in Scotland. Although the abbey is largely disused, the neighbouring village of Cambuskenneth continues to be inhabited....
.
During the War of the Three Kingdoms, the
Battle of StirlingThe second Battle of Stirling was fought on the 12th of September 1648 during the Scottish Civil War of the 17th century.-Background:The Battle of Stirling in 1648 was part of the War of the Three Kingdoms. By this time, the Presbyterian Covenanter movement had defeated the Scottish Royalists, who...
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 RisingThe Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in the kingdoms of England, Scotland , and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746...
s. In 1715, the
Earl of MarThe Jacobite title of Duke of Mar was conferred on John Erskine, 6th/23rd Earl of Mar by the Jacobite pretender James III and VIII. He was created Duke of Mar, Marquess Erskine or Marquess of Stirling, Earl of Kildrummie, Viscount of Garioch and Lord Alloa, Ferriton and Forrest in the notional...
failed to take control of the castle. In January 1746, the army of Bonnie Prince Charlie seized control of the town but failed to take the Castle. On their consequent retreat northwards, they blew up the church of St. Ninians where they had been storing munitions; only the tower survived and can be seen to this day.
Economically, the city's port supported overseas trade, including tea trade with India and timber trade with the Baltic. The coming of the railways in 1848 started the decline of the river trade, not least because a railway bridge downstream restricted access for shipping. By the mid 20th century the port had ceased to operate.
Famous residents have included Mary Queen of Scots, King James VI of Scotland, Sir
Henry Campbell-BannermanSir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, GCB was a British Liberal statesman who served as Prime Minister from 5 December 1905 until resigning due to ill health on 3 April 1908...
, documentary film pioneer
John GriersonJohn Grierson is often considered the father of British and Canadian documentary film.-Early life:Grierson was born in Deanston, near Doune, Scotland. His father was the local Protestant preacher, his mother a suffragette and ardent Labour Party activist...
, film music composer
Muir MathiesonJames Muir Mathieson was a British conductor. Mathieson was almost always described as a "Musical Director" because he worked in films....
, animation pioneer
Norman McLarenNorman McLaren, CC, CQ was a Scottish-born Canadian animator and film director known for his work for the National Film Board of Canada .-Early life:...
, TV presenter
Kirsty YoungKirsty Jackson Young is a Scottish television presenter, actress and radio presenter. She has recently left her position as head newsreader on Five News, the news programme on British television channel Five, where she had worked for most of the time since its launch in 1997...
and footballer
Billy BremnerWilliam John "Billy" Bremner was a professional footballer, most noted for his captaincy of the Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s. He has since been voted Leeds United's greatest player of all time and has a statue outside the South East corner of Elland Road...
(captain of
Leeds UnitedLeeds United Association Football Club , commonly referred to as simply Leeds United, or informally Leeds, are an English professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire...
and
ScotlandThe Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
).
The Barnwell brothers, Frank and Harold, worked at Grampian Motors in Causewayhead, and in 1909 they designed and flew the first powered flight in Scotland.
Frank BarnwellCaptain Frank Sowter Barnwell OBE AFC FRAeS BSc was an aeronautical engineer, who performed the first powered flight in Scotland and later went on to a career as an aircraft designer.-History:...
went on to design aircraft including the
Bristol BlenheimThe Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was later adapted into a successful long-range and night fighter...
. A small monument to the brothers' pioneering achievement has been erected at Causewayhead roundabout.
Stirling is also famous for its many hauntings, like the Green Lady of the Castle, seen by many a Soldier and "The Settle Inn" near the Castle which is one of the most haunted places in Scotland. Other haunted pubs include "The Golden Lion" and "
The Albion Bar" - named after the local football team Stirling Albion.
Governance
In terms of
local governmentLocal governments are administrative office that are smaller than a state. The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government....
