|
|
| |
ON-LINE GUIDE TO STIRLING AND CLACKMANNAN
|
|
This brief guide provides
summary information on towns, villages and places to visit
in Stirling and Clackmannan as well as some interesting
facts and anecdotes on the local area. To find a specific
place either scroll down the page or use the find
facility on your browser. Much more information can be
found in our
TRAVEL GUIDES -
Click here
for details.
Our
DATABASE OF PLACES
covers over 5,000 entries in Great Britain and Ireland.
If you are looking for
Places to Stay, Places to
Eat and Drink, Specialist
Retail Outlets, Places of Interest or
Garden Centres and Nurseries
in Stirling and Clackmannan please click the relevant link above:
|
| |
   |
That area of Scotland between the Firths
of Clyde and Forth has always been strategically important. It is often
referred to as Scotland's "waist", and before
the Kincardine Bridge was built in 1936, the bridge at Stirling was the lowest
crossing point of the River Forth. To the west of
the town are the Campsie and Kilsyth Hills, and these, along with marshy bogland such
as Flanders Moss, formed another natural barrier, so the bridge at Stirling became
the gateway to Perthshire and the Highlands.
That's why so many battles have been fought in and around Stirling and
Falkirk, including Scotland's most important, the Battle of Bannockburn, which
secured Scotland's future as an independent
nation. It is also the reason why Stirling Castle
was built. It sits sentinel on a great rocky outcrop, with the town of Stirling laid
out below it to the west. As a castle, it was almost impregnable, and from its top
an approaching army could easily be seen even if it was miles away.
This is an area, which has witnessed great changes over the years due to
local government reorganisations. Dunblane, to the north of Stirling, was at one time
in Perthshire, as was Callander and Port of Menteith. For a while,
Clackmannanshire ceased to exist (though it remained alive
in the hearts of all those born there). Now it has come back, and still proudly
proclaims itself to be Scotland's smallest county,
with an area of only 55 square miles. It sits in the shelter of the Ochil Hills to the
north, which rise to well over 2,000 feet in
places, and was a centre for woollens and
textiles. The string of "hillfoot villages" at the
foot of the Ochils are all picturesque and well worth visiting for this alone.
Around Falkirk and Grangemouth, Stirlingshire is unashamedly industrial.
This is the heart of Scotland's petrochemical industry, with great refineries lining
the shores of the Forth, which is still tidal at this point. It was also at one time a
coal
mining area, though the mines have long gone.
Travel northwest from Stirling however, and you enter another world -
the Trossachs, one of Scotland's most beautiful areas. Though its hills aren't as high
as those of the Grampians or the Cairngorms, and don't have that brooding majesty
we tend to associate with Highland scenery, it is still Highland in
character. The hills slip down to the wooded banks of lochs such
as Loch Katrine, Loch Venachar and the wonderfully
named Loch Drunkie, which are among the most picturesque
in Scotland, and the skies seem endless and sweeping.
The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park (see
also Balloch) takes in most of the Trossachs in its 720
square miles. It was the country's first national park, opened in 2002.
The town of Stirling is one of the most historic in Scotland, and has played
a leading role in shaping the country's destiny. The castle has been fought
over countless times by the Scottish and the English, and eventually became a
favourite royal residence. Mary Queen of Scots
stayed there, and her son, who became James VI, had his coronation in the town's Church
of the Holy Rood. Falkirk, though more industrial in character, is also an
ancient town, and has witnessed two important battles as Scotland's history was played
out. Alloa, Clackmannanshire's largest town, is also industrial in character, though it
too has history aplenty. At one time this was Scotland's brewing capital, though only
one brewery now remains.
For those interested in architecture, the place offers some memorable
buildings. There are many old, historical buildings
in Stirling, including Stirling Castle itself, given a Renaissance makeover by James
IV, as well as Dunblane Cathedral, Alloa Tower, the ruins of Camubuskenneth
Priory, the Wallace Monument, and both Doune Castle and Castle Campbell
Clackmannan
This small town was granted its burgh charter in 1550. It was once a small port
on the Black Devon, a tributary of the Forth, but the river silted up years ago, leaving
it
high and dry. In the centre of the town is the belfry of the old
Tolbooth, built by William Menteith in 1592. He was
the sheriff of the town, and objected strongly with having to hold felons in his own
home, so he built the Tolbooth to hold them instead. Beside it stands the
Mannau Stone. Legend states that when St Serf
came to this part of Scotland in the 6th century to convert it to Christianity, he found
the locals worshipping the sea god Mannau, or Mannan, in the form of the stone (known
as the "clach mannau"). From this, the
town supposedly got its name. Another legend states that the name derives from
an incident in the life of Robert the Bruce. It seems that he once rested close to
the stone, and on remounting his horse, left his glove lying on it. He ordered one of
his servants to return to the "clach" (stone)
and retrieve his "mannan" (glove). The
stone can still be seen on top of a column close
to the Tolbooth and the Mercat Cross, which dates from the 1600s.
Clackmannan Tower, built on King's Seat Hill, where once a royal hunting lodge
built by David I stood, dates from the 14th
century, with later alterations, and was once owned by Robert
the Bruce. Though in the care of Historic Scotland, it can only
be viewed from the outside at present. Robert Burns visited the area
in 1787, and was "knighted" by a direct descendant of Robert
the Bruce, a Mrs Bruce, who lived in a mansion house (demolished
in 1791) near the castle. She was in her nineties at the time, and
a woman of "hospitality and urbanity". She still possessed
her ancestor's helmet and two-handed sword, and she used the sword
to carry out the ceremony, declaring that she had a better right to
confer knighthoods than "some people" (meaning the Hanovarian
kings who were on the throne).
Clackmannan's Parish Church dates from 1815, though St Serf may have founded
the original church in the 6th century. Inside is the beautiful Coronation Window, gifted
to the church by its congregation to mark the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953.
The Queen visited the church specially to view it in 1997, so it seems that the loyalty of
at least some Clackmannan people towards the monarchy in London is not in
doubt any more.
