Stirling

Scotland > Central Scotland > Stirlingshire > Stirling

Scotland's sixth city lies between the River Forth and the prominent 400 feet high crag siting Stirling Castle. Ideally served by the moterway system. For long a place of great strategic significance because of its situation, midway between the east and west coasts, to hold Stirling, it was said, was to hold Scotland.

Many battles were fought over the town, in 843 AD, Kenneth Macalpine defeated the Picts near Stirling; in 1297 William Wallace defeated the English at Stirling Bridge and in June 1314 Robert the Bruce routed the English at Bannockburn.

For around 500 years Stirling Castle was the main residence of the Kings of Scotland. Under the protective shadow of the Castle developed one of of Scotland's earliest royal burghs with its market cross, Tolbooth, Parish Kirk and homes of the wealthy merchants and nobles of the court.

Stirling has a wealth of buildings of historic and architectural note, including - the 15th Century Stirling Bridge, the Tolbooth, the Church of the Holy Rude, Argyll's Lodging, Mar's Wark, Cowane's Hospital, Darnley House, the Old Town Jail, Norie's House and Erskine Church.

Retaining much of its historic character, the city today is a centre for commercial and retailing industries and tourism.

The University of Stirling, founded in 1967, is near Bridge of Allan on the other side of the River Forth.

Stirling was made Scotland's sixth city in 2002 in honour of HM Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee.