Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Stirling (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Stirling Castle, Blair Drummond Safari Park, and Statue of Robert the Bruce. Also, be sure to include Argyll's Lodging in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Stirling (Scotland).
Table of Contents
Stirling Castle
Royal castle dating from Middle Ages. Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs, giving it a strong defensive position. Its strategic location, guarding what was, until the 1890s, the farthest downstream crossing of the River Forth, has made it an important fortification in the region from the earliest times.
Most of the principal buildings of the castle date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. A few structures remain from the fourteenth century, while the outer defences fronting the town date from the early eighteenth century.
Before the union with England, Stirling Castle was also one of the most used of the many Scottish royal residences, very much a palace as well as a fortress. Several Scottish Kings and Queens have been crowned at Stirling, including Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1542, and others were born or died there.
There have been at least eight sieges of Stirling Castle, including several during the Wars of Scottish Independence, with the last being in 1746, when Bonnie Prince Charlie unsuccessfully tried to take the castle. Stirling Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and is now a tourist attraction managed by Historic Environment Scotland.[1]
Address: Castle Wynd, FK8 1EJ Stirling
Blair Drummond Safari Park
Drive-through wildlife park with lake. Blair Drummond Safari Park is a family visitor attraction located near Stirling in Scotland. It opened to the public on 15 May 1970 and is home to over 350 animals, many of which roam freely or are kept in large enclosures in the 120-acre estate. The Safari Park is open from mid March until the end of October each year.[2]
Address: Lime Avenue, FK9 4UR Stirling
Statue of Robert the Bruce
The statue of Robert the Bruce on the esplanade at Stirling Castle, Stirling, is a 1876 work sculpted by Andrew Currie and designed by illustrator George Cruikshank. As of 2020, the statue is featured on the Clydesdale Bank £20 note.[3]
Argyll's Lodging
Museum in Stirling, Scotland. Argyll's Lodging is a 17th-century town-house in the Renaissance style, situated below Stirling Castle in Stirling, Scotland. It was a residence of the Earl of Stirling and later the Earls of Argyll. The Royal Commission regards it as “the most important surviving town-house of its period in Scotland”. At the end of the 20th century it became a museum.[4]
Address: Castle Wynd, FK8 1EG Stirling
Church of the Holy Rude
15th-century church with stained glass. The Church of the Holy Rude is the medieval parish church of Stirling, Scotland. It is named after the Holy Rood, a relic of the True Cross on which Jesus was crucified. The church was founded in 1129 during the reign of David I, but the earliest part of the present church dates from the 15th century. As such it is the second oldest building in Stirling after Stirling Castle, parts of which date from the later 14th century. The chancel and tower were added in the 16th century.
Stirling Castle has long been a favoured residence of the Scottish monarchs, and was developed as a Renaissance palace during the reigns of the later Stewart Kings. The Church of the Holy Rude, adjacent to the castle, became similarly associated with the monarchy, hosting royal baptisms and coronations. It is one of three churches still in use in Britain that have been the sites of coronations.[5]
Address: St John St, FK8 1ED Stirling
Old Bridge
Bridge in Stirling, Scotland. Stirling Old Bridge is a stone bridge which crosses the River Forth. For over 300 years it provided the lowest crossing point of the Forth and so had strategic importance.[6]
Address: Laurencecroft Rd., FK 8 1 Stirling
Equestrian statue of Robert the Bruce
The equestrian statue of Robert the Bruce at the Bannockburn Visitor Centre, Bannockburn, Stirling, is a 1964 work by Pilkington Jackson.[7]
Address: Glasgow Road, Stirling
Logie Kirk
Christian church in Blairlogie, Scotland. Logie Kirk is an isolated but operational church east of Stirling in central Scotland serving Church of Scotland pastoral duties in the areas of Cambuskenneth, Bridge of Allan, Causewayhead, and formerly the estate of Airthrey Castle.
The church lies on the B998 close to the junction with the A91, between Stirling and Menstrie, or more accurately between the Wallace Monument and Blairlogie.[8]
Address: Blairlogie, Stirling
Forthbank Stadium
Stadium. Forthbank Stadium is a football stadium in Stirling, Scotland. Opened in 1993, it has been the home ground of Scottish Professional Football League club Stirling Albion since then. Since 2013 it has also hosted the first team matches of Lowland Football League team University of Stirling. The stadium has a capacity of 3,808. The pitch size is 110 x 74 yards.[9]
Address: Springkerse Industrial Estate, FK7 7UJ Stirling
Cambuskenneth Abbey
Remains of a medieval monastery. Cambuskenneth Abbey is an Augustinian monastery located on an area of land enclosed by a meander of the River Forth near Stirling in Scotland. The abbey today is largely reduced to its foundations, however its bell tower remains. The neighbouring modern village of Cambuskenneth is named after it.[10]
Address: Cambuskenneth village, Stirling
Forthside Bridge
Forthside Bridge is a large pedestrian bridge located in the city of Stirling, in the Central Belt of Scotland. Opened on 2 May 2009, the bridge crosses Stirling railway station, a busy interchange station located on the former Caledonian Main Line and connects the city centre with the Forthside Development, a £90 million residential and leisure area on the banks of the River Forth.
A form of Inverted Fink truss bridge, similar to the Royal Victoria Dock Bridge in London, the construction costs of the Forthside Bridge were estimated at around £6.5 Million. Since its completion, the bridge has become a local landmark and has been praised for its design, receiving a commendation from the Institution of Structural Engineers in 2010.[11]