Two miles north of the town is the Gartmorn Dam Country
Park. It is centred on the 170 acre Gartmorn Dam, the
oldest man made reservoir in Scotland. It was constructed in the early 1700s by
John Erskine, 6th Earl of Mar, to power the pumps, which pumped water out of his
coal mines around nearby Sauchie. Now a nature reserve, the park is popular
with walkers and nature lovers, and the reservoir itself is stocked with brown trout.
Around Clackmannan
Tillicoultry
4 miles N of Clackmannan on the A91
Tillicoultry is one of the "hillfoot villages"
which relied on water tumbling down from the Ochils
to power the mills in which most people were employed. It became
a town in 1871, and behind it is the picturesque
Tillicoultry Glen, whose waters once powered
eight mills in the town using a system of lades
and channels. Its rather unusual name means,
"hill in the back land".
Dollar
5 miles NE of Clackmannan on the A91
Dollar is another "hillfoot village",
famous as the home of Dollar Academy. This private school (the equivalent of
an English public school) was founded in the early 19th century thanks to a bequest
of £40,000 by Captain John McNabb, a local herd boy born in 1732 who amassed
a fortune before his death in 1802. Eighteen years later the academy had been
built, though if he came back today he might be puzzled to see his school, for he
had intended it to be a school for the children of the poor in Dollar parish. The
elegant, colonnaded building was designed by the eminent architect William Playfair, and
was opened in 1819.
Within Dollar is the small Dollar Museum, which has displays on the
history of the village and on the Devon Valley railway. Above the town, and
reached through the wooded Dollar Glen (National Trust for Scotland), is
Castle Campbell (National Trust for Scotland).
It was one of Clan Campbell's Lowland homes, and was formerly known as
"Castle Gloom". Close by are two burns
called Care and Sorrow, and even the name Dollar itself is said to derive from
"dolour",
meaning sadness. It seems strange that such a beautiful spot should have
such depressing names. The castle dates essentially from the 15th century,
with some later additions. Both John Knox and Mary Stuart have stayed there.
Alva
3 miles NW of Clackmannan on the A91
Alva sits at the foot of the Ochils, and is one of the "hillfoot villages" where
weaving and spinning were the main industries.
It's name means "rocky plain", as does that
of its near neighbour Alloa. To the northeast is the Ochil Hills' highest peak, the
2,363 feet Ben Cleuch. At the Mill Trail
Visitor Centre there are displays and exhibits
that explain what life was like in mill factories over the last 150 years. There is also a
shop
and a café. The Mill Trail itself is
a signposted route taking you to many mills with retail outlets.
The Ochil Hills Woodland Park has attractive walks and
a visitor centre.
Alva Glen, also called the "Silver
Glen", is very picturesque. Silver was once
mined here in the 18th century, and St Serf's Parish
Church, which dates from 1815, has some communion vessels made from
local silver. It was the Erskine family that mined the silver, and it was a hit or miss affair.
A story is told of one member of the family, Sir John Erskine, showing two of the
mines to a friend. "Out of that hole there I
earned £50,000," he told him. "And in that
hole there I lost it all again."
Menstrie
4 miles NW of Clackmannan on the A91
In Menstrie Castle, in 1567, was born
Sir William Alexander, 1st Earl of
Stirling, founder of Nova Scotia, Scotland's only
real colony in North America (see also Stirling). The only part of the castle
open to the public is the Nova Scotia Commemoration Room, which has
displays about the colony. There are also the armorial bearings of the Nova
Scotia baronetcies created in Scotland at the beginning of the 17th century, which
went on sale at 3,000 Scots merks each. In 1621 Sir William persuaded James VI to
create
the baronetcies, and when James realised how much
money he could make from it, he readily agreed. In 1624, while
at Windsor, he began the money making scheme. A year later
he was dead, and his son Charles I, not unnaturally, continued
the practise. By the end of 1625 the first 22 titles had
been conferred. Even today there are 109 titles still in existence.
Sir William died penniless in London in 1644, and now
lies buried in the Church of the Holy Rood in Stirling.
Sir Ralph Abercromby, who commanded the British troops at the
Battle of Alexandria in 1801, was born in Menstrie in 1734. He died at Alexandria
in 1801 of wounds he received during the battle.
Blairlogie
6 miles NW of Clackmannan on the A91
Blairlogie is possibly the most beautiful of the "hillfoot villages", and was the
first conservation village in Scotland. It sits in the shadow of the 1373 feet
Dumyat, which has the remains of a hilltop fort
on its summit. The name derives from Dun Maetae, meaning the fort of the Maetae,
a Pictish tribe.
Alloa
2 miles W of Clackmannan on the A907
With a population of about 15,000, Alloa is the largest town in Scotland's
smallest county. The town sits on the River Forth where it is still tidal, and its name
is supposed to mean "rocky plain". It
was traditionally an engineering, brewing and glass-making town, though today
these industries are less important than they once were.
St Mungo's Parish Church dates from 1817, though it incorporates the
17th century tower of an earlier church. Alloa Tower (National Trust for Scotland) is all that is left of
the ancestral home of the Erskines, one of the most important families in Scotland.
They eventually became the Earls of Mar, and as such were (and still are as the Earls of
Mar and Kellie) Hereditary Keepers of Stirling Castle. The tower was built for
Alexander Erskine, the 3rd Lord Erskine, in the
late 15th century, and later remodelled by the 6th Earl of Mar in the 18th century. It
has the original oak roof beams, medieval vaulting and a dungeon.
The Erskines were custodians of Mary Stuart during her infancy, and she lived
in the tower for a time. James VI, while still a boy, also stayed here. The 6th Earl was
an ardent Jacobite, and after the 1715 Uprising he was sent into exile. The story
of the Erskines is told within the tower, and the present Earl has loaned a
superb collection of paintings, including works by Raeburn and Kneller.
