Stirling (council area)
Encyclopedia
Stirling is one of the 32 unitary local government council areas of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland 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 has a population of about 87,000 (2005 estimate). It was created under the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994 with the boundaries of the Stirling district of the former Central local government region
Regions and districts of Scotland
The local government areas of Scotland were redefined by the Local Government Act 1973 and redefined again by the Local Government etc Act 1994....

, and it covers most of the former county of Stirling (except Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....

) and the south-western portion of the former county of Perth. Both counties
Counties of Scotland
The counties of Scotland were the principal local government divisions of Scotland until 1975. Scotland's current lieutenancy areas and registration counties are largely based on them. They are often referred to as historic counties....

 were abolished for local government purposes under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973
The Local Government Act 1973 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in Scotland, on May 16, 1975....

.

The administrative centre of the area is the city of Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...

.

The area borders the council areas of Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'....

 (to the east), Falkirk
Falkirk (council area)
Falkirk is one of the 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland. It borders onto North Lanarkshire to the south west, Stirling to the north west, West Lothian to the south east and, across the Firth of Forth to the north east, Fife and Clackmannanshire...

 (to the south east), Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre...

 (to the north and north east), Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute is both one of 32 unitary council areas; and a Lieutenancy area in Scotland. The administrative centre for the council area is located in Lochgilphead.Argyll and Bute covers the second largest administrative area of any Scottish council...

 (to the north and north west), and both East
East Dunbartonshire
This article is about the East Dunbartonshire council area of Scotland. See also East Dunbartonshire .East Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders onto the north-west of the City of Glasgow. It contains many of the suburbs of Glasgow as well as containing many of...

 and West Dunbartonshire
West Dunbartonshire
West Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. Bordering onto the west of the City of Glasgow, containing many of Glasgow's commuter towns and villages as well as the city's suburbs, West Dunbartonshire also borders onto Argyll and Bute, Stirling, East...

, both to Stirling's southwest.

The majority of the population of the area is located in its southeast corner, in the city of Stirling and in the surrounding lowland
Scottish Lowlands
The Scottish Lowlands is a name given to the Southern half of Scotland.The area is called a' Ghalldachd in Scottish Gaelic, and the Lawlands ....

 communities: Dunblane
Dunblane
Dunblane is a small cathedral city and former burgh north of Stirling in the Stirling council area of Scotland. The town is situated off the A9 road, on the way north to Perth. Its main landmark is Dunblane Cathedral and the Allan Water runs through the town centre, with the Cathedral and the High...

 and Bridge of Allan
Bridge of Allan
Bridge 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....

 to the north, Bannockburn
Bannockburn
Bannockburn 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:...

 to the immediate south, and the three former coal mining communities of Cowie
Cowie, Stirling
Cowie is a village in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It lies on the minor B9124 road approximately 4 miles south-east of Stirling and about a mile north of the A9 road. The United Kingdom Census 2001 recorded the population as 2387....

, Fallin
Fallin, Stirling
Fallin is a village in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It lies on the A905 road 3 miles east of Stirling on a bend in the River Forth. The United Kingdom Census 2001 recorded the population as 2710....

, and Plean
Plean
Plean is a former mining village, in the Stirling Council area of central Scotland located on the main A9 road from Falkirk. At the 2001 census, Plean had a population of 1,740. Plean has some historic buildings, some council houses and an estate...

 (known collectively as "The Eastern Villages").

The remaining 30 percent of the region's population is sparsely distributed across the rural, mainly highland
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...

, expanse in the north of the region. The southern half of this rural area comprises the flat western floodplain of the River Forth
River Forth
The River Forth , long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland.The Forth rises in Loch Ard in the Trossachs, a mountainous area some west of Stirling...

, bounded on the south by the Touch Hills and the Campsie Fells
Campsie Fells
The Campsie Fells are a range of hills in central Scotland, stretching east to west, from Denny Muir to Dumgoyne, in Stirlingshire. . The highest point in the range is Earl's Seat which is 578 m high...