, the city of Stirling is a part of the wider
Stirling Council areaStirling is one of the 32 unitary local government council areas of Scotland, and has a population of about 85,000. It was created under the Local Government etc Act 1994 with the boundaries of the Stirling district of the former Central local government region, and it covers most of the former...
, which governs on matters of local administration as set out by the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994. Elections to the council take place every four years. The Council is currently controlled by the
Scottish National PartyThe Scottish National Party is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. In the last few decades, the SNP has normally polled the second highest number of votes for a political party in Scotland. However, the 2009 European Election saw the party top the poll with...
. The
ProvostA provost is the ceremonial head of many Scottish local authorities, and under the name prévôt was a governmental position of varying importance in Ancien Regime France.-History:...
of Stirling is Fergus Wood.
In terms of national government, there is a
Stirling constituency of the Scottish ParliamentStirling is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
with the
MSPMember of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
being
Bruce CrawfordBruce Crawford is a Scottish National Party politician, currently the Minister for Parliamentary Business and Member of the Scottish Parliament for Stirling....
of the
Scottish National PartyThe Scottish National Party is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. In the last few decades, the SNP has normally polled the second highest number of votes for a political party in Scotland. However, the 2009 European Election saw the party top the poll with...
and a
Stirling constituency of the House of CommonsStirling is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
represented by
Anne McGuireAnne Catherine McGuire PC is a Scottish politician. She is the Labour Member of Parliament for Stirling.-Early life:...
of the Labour Party. As Scotland comprises a single
European Parliament ConstituencyScotland constitutes a single constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
, Stirling participates in electing seven
MEPA Member of the European Parliament is the English name for a person who has been elected to the European Parliament, one of the European Union's two legislative bodies. MEPs are the European Union's equivalents of a country's national legislators in either the lower house or unicameral...
s using the
d'HondtD'Hondt can refer to:*D'Hondt method, a method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation political election systems*Victor D'Hondt , a Belgian lawyer, professor and mathematician...
method of
proportional representationProportional representation , sometimes referred to as full representation, is a category of electoral formula aimed at securing a close match between the percentage of votes that groups of candidates obtain in elections and the percentage of seats they receive...
every four years.
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 LowlandsThe Scottish Lowlands , although not officially a geographical area of the country, in normal usage is generally meant to include those parts of Scotland not referred to as the Highlands , that is, everywhere due south and east of a line The Scottish Lowlands (a' Ghalldachd, meaning roughly 'the...
meet the rugged slopes of the
HighlandsThe Scottish Highlands include the rugged and mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault, although the exact boundaries are not clearly defined, particularly to the east...
along the
Highland Boundary FaultThe Highland Boundary Fault is a geologic fault that traverses Scotland from Arran and Helensburgh on the west coast to Stonehaven in the east. It separates two distinctly different physiographic regions: the Highlands from the Lowlands, but in most places it is only recognisable as a change in...
. The starkness of this contrast is evidenced by the many hills and mountains of the lower Highlands such as
Ben VorlichBen Vorlich is a Scottish mountain situated between the northernmost section of Loch Lomond and Loch Sloy...
and
Ben LediBen Ledi is a mountain in Perthshire, Scotland. It is 879 m high, and is classified as a Corbett. By road it lies about eight kilometres north-west of Callander, near the village of Kilmahog...
which can be seen to the northwest of the city. On the other hand, the
Carse of StirlingIn Scottish geography, a Carse is an area of low-lying, typically alluvial and fertile land occupying certain Scottish river valleys, such as the River Forth, where it contrasts with the Ochil Hills to the north, from which it is separated by the Ochil Fault...
, 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
castleStirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, a volcanic crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
which stands atop an ancient
quartz-doleriteAn intrusive rock, similar to dolerite, but with an excess of quartz. Dolerite is similar in composition to basalt, which is eruptive , and gabbro, which is plutonic. The differing crystal sizes are due to the different rate of cooling, basalt cools quickly and has a very fine structure, while...
sillIn geology, a sill is a tabular pluton that has intruded between older layers of sedimentary rock, beds of volcanic lava or tuff, or even along the direction of foliation in metamorphic rock. The term sill is synonymous with concordant intrusive sheet...
, a major defensive position which was at the lowest crossing point on the
River ForthThe River Forth , 47 km long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland....
. Stirling stands on the Forth at the point where the river widens and becomes tidal. To the east of the city the
Ochil HillsThe Ochil Hills is a range of hills in Scotland north of the Forth valley bordered by the towns of Stirling, Alloa, Kinross and Perth...
dominate the skyline with the highest peaks in the range being
DumyatDumyat is a hill at the western extremity of the Ochil Hills in central Scotland. The name is thought to originate from Dun of the Maeatae....
and Ben Cleuch. The Ochils meet the flat
carseIn Scottish geography, a Carse is an area of low-lying, typically alluvial and fertile land occupying certain Scottish river valleys, such as the River Forth, where it contrasts with the Ochil Hills to the north, from which it is separated by the Ochil Fault...
(
floodplain||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||}A floodplain, or flood plain, is flat or nearly flat land adjacent to a stream or river that experiences occasional or periodic flooding...
) of the River Forth to the east of the distinctive geographical feature of
Abbey CraigThe Abbey Craig is the hill upon which the Wallace Monument stands, at Causewayhead, just to the north of Stirling, Scotland.The Abbey Craig is part of a complex quartz-dolerite intrusion or sill within carboniferous strata, at the western edge of the Central Coal Field, known as the Stirling Sill...
, a
crag and tailA crag is a rocky hill or mountain, generally isolated from other high ground. Crags are formed when a glacier or ice-sheet passes over an area that contains a particularly tough chunk of rock...
hill upon which stands the 220ft (67m) high
Wallace National MonumentThe National Wallace Monument is a tower standing on the summit of Abbey Craig, a hilltop near Stirling in Scotland. It commemorates Sir William Wallace, the 13th century Scottish hero....
.
The climate of Stirling differs little from that of much of the rest of central Scotland. The warm
Gulf StreamThe Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico, exits through the Strait of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland...
air current from the
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
is the predominant influence, with a prevailing southwesterly wind.
Top of the Town
Top of the Town and consists of Broad Street, Castle Wynd, Ballengeich Pass, Lower Castle Hill Road, and St Mary's Walk. These streets all lead up to Stirling Castle and are the favourite haunt of tourists who stop off at the old town jail, Argyll's Lodgings 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 unique 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 one is treated to a panoramic view of Stirling, without having to pay to get into the castle.
Other areas
- Bannockburn
Bannockbum is a village immediately south of the city of Stirling in Scotland. It is named after the Bannock Burn, a burn running through the village before flowing into the River Forth.-History:...
- Braehead
- 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 Braehead....
- Cambusbarron
- Cambuskenneth
Cambuskenneth is a village in the city of Stirling, located in central 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 along Ladysneuk Road from Alloa Road in Causewayhead...
- Causewayhead
- Cornton
Cornton is a district of the city of Stirling on the North Bank of the River Forth in central Scotland.It is amongst the oldest of Stirling settlements originating in Pre-Roman times and servicing the ford marked by the Causewayhead Road...
- Cowie
- Fallin
- Kings Park
- Raploch
The Raploch is a district of the city of Stirling, which lies to the south of the River Forth in central Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to by people from outside the area as "Raploch", but locally it is invariably preceded by the definite article "the"...
- Riverside
- St. Ninians
- Torbrex
Demography
The city of Stirling had a population of 41,243 at the 2001
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
, which has risen to 44,460 according to mid-2004 population estimates. The wider Stirling Council area had a population of 86,370 in 2004. The city is reputed to be the third fastest growing area of Scotland in terms of population. 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 16's, 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%. The highest proportion of the population, at 24.3% was concentrated in the 16-29 age group. Stirling also had a higher proportion of non-Scottish born residents at 16.5% compared to the Scottish average of 12.8%. The population was also slightly younger than the Scottish average - the
medianIn probability theory and statistics, a median is described as the number separating the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution, from the lower half. The median of a finite list of numbers can be found by arranging all the observations from lowest value to highest...
age for males was 34 to the national average of 37; and the median age for females was 36, to the national average of 39. The population peaks and troughs significantly when the students come and go from the city.
Economy
At the centre of a large rural agricultural hinterland that encompasses some of the flattest and most productive land in Scotland, Stirling principally functioned as a
market townMarket town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
, symbolised by its
Mercat crossA mercat cross is a market cross found in Scottish cities and towns where trade and commerce was a part of economic life. It was originally a place where merchants would gather, and later became the focal point of many town events such as executions, announcements and proclamations...
, with farmers coming to sell their products and wares in the large agricultural market that was held in the town. Today, agriculture still plays a part in the economic life of Stirling, given its focus at the heart of a large rural area, but to a much less extent than previously.
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
ThistlesThe Thistles Shopping Centre is located in Stirling, Scotland. The shopping centre caters for over 500 000 sq ft of retail, providing 87 units in total , since opening in 1977. -Thistles Marches:...
shopping centreA shopping mall, shopping centre or shopping center is a building or multiple buildings consisting of a complex of shops representing leading merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a convenient parking area – a modern,...
. 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, and the development of a large Sainsbury's at
the RaplochThe Raploch is a district of the city of Stirling, which lies to the south of the River Forth in central Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to by people from outside the area as "Raploch", but locally it is invariably preceded by the definite article "the"...
.
A major new
regeneration projectUrban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of reconstruction...
on the site of the former port area and the 40-acre former Ministry of Defence site, adjacent to
Stirling Railway StationStirling railway station is a railway station located in Stirling, Scotland.- History :Stirling was first connected to the Scottish Central Railway in 1848. Lines were operated by the Stirling and Dunfermline Railway and the Forth and Clyde Junction Railway...
, is currently underway. Known as Forthside, it has the aim of developing a new waterfront district linked to the railway station via a new pedestrian bridge, the development comprises retail, residential and commercial elements, including a conference centre, hotel and
VueVue is a cinema company in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The company was formed in May 2003 when SBC International Cinemas bought Warner Village Cinemas. There are now 62 Vue cinemas, with 607 screens totaling 134,413 seats, which includes the rebranded flagship Warner Village Cinema in...
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. For the first time in 100 years, local people will have access to the banks of the River Forth in the city centre with landscaped public areas, footpaths, cycleways and an improved public transport network.
In terms of the service sector,
financial services Financial services refer to services provided by the finance industry. The finance industry encompasses a broad range of organizations that deal with the management of money. Among these organizations are banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, consumer finance companies, stock...
as well as
tourismTourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other...
are the biggest employers. The financial services and insurance company
PrudentialPrudential plc is a United Kingdom-based financial services company. The company has over 21 million customers worldwide. As well as the UK arm of its operations it has operations in 12 countries in Asia and owns Jackson National Life in the United States. It founded the Egg internet bank,...
have a large and well-established base at Craigforth on the outskirts of Stirling. In terms of tourism, the presence of such historical monuments as
Stirling CastleStirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, a volcanic crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
, the National Wallace Monument and other nearby attractions like
Blair Drummond Safari ParkBlair Drummond Safari Park is Scotland's only African Safari Park. Located near Stirling the park is one of the major attractions of the area. The safari park is overlooked by Blair Drummond House, built in 1868-1872 by J C Walker and is spread over 120 acres...
, the key role which Stirling has played in
Scottish historyThe history of Scotland begins around 14,000 years ago, when humans first began to inhabit what is now Scotland after the end of the Devensian glaciation, the last ice age...
, as well as the scenery of the area, has bolstered Stirling's position as an important tourist destination in Scotland.