Alloa Museum and Gallery, in the Speirs Centre in Primrose Street,
has exhibits tracing the history of the town.
Tullibody
4 miles W of Clackmannan on the B9140
Legend says that Tullibody was founded by King Kenneth McAlpine, the first king
of Scots, who united the kingdoms of Dalriada and the Picts in AD 843. He called
it "Tirlbothy", meaning the "oath of
the crofts", as he and his followers made an oath there that they would not lay
down their arms until their enemies or themselves were killed. A stone once stood at the
point where the oath was made.
Tullibody Auld Brig, which spans the River Devon, was built about 1535
by James Spittal, tailor to the royal family (see also Doune). In January 1560 the
eastern most arch of the bridge was dismantled by Kirkcaldy of Grange to impede a
French army, which was in Scotland in support of Mary of Guise, mother of Mary Stuart
and widow of James V. However, the French
army dismantled the roof of Tullibody Auld Kirk
and made a new bridge. In 1697 Thomas Bauchop, a local mason,
was commissioned by John, 6th Earl of Mar, to build a new eastern arch.
Robert Dick, the eminent, but self taught, botanist was born in Tullibody
in 1811.
Falkirk
Falkirk is Stirlingshire's largest town, and received its burgh charter in 1600. It sits
at an important point on the road from Edinburgh to Stirling, and
nearby Stenhousemuir was once the meeting place of various drove roads coming
down from the Highlands. Here great herds of cattle were kept before being sold
at "trysts" and taken further south to
the markets of Northern England. It has been estimated that over 24,000 head of
cattle were sold annually at the three trysts held each year.
The name of the town means the "kirk of mottled stone", a reference to its first
stone built medieval church. The present Old Parish
Church dates from 1810, and incorporates fragments of an earlier
church. It's tower dates from 1734. The church was the burial place for many prominent
local families, and buried in the churchyard is said to be Sir John de Graeme, who
was killed at the Battle of Falkirk fighting in William Wallace's army.
The Town Steeple was built in 1814, and was designed by the famous
architect David Hamilton. It replaced an earlier building, which dated from the
17th century, and has traditionally been a meeting place for the people of the
town. In 1927 the upper portion of the steeple was struck by lightning and had to
be rebuilt.
Near Falkirk the two great Lowland canals - the Forth and Clyde and
the Union Canal - meet. Thanks to the Millennium Link Project, they have
recently been restored, and the magnificent new
120
feet high Falkirk Wheel, which has become a tourist attraction in its own right,
carries boats between one canal and the other (which are on different levels), within
water filled "gondolas".
Centred on the village of Bonnybridge, two miles west of Falkirk, is
the Bonnybridge Triangle, so called because there have been more sightings of
UFOs and unexplained phenomena in this area than anywhere else in the UK. It all
started in 1992 when a cross shaped cluster of lights was seen hovering above a road,
and it has continued up until the present day, with mysterious football-sized lights,
delta shaped craft and even spaceships with opening doors being seen as well.
Two great battles were fought in or near Falkirk. In 1298 the Scottish army
of William Wallace was defeated by the English after his victory at Stirling
Bridge the previous year. The superior horsemen and archers of the English won the day,
and Wallace became a fugitive, finally being captured in 1305. And in 1746, after
its retreat from Derby, the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart defeated
a
Hanovarian army.
The town sits on the line of the Antonine Wall, a massive turf wall on
a stone base built on the orders of the Roman emperor Antonius Pius just after AD
138 (see also Bearsden and Milngavie). It stretched the 38 miles from the Firth
of Clyde at Bowling to the Firth of Forth west of Bo'ness.
Rough Castle (National Trust for Scotland) five miles from the town,
is one of the best preserved of the wall's fortifications. Parts of the wall can be
seen in the town's Callendar Park, in which you will also find
Callendar House. This magnificent building, modelled on a
French château, has played a major role in Scotland's history. In 1293 Alexander
II granted land to one Malcolm de Kalynter, and he may have built a wooden castle.
A descendant of Malcolm became involved in plots against David II in 1345, and
the estates were forfeited and given to Sir William Livingstone, whose
descendants lived there until the 18th century.
The Livingstones were close to Mary Stuart, and the queen visited the
estate many times. In 1600 James VI rewarded the family by making them Earls of
Linlithgow. But with the rise of the Jacobites,
the family's fortunes went into decline. The 5th Earl was forced into exile for siding
with the Old Pretender in 1715, and his daughter, Lady Anne married the
ill-fated Earl of Kilmarnock, who was beheaded in London for his part in the 1745
Uprising (see also Kilmarnock). A story is told
that on the evening before the Battle of Falkirk, the commander of the Hanovarian
troops, General Hawley, dined at Callendar House with Lady Anne. He so enjoyed
her company that he ignored requests to leave early to be appraised of the
Jacobite movements. His troops were soundly beaten the following day.
In 1783 the house and estate was bought by the businessman William Forbes,
whose descendants lived there for almost 200 years. It has now been restored by the
local
council as a heritage centre and museum, with a working Georgian kitchen,
printer's and clockmaker's workrooms and a general store. In the Victorian library is
an extensive archive of books, documents and photographs on the history of the area,
and the Major William Forbes Falkirk exhibition traces the history of the
town. The Park Gallery, which runs a series
of art exhibitions and workshop activities, is also located in Callendar Park.
Around Falkirk
Airth
5 miles N of Falkirk on the A905
It is hard to imagine that a huge royal dockyard founded by James IV was
once situated close to this small village in the 15th and 16th centuries. Now it is
visited because of one of the most unusual
buildings in Scotland - The Pineapple
(National Trust for Scotland) in Dunmore Park. It is
a summerhouse, built in 1761, and on top of it is a huge, 45 feet high pineapple made
of stone. It is heated using an early form of central heating, as passages and
cavities within the stone walls carry hot air
through them. It can be rented as a holiday home. Also at Dunmore are 16 acres of gardens.
Parts of the nearby Airth Castle (now a hotel) date from the 14th century.