. North of the glen
Glen
A glen is a valley, typically one that is long, deep, and often glacially U-shaped; or one with a watercourse running through such a valley. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower than a strath."...

 lie the Trossachs
Trossachs
The Trossachs itself is a small woodland glen in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It lies between Ben A'an to the north and Ben Venue to the south, with Loch Katrine to the west and Loch Achray to the east. However, the name is used generally to refer to the wider area of wooded glens and...

 mountains, and the northern half of the region is generally mountainous in character.

The Council

As with all local authorities in Scotland, Stirling Council has a number of multi-member wards electing representatives under the Single transferable vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...

 System.
Party Councillors
Labour 8
Scottish National Party 7
Conservative 4
Liberal Democrat 3


The wards and their councillors are:
  • Bannockburn (3 Councillors): Margaret Brisley (Lab), Alasdair MacPherson (SNP), Violet Weir (Lab)
  • Bridge of Allan & Dunblane (4 Councillors): Callum Campbell (Con), David Goss (LD), Colin Finlay (Lab), Graham Houston (SNP)
  • Castle (3 Councillors): John Hendry (Lab), Jim Thompson (SNP), Graham Reed (LD)
  • Forth & Endrick (3 Councillors): Graham Lambie (SNP), Alistair Berrill (Con), Colin O'Brien (Lab)
  • Stirling East (3 Councillors): Corrie McChord (Lab), Stephen Paterson (SNP), Ian Brown (LD)
  • Stirling West (3 Councillors): Neil Benny (Con), Scott Farmer (SNP), Andrew Simpson (Lab)
  • Trossachs and Teith (3 Councillors): Paul Owens (Lab), Tony Ffinch (Con), Fergus Wood (SNP)

Towns and villages

  • Aberfoyle
  • Ardchyle
    Ardchyle
    Ardchyle is a village in Stirling, Scotland....

  • Ardeonaig
    Ardeonaig
    Ardeonaig is a hamlet on the southern shore of Loch Tay in the Stirling Council area of Scotland. It is approximately 7 miles east of Killin and lies at the mouth of the Ardeonaig Burn where it enters Loch Tay....

  • Arnprior
    Arnprior, Stirling
    Arnprior is a village in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It is located on the A811 about 12 miles west of Stirling and is one of the smallest community council areas in Stirlingshire with a population of about 200....

  • Balfron
    Balfron
    Balfron, is a village in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It is situated near Endrick Water on the A875 road, 18 miles west of Stirling and 16 miles north of Glasgow. Although a rural settlement, it lies within commuting distance of Glasgow, and serves as a dormitory town.-History:The name...

  • Balmaha
    Balmaha
    Balmaha is a hamlet on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond in the council area of Stirling, Scotland.The name Balmaha comes from the Gaelic for St Maha's Place which suggests the village may have ancient origins, perhaps as a hermit's residence...

  • Bannockburn
    Bannockburn
    Bannockburn 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:...

  • Blair Drummond
    Blair Drummond
    Blair Drummond is a small rural community near Stirling in Scotland, predominantly located along the A84 road.-Description:...

  • Boreland
    Boreland
    Boreland is the name of two small villages in Scotland, one of them in Dumfries and Galloway, which is located in the Eskdale valley about 7 miles north of Lockerbie on the B723 road to Eskdalemuir, and the other in Perthshire.- References:...

  • Bridge of Allan
    Bridge of Allan
    Bridge 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....

  • Brig o' Turk
    Brig o' Turk
    Brig o' Turk or is a small community in the Trossachs, a range of hills in Stirling, Scotland. Its name is derived from the Gaelic Tuirc meaning wild boar.-Features:...

  • Buchlyvie
    Buchlyvie
    Buchlyvie is a village in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It is 24 km west of Stirling, south of Flanders Moss in the Carse of Forth. The village lies on the A811, which follows the line of an eighteenth-century military road...