The
University of StirlingThe University of Stirling founded in 1967, in Stirling, Scotland. The original vision for the university at its inception, reflecting the national zeitgeist of expanding the University sector, was to provide higher education for people from all walks of life, encouraging them to fulfil their...
and Stirling Council are two of the biggest employers in the area. Knowledge related industries,
research and developmentThe phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
as well as
life sciencesWe define Life Sciences to encompass companies in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, biomedical technologies, life systems technologies, nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, food processing, environmental, biomedical devices, and organizations and institutions that devote the majority of...
have clustered around the university in the Stirling University Innovation Park, close to its main campus. Other public sector agencies that are major employers in the city include
Central Scotland PoliceCentral Scotland Police is the police force covering the Scottish council areas of Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire . The headquarters of the force are at Randolphfield House in Stirling....
,
Scottish Prison ServiceCornton Vale is a women's prison in Stirling, operated by the Scottish Prison Service. Built in 1975, Cornton Vale comprises a total of 217 cells in its 5 houses. It took only convicted women and girls from 1975 until 1978. In 1978 Parliament passed the necessary legislation to allow females to be...
,
NHS Forth ValleyNHS Forth Valley is one of the fourteen regions of NHS Scotland. It provides healthcare services in the Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling area...
and the
Scottish Environment Protection AgencyThe Scottish Environment Protection Agency is a non-departmental public body in Scotland sponsored by the Scottish Government. SEPA was established by the Environment Act 1995 and is responsible for the protection of the natural environment in Scotland. Its area of competence includes air, land,...
.
Stirling is home to national construction companies Ogilvie group, chaired by Duncan Ogilvie who is listed in the Times rich list which claims he is worth £35 million.
Transport
Public transport to districts within the city and to the surrounding towns, like
Bridge of AllanBridge of Allan is a town in Stirling council area in Scotland, just north of the city of Stirling. It was formerly administered by Stirlingshire and Central Regional Council....
and
AlloaAlloa is a small burgh in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, 7 miles to the east of Stirling, on the north bank of the River Forth. The town was a burgh of barony, and at one time of considerable commercial importance but is now relatively insignificant...
, is almost completely provided by buses operated principally by the
First GroupFirstGroup plc is a British transport company operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Canada and the United States with headquarters in Aberdeen...
, although there are also railway links to
Bridge of AllanBridge of Allan railway station is located between Stirling and Dunblane on the Perth/Dunblane - Edinburgh/Glasgow line. It is served by 3/4 trains per hour in each direction to the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. Train services are operated by First ScotRail DMUs, consisting mainly of Class...
,
DunblaneDunblane railway station serves the town of Dunblane in the central Scotland.- Facilities :It has three platforms, one which serves as a terminus for trains from Glasgow and Edinburgh, one which serves trains heading north to Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness...
, and, since 2008,
AlloaAlloa is a small burgh in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, 7 miles to the east of Stirling, on the north bank of the River Forth. The town was a burgh of barony, and at one time of considerable commercial importance but is now relatively insignificant...
. At the heart of Scotland's
Central BeltThe Central Belt of Scotland is a common term used to describe the area of highest population density within Scotland. Despite the name, it is not geographically "central", but in fact in the south of the country....
, Stirling has direct road connections to the major cities of
GlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, via the
M80 motorwayThe M80 is a motorway in central Scotland, running through Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Falkirk and Stirling and links the M8 and M9 motorways. 11 miles long, it is currently in two sections; the southern section runs from Glasgow to Stepps, the northern section runs from Haggs to Stirling...
, and
EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. It is the second largest Scottish city, after Glasgow, and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas....
, via the M9 motorway, as well as
inter-city railInter-city rail services are express train passenger services which cover longer distances than commuter or regional trains.There is no clear definition of Inter-city rail. Most broadly, it includes all rail service except short distance commuter rail within one city area and slow regional rail...
links from
Stirling Railway StationStirling railway station is a railway station located in Stirling, Scotland.- History :Stirling was first connected to the Scottish Central Railway in 1848. Lines were operated by the Stirling and Dunfermline Railway and the Forth and Clyde Junction Railway...
. Transport infrastructure in the area will be further improved with the completion of the
Upper Forth CrossingThe Clackmannanshire Bridge is a road bridge over the Firth of Forth in Scotland which opened to traffic on Wednesday 19 November 2008. Prior to 1 October 2008 the bridge was referred to as the upper Forth crossing while the much disputed name was chosen.Cost to build: £120 million
Opened to...
and the
Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail linkThe Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail link was a project to re-open a railway line between the towns of Stirling, Alloa and Kincardine in Scotland, United Kingdom, now completed.- Background :...
, as well as a planned upgrade of the
A80The A80 is a trunk road in Scotland, linking Glasgow to Stirling. The road, which has been converted to motorway standard at its beginning and end sections, is one of Scotland's busiest, taking traffic in a north easterly direction from Glasgow, to the new town of Cumbernauld, and then onward to...
Trunk roadA trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, etc.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...
to
MotorwayThe OECD has defined a motorway as:Motorways are identical to freeways as a road type, and comparable to the United States's Interstate Highways as a classification....
standards. The City of Stirling is home to a large number of
commutersCommuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. Institutions that have few dormitories or near-campus student housing are called commuter schools in the United States....
, with 12,000 residents commuting to work in other areas, with 13,800 workers also travelling in to the city.
Sports
ClubSport Stirling is the area's voice for sports clubs and is managed by volunteers from its affiliated sports clubs. It was one of the first in Scotland to set up a Charter status which is only granted after certain criteria has been fulfilled. This Charter Status promotes good practice including structure, aims and a safe environment to coach in. Charter Status is awarded at ClubSport Stirling's annual awards ceremony which is held during November in the Albert Halls.
Local sporting teams include the
footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
team
Stirling Albion F.C.Stirling Albion F.C. are a football club currently playing in the Scottish Second Division. The club are nicknamed The Binos . They play at Forthbank Stadium in Stirling, on the outskirts of the city near the River Forth...
who play at
Forthbank StadiumForthbank Stadium is a football stadium in Stirling, Scotland. It is the home ground of Stirling Albion. The stadium has a capacity of 3,808. The pitch size is 110 x 74 yards.-Concept of Forthbank:...
. Fans of the Club are attempting a buy out on behalf of the community.
Other sports include the
rugby unionRugby union is a full contact team sport, a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, 100 m...
team Stirling County and the
athleticsTrack and field athletics is a collection of sports events that involve running, throwing, jumping and walking. Organised athletics are traced back to the Ancient Olympic Games from 776 BC, and most modern events are conducted by the member clubs of the International Association of Athletics...
team Central Athletic Club based at
University of StirlingThe University of Stirling founded in 1967, in Stirling, Scotland. The original vision for the university at its inception, reflecting the national zeitgeist of expanding the University sector, was to provide higher education for people from all walks of life, encouraging them to fulfil their...
. Stirling Wanderers Hockey Club have also moved to a brand new (international standard) pitch at Forthbank for season 2008/09. 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.
Footballers
Billy BremnerWilliam John "Billy" Bremner was a professional footballer, most noted for his captaincy of the Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s. He has since been voted Leeds United's greatest player of all time and has a statue outside the South East corner of Elland Road...
and Duncan Ferguson were born in Stirling, as were rugby internationals
Kenny LoganKenneth McKerrow Logan is a rugby union footballer who plays for London Scottish and formerly Scotland....
,
Allister HoggAllister Hogg is a Scottish Rugby Union player, he was born on 20 January 1983, in Stirling, Scotland) plays rugby union at either flanker or number eight for Edinburgh Gunners and Scotland, and makes a formidable partnership with Simon Taylor at both club and country level.A product of Stirling...
and Alison McGrandles,
jockeyIn sport, a jockey is one who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing; however, camel jockey profession is slowly being replaced by robotics.-Horse racing:...