An earlier castle stood on the site, and it was here that William Wallace's uncle, a
priest, was held prisoner by the English before Wallace rescued him. The castle frontage
as seen today dates from 1810, and was designed by David Hamilton.
Close to the castle are the ruins of a 16th century church.
Grangemouth
3 miles E of Falkirk on the A904
Grangemouth is a modern town, and the centre of Scotland's petrochemical
industry. It was one of the country's first
planned towns, having been established by Sir Laurence Dundas in the late 18th
century
at the same time as the Forth and Clyde Canal was being dug. His son
Thomas continued the work.
On Bo'ness Road is the Grangemouth
Museum, which traces the history of the town. The
Jupiter Urban Wildlife Garden is off Wood Street, and was established
in 1990 by Zeneca (formerly ICI) and the Scottish Wildlife Trust on a piece of
land that was once a railway marshalling yard. Surrounded by industrial buildings
and smokestacks, this oasis of green shows how derelict industrial land can be cleaned
up and reclaimed for nature. It has four ponds, an area of scrub birch known as
The Wilderness, a wildlife plant nursery and a formal wildlife garden, as well as
meadows, marshland and reed beds.
Stirling
Stirling is one of the most historic towns in Scotland, having been granted its
royal charter in 1226. It sits astride the main route north from the Lowlands at
Scotland`s narrowest point, which is why it is so strategically important. On a
craggy volcanic hill a castle was built, which in medieval times became a royal residence.
A settlement was eventually established on the eastern slope of the hill to cater for
its needs.
The old town is a mixture of buildings from all periods from the 15th
century onwards, and a day could be spent walking about and admiring them.
Stirling Castle (Historic Scotland) is a mixture of
styles and dates. Some form of fortification has no doubt stood here from at last
pre-Christian times, and it is one of the many sites in Scotland associated with
King Arthur. It entered recorded history in the early 12th century, when Alexander
I dedicated a chapel here. There must also have been a palace of some kind,
as Alexander died here in 1124. We next hear of it in 1174, when William the Lion
was compelled to hand over various Scottish castles to Henry II of England,
Stirling
included.
During the Wars of Independence in the 13th and 14th centuries, Stirling
Castle played a leading role. By this time it was back in Scottish hands, and Edward I
was outraged by the fact that it was the last Lowland castle to hold out against
his conquest of the country, and a barrier to further conquest in the north. So, in
1304, he set out to besiege it, and it eventually fell. For the next ten years the
English garrisoned it. In 1313 Edward Bruce, brother of Robert I, laid siege to it, and
its commander, Sir Philip Mowbray, agreed to surrender if the castle wasn't relieved
by June 24 1314.
By this time Edward I was dead, and his son Edward II was on the throne. He
didn't want to lose Stirling, so he came north
with a great army to relieve it. The Scots met this army at Bannockburn, and secured
a great victory - one that sealed Scotland's independence.
All traces of the castle as it was at the time of Bannockburn have long gone.
Most now date from the 15th century and later. James III was the first of the Scottish
kings to take an interest in its architecture, and built the Great Hall as a meeting place
of the Scottish parliament and for great ceremonial occasions. James IV then
began
building a new palace building in the Renaissance
style, with his son James V finishing the work. In 1594 James VI
had the Chapel Royal built, and these three buildings
represent the most important architectural elements in
the castle. It was within the Chapel Royal, on September 9
1543, when she was barely nine months old, that Mary Stuart, known as Mary, Queen
of Scots, was crowned in a ceremony that was curiously lacking in pomp or majesty.
A curious tale is told of Stirling Castle. It concerns James IV and John Damien,
the Abbot of Tongland in Kirkcudbrightshire, who earned the nickname of the
Frenzied Friar of Tongland (see also Tongland).
He was an Italian, and a learned man, who spent a lot of time at court. In 1507
he convinced James IV that man could fly, and to prove it, he told him that he would
jump from the walls of Stirling Castle and soar as free as a bird.
A date was set for the flight to take place, and a bemused James IV and
his court assembled on the battlements. Meanwhile, Abbot Damien had told
his servants to amass a large collection of feathers from birds, which could fly
and construct a large pair of wings from them. However, his servants couldn't
collect enough feathers of the right kind in time,
so incorporated some chicken feathers as well. The Abbot duly presented himself on
the battlements of the castle with the wings strapped to his back and wrists. No
mention is made in contemporary accounts of how the king and the court viewed this
unusual sight, but there must have been a few suppressed sniggers.
Damien stood on the battlements, made a short speech, and began flapping
his wings. He then jumped - and fell like a stone, landing in the castle midden,
on which more than the kitchen scraps were heaped. His fall couldn't have been that
far, as all he succeeded in doing was breaking his leg. When he later discovered that
his servants had incorporated chicken feathers in the wings, he blamed this for the
failure of his flight. The court poet William Dunbar was present at this attempt at
the world's first manned flight, and wrote some verses
about it.
The Church of the Holy Rude on St John Street is Stirling's parish church. It
dates from the 15th century, and was built on the site of an earlier place of worship at
the command of James IV, who, tradition says, worked alongside the masons during
its construction. It is one of the finest medieval churches in Scotland, and has
its original oak roof. Within the church, in 1567, the infant James VI was crowned
king of Scotland. What isn't generally known is that James (who later became James VI
and I of England and Great Britain) had been christened Charles. James was chosen as
his "royal" name to continue the tradition
of having a "James" on the Scottish throne.
The kirkyard was once the castle's tilting ground, where
great tournaments of jousting and horsemanship
were held. One of the monuments in the kirkyard is
the Martyr's Monument, commemorating two women who
were drowned for their religious beliefs at Wigtown in 1685
(see also Wigtown). Lady's Rock is next to
the
kirkyard, and was where the ladies of the court sat and watched staged events
take place on the fields below. Close by is Cowane's
Hospital, on which work started in 1639. It is named after John
Cowane, who bequeathed funds to establish an almshouse for the unsuccessful
merchants, or "decayed guildsmen" of the town. It
was later used as a school and an epidemic hospital, and is now a venue for ceilidhs
and concerts.
The King's Knot sits beneath the castle and church, on the south side, and is
all that is left of a formal garden, originally planted in the 1490s. It is in the shape
of an octagonal mound, now grassed over. Near it used to be the
King's Park (where houses now stand), once a
favourite hunting ground for the Scottish kings.
The Old Town Jail, down the slope in the city itself, was opened in 1847 to
take the prisoners that were formerly held in the Tolbooth. Now it has been reopened as
a tourist attraction, and shows what life was like for prisoners and wardens in the
19th century. You'll also meet a character called Jock Rankin, who was the town's
hangman. If, during your visit, a prisoner should try
to escape, you should remain calm and follow the advice of the warden!
The intriguingly named Mar's Wark is
close to the parish church. It was the
"wark" (meaning work, or building) of the Earl
of Mar, Regent of Scotland and guardian of the young James VI. In 1570 he
began building a new palace that would reflect his status and power, and Mar's Wark was
the result. In the 18th century it became a military hospital, but soon after fell
into disrepair. Now all that is left of the Renaissance building is a façade along
the street front.
On the opposite side of the street is Argyll's Lodging
(Historic Scotland), a Renaissance-style mansion built about
1630 by Sir William Alexander, the founder of Nova Scotia (see also Menstrie). It
was further enlarged by the 9th Earl of Argyll in the 1670s, and is possibly the best
example of a 17th century town house in Scotland. Most of the rooms have been
restored, showing what life would have been like when the Earl lived there.
Stirling is one of the few Scottish towns with parts of its
Town Wall still standing. It was built in the 1540s as
a defence against the English armies of Henry VIII when he was trying to
force a marriage between his son Edward and Mary Stuart. The remaining
parts stretch along the south side of the town, from near the Old Town Jail
to Dumbarton Road. Incorporated into the Thistle Shopping Mall is the
16th century Bastion, one of the wall's defensive towers. It contains a
vaulted guardroom above an underground chamber, and has a small display
about the history of the town. There was no wall to the north of the town, as
attacks never came from that quarter, though people who lived there were
supposed to build thick, high walls at the backs
of their gardens as a defence, and keep them in good repair.
One bloody association with Scotland's past is to be found at
the Beheading Stone, well to the north of the castle. It was here, in 1425,
that James I took his revenge on Murdoch, Duke of Albany, his two sons and the
Earl of Lennox his father-in-law by having them beheaded. The Duke's father had
controlled Scotland for 18 years while the English
held James captive, and he and his cronies had brought the country to its knees by
their greed and cruelty. Their lands were
forfeited to the crown, and James gave them to his supporters.
The Tolbooth sits at the heart of the
old town. It was built in 1704 by Sir William Bruce, and was where the town council
met and looked after the affairs of the burgh. A courthouse and jail were added in 1809.
It is now used as a venue for concerts and rehearsals. The
Mercat Cross, close to the Tolbooth, has the figure of a unicorn
on top, and this is known locally as the "puggy".
Two famous battles have been fought near Stirling. The
Battle of Stirling Bridge took place in 1297, when William Wallace defeated an English army
under John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, and Hugh de Cressingham. Wallace, who was
a guerrilla fighter and a master tactician, used the bridge to divide the English
forces - leaving one contingent on each bank - before launching his attack. It was a
major set back for Edward I, and he more or less had to start his conquest of the country
all over again. The bridge in those days was a wooden one, and the present
Old Stirling Bridge, which stands at the same spot,
was built in the late 15th century. Up until 1831, when
Stirling New Bridge was built downstream, this was the lowest
crossing point of the Forth, which made it one of the most important bridges in Scotland.
The other famous battle was the Battle of
Bannockburn, fought to the south of the town in 1314. The actual site of the
battle still arouses much debate, but there is no doubt that it was a defining moment
in Scotland's history. Edward I had died by this time, and his son Edward II, a much
weaker man, was in charge of the English army, which was trying to reach Stirling Castle
to relieve it. Robert the Bruce, one of Scotland's great heroes, achieved a
stunning victory - one that secured the country's status as an independent nation.
The Bannockburn Heritage Centre (National Trust for Scotland), on the A872 two
miles south of the town, commemorates this victory. There are exhibitions,
an audiovisual display and a huge statue of Bruce on his warhorse.
Scotland's other national hero, of course, is William Wallace, and on Abbey Craig,
to the east of the town and across the river, is the
National Wallace Monument. This spectacular tower is 220 feet high, with
246 steps, and from the top you get a panoramic view that takes in the Forth Bridges to
the east and Ben Lomond to the west. Here you can learn about the Battle of Stirling
Bridge, plus see a re-creation of Wallace's travesty
of a trial at Westminster. You can even gaze on
his great two-handed broadsword.
The scant ruins of Cambuskenneth Abbey (Historic Scotland) also lie on
the eastern banks of the Forth. David I founded it as an abbey in 1140 for
Augustinian monks, and in 1326 Robert the Bruce
held an important parliament here. The detached bell tower of the abbey is more
or less complete, though only the foundations of the rest of the buildings survive.
James III and his queen, Margaret of Denmark, are buried before the high altar, and
a monument marks the spot. In 1488 the king had been assassinated
near Bannockburn after his defeat at the Battle of Sauchieburn, where his son, the
future James IV, was on the opposing side.
The Smith Art Gallery and Museum in Albert Place chronicles Stirling's
long history through displays, exhibitions and artefacts. It has a fine collection
of paintings, including ones by Naysmith and Sir George Harvey, who painted
great works depicting Scottish history. One of the more unusual exhibits in the museum
is the world's oldest football.
In the summer of 2002 Stirling was granted city status as part of the
Queen's Golden jubilee celebrations.
Around Stirling
Bridge of Allan
2 miles N of Stirling off the M9
Bridge of Allan, which is almost a suburb of Stirling nowadays, was once a small
spa town and watering place with a pump room and baths. Now it is chiefly known for
being the home of Stirling University, based in the grounds of the
Airthrie Estate, with its picturesque lake. In 1617, James VI
wanted to establish a college or university at Stirling, but it was not until 1967 that
his wish came true, when the first 180 students enrolled. Now it has over 3,500
students, and is one of the premier universities
in Scotland.
Airthrie was owned by Sir Robert
Abercrombie, who was instrumental in setting up the village as a spa, having
had the waters of a local spring analysed. In 1844 the estate was bought by a
Major Henderson, who developed the town even further. The
Fountain of Ninevah on Fountain Road was built by him in 1851
to commemorate the archaeological excavations going on at Nineveh at
the time. Though healing waters are no longer taken, other, equally interesting,
liquids are. The Bridge of Allan Brewery
Company, a microbrewery in Queens Lane, has tours showing how beer is produced.
Bridge of Allan Parish Church (formerly know as Holy Trinity
Church) was built in 1860, and inside it are some furnishings designed by the
Glasgow architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
Dunblane
5 miles N of Stirling off the M9
Before local government reorganisation, Dunblane (and most of the area north
and north west of Stirling) was in Perthshire. This small town, or more properly city,
is famous for two things. The first is the horrific shooting that took place here
in 1996 when 16 schoolchildren and their teacher were killed in a local school.
The second is the Cathedral Church of St Blane and St Lawrence
(Historic Scotland). It dates mainly from the
13th century, and was built by Bishop Clement, who was elected bishop in 1233.
He decided that the only part of the Norman church, which would be left standing,
was the tower, though two extra storeys were added to it in the 15th century.
It is not a cathedral in the style of Elgin, St Andrews or any of the great
English establishments. Rather it is an intimate church with no side aisles or transepts.
Christianity first came to Dunblane in the 7th century thanks to a Celtic
monk called Blane (or Blaan), who was born on Bute in AD 602. He founded a
great monastery here, which grew to become very
important, and its site is still pointed out just outside the city.
Celtic monasteries were not like the great abbeys or priories built in
medieval times. They usually consisted of many
small chapels and circular cells (where the monks lived) built of wood or wattle
and surrounded by a "rath", or low turf
wall. There would also have been storerooms, eating places, kitchens, stables,
bakeries, brewing houses and schoolrooms, as most Celtic foundations also acted as schools.
In about 1150 a stone cathedral was built, and a Roman Catholic
bishopric established. However, the diocese was a poor one, and the Pope
eventually authorised the bishops of Dunkeld and Glasgow to give a fourth of their income
to help establish it properly. With this income, Clement managed to build most of
the cathedral before his death in 1258.
In the 16th century, with the arrival of Protestantism, only the choir was used
for worship, and the nave fell into decay. So too did the city, and it became a
small weaving centre. In 1898 the whole building was restored, and in 1914 Sir
Robert Lorimer did further work on the choir, with the present choir stalls - one of the
glories of the cathedral - being designed by him.
With the coming of the railways, Dunblane became a popular place in
which to holiday, and it regained some of its former prosperity.
Dunblane Hydro was built in 1875 to cash in on the
tourist boom, and it is still a luxury hotel to
this day.
Within the Dean's House, built in 1624 and lived in by Dean James Pearson, is
a small museum, which explains the history of the city and its cathedral, and
Bishop Leighton's Library, housed in a
building that dates from 1681, contains over 4,000 books, some of them priceless.
About three miles north east of the town is the site of the
Battle of Sheriffmuir (see also Callander), one of the deciding
battles in the 1715 Jacobite Uprising. It took
place
on November 13 1715, and was an unusual battle in that the outcome was a
stalemate. The Jacobite forces were led by John Erskine, 11th Earl of Mar, and
the Government forces by John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll.
Fintry
12 miles SW of Stirling on the B818
This charming village sits on the northern slopes of the
Campsies, that great range of hills that forms a northern backdrop for
the city of Glasgow. There are some fine walks on the hills, which are popular
with Glaswegians at weekends and holidays. The village regularly wins awards in the
"Best Kept Small Village in Britain" and
the "Britain in Bloom" competitions. The
Loup of Fintry, east of the village, is a
fine waterfall caused by the Endrick Water tumbling down a 94-feet high slope.
Culcreuch Castle (now a country house hotel) is a 700-year-old tower house
within a large estate that was once owned by the Galbraiths. The last Galbraith chieftain
to live there was Robert Galbraith, who fled to Ireland in 1630 after killing a guest in
his home. Carron Valley Reservoir, to the
east of the village, was built in the 19th century to supply Falkirk and Grangemouth with
a water supply. It now offers trout fishing (permit required).
Kippen
9 miles W of Stirling on the B822
This attractive little village sits to the south of that expanse of flat land
called Flanders Moss. It has, in Kippen
Parish Church, built in 1825, one of the
finest post Reformation churches in Scotland. The ruins of the old church, built in 1691,
still survive, surrounded by an old graveyard.
In 1891, a man called Duncan Buchanan planted a vineyard in Kippen within
a glasshouse, and one of the vines, later to be called the
Kippen Vine, grew to be the largest in the world. When fully grown,
it had an annual crop of over 2000 bunches of
table grapes, and in 1958 created a record by producing 2956 bunches. By this time
it was enormous, covering an area of 5000 square feet and stretching for 300
feet within four large greenhouses. It became a tourist attraction, and people came from
all over Scotland and abroad to see it.
But alas, the vinery closed down in 1964 (when it could also boast the second
and third largest vines in the world) and the Kippen Vine was unceremoniously
chopped down. The land was later used for housing.
Arnprior
10 miles W of Sterling on the A811
In the early 16th century, a man called John Buchanan, who had styled himself the
King of Kippen, lived in this small village.
One day a party of hunters was returning to Stirling Castle with some venison for
James V's court, and passed John's castle. John captured them and confiscated the
venison. The hunters told him that the meat was
for the king, but John merely replied that if James was King of Scotland, then he
was King of Kippen.
The king was duly informed of this, and instead of being angry, found the
incident amusing. He and some courtiers rode out from Stirling one day to pay the King
of Kippen a visit. He approached John's castle, and demanded that he be allowed to
enter. His demand was refused by a guard, who told the king that John Buchanan was
at dinner, and could not be disturbed.
James V had a habit of dressing up in peasant's clothes and slipping out of
his palaces alone to meet and speak to his subjects and gauge their opinions of
their king and country. When he did this, he assumed the guise of the "Guidman
of Ballengeich", Ballengeich being the name
of a pathway he always took down from Stirling Castle when in disguise.
He therefore told the guard to tell Buchanan that the Guidman of
Ballengeich was at his door, and he humbly requested
an audience with the King of Kippen. When
informed, John Buchanan knew who his visitor was, and rushed out in
trepidation. But James greeted him cordially, and laughed at the escapade of the
venison. Buchanan invited the king into his home
to dine, and the king agreed. Soon the company was merry, and the king
told Buchanan that he could take as much venison as he liked from the royal
hunters that passed his door. He also invited the King of Kippen to visit his brother
monarch at Stirling any time he liked. The "king"
was later killed at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547.
To the east of Kippen, and off the A811, is the village of
Gargunnock, with a picturesque parish church built in 1774.
Port of Menteith
14 miles W of Stirling on the B8034
This little village sits on the shore of the
Lake of Menteith, sometimes erroneously called the only lake (as opposed to loch)
in Scotland. However, there are several bodies of water in Scotland - some natural,
some man made - which are lakes (see also Kirkcudbright, Stenton and Ellon).
But there is no doubting that it is one of Scotland's most beautiful stretches of
water. It is only a mile wide by a mile and a half long, with low hills sloping down towards
it northern shores. Its name is probably a
corruption of Laigh (meaning a flat piece of land) of
Menteith, as the land to the south of the lake, Flanders Moss, is flat.
On the island of Inchmahome are the beautiful ruins
of Inchmahome Priory (Historic Scotland), within which
Mary Stuart was kept after the Battle of Pinkie in 1547. Within the
re-roofed chapter house are many carved effigies and tombstones. The priory
was founded in 1238 by Walter Comyn, Earl of Menteith, for Augustinian canons. In
the early 14th century, Robert the Bruce made three separate visits to the place, as
the then prior had sworn allegiance to Edward I of England, and no doubt Robert
brought pressure to bear on him to change his mind.
On the nearby Inchtulla the Menteiths had their castle, and on
Dog Island the Earl kept his hunting dogs.
The priory can be reached by a small ferry from the jetty at Port of Menteith.
Aberfoyle
17 miles W of Stirling on the A821
Aberfoyle has been called the Gateway to the Trossachs (see also Callander), and
sits on the River Forth after it emerges from beautiful Loch Ard. The
Duke's Road (named after a Duke of Montrose)
goes north from the village to the Trossachs proper, and has some good views over
Lochs Drunkie and Venachar.
The Scottish Wool Centre is situated within the village, and tells the story
of Scottish wool. You can visit the Spinner's Cottage, and have a go at spinning
wool into yarn. There are also occasional visits from local shepherds, who put on
sheepdog
demonstrations. There is also a shop where woollen items - from coats to blankets -
can be bought.
It was in Aberfoyle that the famous and mysterious disappearance of the
Rev. Robert Kirk, minister at Aberfoyle
Parish Church, took place. He was born in 1644, and had an abiding interest in fairies,
even writing a book called The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and
Fairies.
Legend states that the fairies were none too pleased that Robert had revealed
their secrets. In 1692, while walking on Doon Hill, well known in the area as one of
the entrances to the fairy realm, Robert disappeared. People claimed that he
had been taken to the fairy kingdom, and that one day he would come back, looking
no older than he did when he disappeared. To this day, he has not returned.
Another legend states that Robert's wife was given the chance of getting her husband back.
He would appear, she was told, during Sunday
service in the kirk, and she had to throw a knife at him, which should penetrate
his flesh. Robert did appear during the service, but his wife couldn't throw the knife, so
he disappeared once more.
Robert Kirk was indeed a minister in Aberfoyle in the 17th century, and he
did indeed disappear one day while out walking. Did the fairies take him? Or was he
the victim of a more earthly crime? No one will ever know - unless he turns up again.
South of Aberfoyle, near the conservation village of
Gartmore, is the Cunninghame Graham
Memorial (National Trust for Scotland). Robert
Cunninghame Graham of Ardoch was a Scottish author and politician who died in 1936.
The memorial once stood at Castlehill in Dumbarton, but was moved here in 1980.
Drymen
20 miles W of Stirling off the A811
During World War II, Buchanan Castle was a military hospital. Its most
famous patient was Rudolph Hess, Hitler's deputy, who was kept here after he parachuted
into Scotland in 1941 on a secret mission to see the Duke of Hamilton (see
also Eaglesham). The castle itself dates from 1855, and was built by the 4th Duke
of Montrose after the former castle was destroyed by fire three years previously. It
is now partly ruinous, but can be viewed from the outside.
Drymen is on the West Highland Way, the footpath that stretches from
Milngavie on the outskirts of Glasgow to Fort
William. It is also the gateway to the eastern, and
less busy, shores of Loch Lomond, which lie three miles away. The small village
of Balmaha (also on the West Highland Way) sits on the shore of the loch, and should
be visited for the wonderful views it gives of Britain's largest sheet of water.
Balfron, four miles east of Drymen, is an attractive
village with a parish church that dates from 1832. Alexander "Greek" Thomson, the
noted architect, was born in Balfron in 1817.
Blair Drummond
6 miles NW of Stirling on the A84
Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park is one of the
most visited tourist attractions in Scotland. You can
tour the 1,500-acre park by car or coach, and see animals such
as elephants, lions, zebras, giraffes, white rhino and ostriches
in conditions that allow them plenty of freedom. You can
take a boat trip round Chimp Island, watch the sea lion show or glide above the lake on
the "Flying Fox".