  • Cambuskenneth
    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...

  • Campsie
    Campsie, Stirlingshire
    Campsie is a hilly district in Stirlingshire, Scotland. It is noted for the beauty of Campsie Glen and the grandeur of the mountains known as the Campsie Fells.-See also:* Milton of Campsie* Campsie Fells* Clachan of Campsie...

  • Callander
    Callander
    Callander is a burgh in the region of Stirling, Scotland, situated on the River Teith. The town is located in the former county of Perthshire and is a popular tourist stop to and from the Highlands....

  • Cowie
    Cowie, Stirling
    Cowie is a village in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It lies on the minor B9124 road approximately 4 miles south-east of Stirling and about a mile north of the A9 road. The United Kingdom Census 2001 recorded the population as 2387....

  • Craigdownings
  • Craigruie
  • Crianlarich
    Crianlarich
    Crianlarich is a village in the Stirling district and registration county of Perthshire, Scotland, about six miles north-east of the head of Loch Lomond...

  • Croftamie
    Croftamie
    Croftamie is a small village near Drymen in Scotland.The village was traditionally part of Dunbartonshire, but a minor change in boundaries means that it is now under Stirling Council....

  • Doune
    Doune
    Doune is a burgh in the district of Stirling, Scotland, on the River Teith. Doune's postal address places the town in Perthshire, although geographically it lies within the District of Stirling, and administratively Doune is under the control of Stirling Council...

  • Drymen
    Drymen
    Drymen is a village in Stirling district in central Scotland. Drymen lies to the west of the Campsie Fells and enjoys views to Dumgoyne on the east and to Loch Lomond on the west...

  • Dunblane
    Dunblane
    Dunblane is a small cathedral city and former burgh north of Stirling in the Stirling council area of Scotland. The town is situated off the A9 road, on the way north to Perth. Its main landmark is Dunblane Cathedral and the Allan Water runs through the town centre, with the Cathedral and the High...

  • Fallin
    Fallin, Stirling
    Fallin is a village in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It lies on the A905 road 3 miles east of Stirling on a bend in the River Forth. The United Kingdom Census 2001 recorded the population as 2710....

  • Fintry
    Fintry
    Fintry is a small village in central Scotland, nestled in the strath of the Endrick Water between the Campsie Fells and the Fintry Hills, some 19 miles north of Glasgow. It is within the local government council area of Stirling...

  • Gargunnock
    Gargunnock
    Gargunnock is a small village in the Stirling council area approximately seven miles west of Stirling, in Scotland. The 2001 census population was 944...

  • Inversnaid
    Inversnaid
    Inversnaid is a village on the east bank of Loch Lomond in Scotland, near the north end of the loch. It has a pier and a hotel, and the West Highland Way passes through the village. A small passenger ferry runs from Inversnaid to Inveruglas on the opposite shore of the loch. To reach Inversnaid by...

  • Killearn
    Killearn
    Killearn is a small village of approximately 1700 people in the Stirling council area of Scotland. The village name stems from the Gaelic Cill Earnain, meaning Ernan's Church; the Ernan in question presumably being one of the canonised individuals of that name who were both relatives and followers...

  • Killin
    Killin
    Killin is a village situated at the western head of Loch Tay in Stirling , Scotland....

  • Kinbuck
    Kinbuck
    Kinbuck is a Hamlet in Stirlingshire, Scotland. It lies by the Allan Water and the Stirling-Perth Railway line. It is four miles north of Dunblane. The primary school closed in 1998 and is now used as a community centre...

  • Kinlochard
  • Kippen
    Kippen
    Kippen is a small village approximately west of the city of Stirling, Scotland. It lies between the Gargunnock and Fintry hills and overlooks the strath of the River Forth. The name is believed to come from Scottish Gaelic, ceapan, meaning "place of the little stump", "outcrop" or "block". The...

  • Lecropt
    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...