Willie CarsonWilliam Fisher Hunter Carson, OBE is a retired jockey in thoroughbred horse racing.Best known as "Willie", Carson was born in Stirling, Scotland. In 1957 he was apprenticed to Captain Gerald Armstrong at his stables at Tupgill, North Yorkshire...
, and
cricketCricket is a bat-and-ball team sport that is first documented as being played in southern England in the 16th century. By the end of the 18th century, cricket had developed to the point where it had become the national sport of England. The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being...
er
Dougie BrownDouglas Robert Brown, , is a former Scottish cricketer, currently employed as a coach for Warwickshire C.C.C.. He is an all-rounder who has represented both England and Scotland at One Day International level...
.
Stirling is also a major centre of sports training and education in Scotland. The
Scottish Institute of SportThe Scottish Institute of Sport is the national sports development body in Scotland. It is part of sportscotland, a publicly owned company which is partly funded by the UK's National Lottery.The SIS was established in 1998...
is headquartered in a purpose built facility on the campus of Stirling University which opened in 2002. Also at the university in the state of the art Scottish National Swimming Academy as well as the Gannochy National Tennis centre which is seen as a tennis centre of excellence.
Furthermore the university itself has its own dedicated Sports Studies department and was ranked amongst the best in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
for its provision of sports facilities, with the maximum 5 star award, shared by 16 other universities in the UK. Stirling University also currently hosts the Scottish men's lacrosse champions.
Stirling and its surrounding area has a number of 9 and 18 hole
golf courseA golf course consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
s, 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, catering for a range of Sporting activities.
Education
The
University of StirlingThe University of Stirling founded in 1967, in Stirling, Scotland. The original vision for the university at its inception, reflecting the national zeitgeist of expanding the University sector, was to provide higher education for people from all walks of life, encouraging them to fulfil their...
opened in 1967 on a greenfield site outside the town. Currently there are 9000 students studying at the university, of which 7000 are undergraduates and 2000 are postgraduates. Students of over 80 nationalities are represented at the university, with 14% of students coming from overseas. It has grown into a major research centre, with a large
science parkA science park or science and technology park is an area with a collection of buildings dedicated to scientific research on a business footing. There are many approximate synonyms for "science park", including research park, technology park, technopolis and biomedical park...
- 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 developmentThe phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
. In January 2008 it was announced that Students from
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At , Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast...
would be able to gain degrees in retail from the
University of StirlingThe University of Stirling founded in 1967, in Stirling, Scotland. The original vision for the university at its inception, reflecting the national zeitgeist of expanding the University sector, was to provide higher education for people from all walks of life, encouraging them to fulfil their...
in a tie-up with the country's
Nanyang PolytechnicNanyang Polytechnic is Singapore's fourth polytechnic located in Ang Mo Kio next to Yio Chu Kang MRT Station, Singapore.- History :*Established on 1 April 1992....
(NYP).
Stirling is also home to part of the wider
Forth Valley CollegeForth Valley College is a college in Scotland. It was formed in 2009 by the merger of Falkirk College of Further & Higher Education and Clackmannan College.-Statistics:...
which was formed on 1 August 2005 from the merger of
FalkirkFalkirk Falkirk Falkirk is a town in central Scotland lying to the north west and north east of the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, respectively. According to a 2007...
, Stirling and
ClackmannanThis article is about the administrative area, for the town see Clackmannan, Clackmannanshire.----From 1975, Clackmannan was the name of a small town and local government district in the Central region of Scotland, corresponding to the traditional county of Clackmannanshire, which was Scotland's...
colleges.
There are four main high schools in Stirling itself -
Stirling High SchoolStirling High School is a state high school for 11-18 year olds run by Stirling Council in Stirling, Scotland. It is one of seven high schools in the Stirling district, and currently has approximately 972 pupils attending...
, with a school roll of 940 pupils,
Wallace High SchoolWallace is a name for several high schools in the English-speaking world, including:*Wallace High School , Wallace, Idaho*Wallace High School , Wallace, Nebraska*Wallace High School *Wallace High School, Stirling...
with 950 pupils,
St Modan's High SchoolSt Modan's RC High School is an S1-S6 Catholic High School In Stirling, Scotland. The schools roll currently stands at over 800 pupils, who travel from areas outwith the usual catchment areas, however as it is a Catholic School, it is exempt from usual boundaries. Pupils travel from the Denny,...
, and Bannockburn High School in Broomridge. All the city's secondary school premises have been redeveloped as a result of a
Public-private partnershipPublic-private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
scheme.
Twinned cities
Villeneuve d'AscqVilleneuve d'Ascq is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is located between Lille and Roubaix, at the crossroads of the principal freeways towards Paris, Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels. Its name means New city of Ascq in French and is derived from the Dutch word for "ash"...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
DunedinDunedin is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The name comes from the Scots Gaelic Dùn Èideann meaning Edinburgh. The population was 35,691 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 36,632...
,
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ÓbudaÓbuda was a historical city in Hungary. United with Buda and Pest in 1873 it now forms part of District III of Budapest. The name means Old Buda in Hungarian...
,
HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
Summerside, Prince Edward IslandSummerside is a Canadian city in Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is the second largest city in the province and the principal municipality for the western part of the island...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
See also
- Battle of Stirling Bridge
The Battle of Stirling Bridge was a battle of the First War of Scottish Independence. On 11 September 1297, the forces of Andrew Moray and William Wallace defeated the combined English forces of John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey and Hugh de Cressingham near Stirling, on the River Forth.-The...
- Battle of Stirling (1648)
The second Battle of Stirling was fought on the 12th of September 1648 during the Scottish Civil War of the 17th century.-Background:The Battle of Stirling in 1648 was part of the War of the Three Kingdoms. By this time, the Presbyterian Covenanter movement had defeated the Scottish Royalists, who...
- Central Scotland Police
Central Scotland Police is the police force covering the Scottish council areas of Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire . The headquarters of the force are at Randolphfield House in Stirling....
- Lecropt
Lecropt is a rural parish lying to the west of Bridge of Allan, Scotland.The population of the parish of Lecropt is estimated to be around 75, consisting entirely of isolated farms and houses, as well as the Keir Estate owned by the landed Stirling family...
External links
- Stirling Council Website
- Stirling Castle (Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.Its website states:It has direct responsibility for maintaining and running over 360 monuments in its care, about a quarter of which are manned and charge admission entry...
)
- Mapping the Town: the history of Stirling, presented by Julian Richards
Julian Richards FSA, MIFA is a British television and radio presenter, writer and archaeologist with over 30 years experience of fieldwork and publication.-Early career:...
(BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a domestic UK radio station that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967.-Outline:...
) (RealAudioRealAudio is a proprietary audio format developed by RealNetworks. It uses a variety of audio codecs, ranging from low-bitrate formats that can be used over dialup modems, to high-fidelity formats for music. It can also be used as a streaming audio format, that is played at the same time as it is...
format)
- University of Stirling
- Photos of Stirling
- More photos of Stirling - Taken by Stuart Gillespie, Pastor of Calvary Chapel
Calvary Chapel, a non-denominational, Evangelical fellowship of Christian churches, began in 1965 in Southern California. It presents itself as a "fellowship of churches" in contrast to a denomination. Churches that apply and qualify for affiliation through an extensive and thorough application...
Stirling
- Cambusbarron Village - Local website with lots of information about the village and the Stirling area
- Stirling Gaelic Choir
- Tolbooth, Stirling's venue for live music
- Albion Trust Video link shows worlds oldest football, located at Smith Museum Stirling