  • Lochearnhead
    Lochearnhead
    Lochearnhead is a village on the A84 Stirling to Crianlarich road at the foot of Glen Ogle, north of the Highland Boundary Fault...

  • Mid Lecropt
  • Mugdock
  • Port of Menteith
    Port of Menteith
    Port of Menteith is a village and parish in the Stirling district of Scotland, the only significant settlement on the Lake of Menteith. It was established as a burgh of barony, then named simply Port, in 1457 by King James III of Scotland...

  • Plean
    Plean
    Plean is a former mining village, in the Stirling Council area of central Scotland located on the main A9 road from Falkirk. At the 2001 census, Plean had a population of 1,740. Plean has some historic buildings, some council houses and an estate...

  • Raploch
    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"....

  • Rowardennan
    Rowardennan
    Rowardennan is a small hamlet on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond in Scotland.Rowardennan is at the northern end of the public road, but the West Highland Way passes through the village and continues north along the side of the loch. Rowardennan has a hostel and camping for hikers on the West...

  • Strathyre
    Strathyre
    Strathyre is a district and settlement in the Stirling local government district of Scotland. It forms the south-eastern part of the parish of Balquhidder and was, prior to the 1973 reorganisation of local government, part of Perthshire...

  • Stronachlachar
  • Thornhill
    Thornhill, Stirling
    Thornhill is a village in the Scottish council area of Stirling. It lies 14 miles from Stirling itself, south of Callander, east of Aberfoyle and west of Doune. The village is in the parish of Norrieston, named from the much earlier village of Norrieston which lay a little to the east of Thornhill...

  • Throsk
    Throsk
    Throsk is a settlement 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 as 231....

  • Torbrex
  • Tyndrum
    Tyndrum
    Tyndrum is a small village in Scotland. Its Gaelic name translates as "the house on the ridge". It lies in Strathfillan, at the southern edge of Rannoch Moor.The village is notable mainly for being at an important crossroads of transport routes...

  • St Ninians
  • Stirling
    Stirling
    Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...

  • Strathblane
    Strathblane
    Strathblane is a village and parish in the registration county of Stirlingshire, situated in the southwestern part of the Stirling council area, in central Scotland. It lies at the foothills of the Campsie Fells and the Kilpatrick Hills on the Blane Water, north of Glasgow, east-southeast of...


Places of interest

  • Carse of Lecropt
    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...

  • Culcreuch Castle
    Culcreuch Castle
    Culcreuch Castle is a Scottish castle close to the village of Fintry, near Loch Lomond. It has been the home of the Barons of Culcreuch since 1699, was turned into a hotel, venue and visitor attraction in the 1980s. -History:...

  • Inchmahome Priory
    Inchmahome Priory
    Inchmahome Priory is situated on Inchmahome , the largest of three islands in the centre of Lake of Menteith, close to Aberfoyle, Scotland....

     (a ruined Augustinian priory on an island in the Lake of Menteith
    Lake of Menteith
    The Lake of Menteith , is a loch in Scotland, located on the Carse of Stirling, the flood plain of the upper reaches of the rivers Forth and Teith, upstream of Stirling. Until the early 19th century, the more usual Scottish name of Loch of Menteith was used...

    , used as a refuge in 1547 by Mary, Queen of Scots)
  • Breadalbane Folklore Centre
  • Cambuskenneth Abbey
    Cambuskenneth Abbey
    Cambuskenneth Abbey is a ruined Augustinian monastery located on an area of land enclosed by a meander of the River Forth near Stirling in Scotland. The abbey is largely reduced to its foundations. The neighbouring modern village of Cambuskenneth is named after it.Cambuskenneth Abbey was founded...

     (formerly the seat of the Scottish Parliament
    Scottish Parliament
    The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...

    )
  • Doune Castle
    Doune Castle
    Doune Castle is a medieval stronghold near the village of Doune, in the Stirling district of central Scotland. The castle is sited on a wooded bend where the Ardoch Burn flows into the River Teith. It lies north-west of Stirling, where the Teith flows into the River Forth...

  • Falls of Dochart
    Falls of Dochart
    The Falls of Dochart are situated on the River Dochart at Killin in Stirling , Scotland at the western end of Loch Tay. A bridge crosses over the river just as you enter Killin giving a fabulous view of the falls as they cascade down over the rocks and around the island of Inchbuie, which is the...

  • Falls of Lochay
    Falls of Lochay
    -References:...

  • Glen Dochart
    Glen Dochart
    Glen Dochart in Perthshire, Scottish Highlands is a glen which runs from Crianlarich eastwards to Killin, following the course of the River Dochart as it flows through Loch Dochart and Loch Iubhair. It is met by Glen Ogle at Lix Toll....

  • Glenfinlas
    Glenfinlas
    Glen Finglas is a glen in the Trossachs, in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It is an area of forest in Highlands of the former county of Perthshire, north of Brig o' Turk, close to Callander in Menteith...

  • Lake of Menteith
    Lake of Menteith
    The Lake of Menteith , is a loch in Scotland, located on the Carse of Stirling, the flood plain of the upper reaches of the rivers Forth and Teith, upstream of Stirling. Until the early 19th century, the more usual Scottish name of Loch of Menteith was used...

  • Lecropt Kirk
    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...

  • Loch Achray
    Loch Achray
    Loch Achray is a small freshwater loch 11 kilometres west of Callander in Stirling district, Scotland.The loch lies between Loch Katrine and Loch Venachar in the heart of the Trossachs and has an average depth of 11 metres. The south side of the loch is wooded and well served by woodland tracks and...

  • Loch Ard
    Loch Ard
    Loch Ard is a body of fresh water in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park of the Stirling District in Scotland. -Overview:...

  • Loch Earn
    Loch Earn
    Loch Earn is a freshwater loch in the central highlands of Scotland, in the districts of Perth and Kinross and Stirling...

  • Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park
    Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park
    Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park is a national park in Scotland centred on Loch Lomond, and includes several ranges of hills, the Trossachs being the most famous...

  • Loch Katrine
    Loch Katrine
    Loch Katrine is a freshwater loch in the district of Stirling, Scotland. It is roughly 8 miles long by 2/3 of a mile wide and runs the length of Strath Gartney...

     (The source of most of the drinking water for the city of Glasgow
    Glasgow
    Glasgow 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...

    )
  • Loch Rusky
    Loch Rusky
    Loch Rusky is a small loch near Callander in the Stirling council area, Scotland. It lies in the former county of Perthshire.The loch lies to the east of Mentieth Hills, approx. 6 km northeast of the Port of Menteith. The Torrie Forest extends over Lennieston Muir to the east.The name Rusky...

  • Loch Venachar
    Loch Venachar
    Loch Venachar is a freshwater loch in Stirling district, Scotland, situated between Callander and Brig o' Turk...

  • Moirlannich Longhouse
  • Queen Elizabeth Forest Park (run by the Forestry Commission
    Forestry Commission
    The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....

    )
  • Scottish Institute of Sport
    Scottish Institute of Sport
    The 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...

     (on the grounds of Stirling University)
  • Stirling Castle
    Stirling Castle
    Stirling 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, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...

  • The University of Stirling
    University of Stirling
    The University of Stirling is a campus university founded by Royal charter in 1967, on the Airthrey Estate in Stirling, Scotland.-History and campus development:...

  • The Trossachs
    Trossachs
    The Trossachs itself is a small woodland glen in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It lies between Ben A'an to the north and Ben Venue to the south, with Loch Katrine to the west and Loch Achray to the east. However, the name is used generally to refer to the wider area of wooded glens and...

  • Wallace Monument
    Wallace Monument
    The 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....

  • West Highland Way
    West Highland Way
    The West Highland Way is a linear long distance footpath in Scotland, with the official status of Long Distance Route. It is 154.5km long, running from Milngavie north of Glasgow to Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, with an element of hill walking in the route...


External links

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