In the 18th century Blair Drummond was the home of Henry Home, a law lord
who sat in the High Court as Lord Kames.
Doune
6 miles NW of Stirling on the A84
The bridge across the River Teith in this picturesque village was built by
James Spittal, tailor to James IV (see also Tullibody). Legend has it that he arrived
at the ferry that once operated where the bridge now stands without any money,
and the ferryman refused to take him across. So, out of spite, he had the bridge built
to deprive the ferryman of a livelihood.
Doune Castle (Historic Scotland) is one of the best preserved 14th century castles
in Scotland, and was the seat of the Earls of Moray. It stands where the River
Ardoch meets the Teith, and was originally built
for the Duke of Albany, Regent of Scotland during the minority of James I. Later
James had the Duke's son executed for plotting against the crown, and the castle passed
to him. It has two main towers connected by a Great Hall with a high wooden ceiling.
In 1883 the 14th Earl of Moray restored the
castle. It is visited each year by many fans of Monty Python, as some of the scenes
in Monty Python and the Holy Grail were
filmed here.
The village itself gained its burgh charter in 1611, and originally stood close to
the castle. In the early 1700s, however, the village and its 17th century
Mercat Cross were moved to their present position.
The village was, at one time, famous as a centre of pistol making. The industry was
started in about 1646 by a man called Thomas Cadell, and so accurate and well made
were his guns that they soon became prized possessions. By the 18th century
Cadell's descendants were all involved in making guns, and began exporting them to
the Continent. It is said that the first pistol fired in the American War
of Independence was made in Doune.
Deanston
8 miles NW of Stirling on the B8032
Deanston is a village on the banks of the River Teith, built round a cotton
mill founded in 1785 by four brothers, one of whom was associated with Sir
Richard Arkwright. It passed through several hands before finally closing in 1965. Now the
mill houses the Deanston Distillery, which makes a range of whiskies, using the
same water that once powered the weaving machines. It is not open to the public.
Callander
13 miles NW of Stirling on the A84
This pleasant holiday town stands to the east of the Trossachs, and has
some wonderful walking country on its doorstep. It is home to the
Rob Roy and Trossachs Visitor Centre, housed in a former
church in Ancaster Square, and, as the name suggests, tells the story of both
the Trossachs and its most famous son, Rob Roy
MacGregor (see also Balquhidder). His real name was Robert MacGregor
(1671-1734) and even today people still cannot agree
on whether he was a crook, a freedom fighter or the Scottish Robin Hood. The Duke
of Montrose confiscated his lands in 1712, and he was imprisoned by the English in
the 1720s. He was made famous by two books - Daniel Defoe's
Highland Rogue and Sir Walter Scott's Rob
Roy, as well as by the recent film starring Liam Neeson,
and Jessica Lange. An earlier film, Rob Roy the Highland
Rogue, was made in 1953, starring Richard Todd and Glynis Johns.
However, there's no denying that the man was an outstanding leader who
could read and write in English and Gaelic, and possessed a large library. It was Sir
Walter Scott who made him behave dishonourably at the Battle of Sheriffmuir (see
Dunblane), when in fact he acquitted himself with courage and honour fighting for
the Jacobites. At his funeral on New Year's Day
1735 people came from all over Scotland to pay their respects.
Also in Callander is the Hamilton Toy
Museum, five rooms of model cars, planes, dolls, teddy bears and such TV
collectables as Thunderbird, Star Trek and Star
Wars figures.
Loch Katrine
23 miles NW of Stirling close to the A821
There is no doubt that Loch Katrine is one of the most beautiful lochs in Scotland. It
is surrounded by craggy hills, which in autumn blaze with orange and gold. But the loch
as you see it today has more to do with man than nature. In the mid 19th century,
the loch became one huge reservoir for the city of Glasgow, and the depth of the water
was increased considerably. In 1859 Queen Victoria opened the new reservoir, and
90 million gallons of water a day flowed towards Glasgow, over 30 miles away.
The engineering that made this happen was well ahead of its time, and consisted
of tunnels and aqueducts that relied purely on gravity to carry the water towards the
city. The engineering surrounding the loch was equally as spectacular. The water
from Loch Arklet, high in the hills between Lochs Katrine and Lomond, used to
flow west into Loch Lomond. By the use of dams, this was changed so that it flowed east
into Loch Katrine. The whole scheme was the largest of its kind in the world for
many years, and even today, Glasgow still gets its water from Loch Katrine.
The loch was made famous by Sir Walter Scott, who set his poem
The Lady of the Lake here. And at
Glengyle, at the western end of the loch, Rob Roy MacGregor was
born. It is still a remote place, and cannot be reached by car.
The steamer Sir Walter Scott has been sailing the waters of
the loch from the beginning of the 20th century, and it still does so today. It
takes you from the pier at the east end of the
loch towards Stronachlachar, six miles away.
The
small islet at Stronachlachan is known as the Factor's
Island, and recalls one of Rob Roy's exploits. He captured the Duke
of Montrose's factor, who was collecting rents in the area, and imprisoned him on
the island. He then sent a ransom note to the Duke, but none came. So Rob Roy
calmly relieved the man of the £3000 he was carrying and sent him on his way.
This is the heart of the Trossachs (the name translates as "bristly" or
"prickly"), and there are other equally as
attractive lochs nearby. Loch Lubnaig, to the east,
is the largest. Loch Venachar, Loch
Achray and Loch Drunkie (which can only
be reached by a footpath through the forest) are well worth visiting. At the
southern end of Loch Lubnaig are the spectacular
Falls of Leny.
Balquidder
24 miles NW of Stirling on a minor road off the A84
This small village sits to the east of
the picturesque Loch Voil. It lies in that area
of Scotland known as Breadalbane
("uplands of Alban", as Alban is the ancient name
for Scotland), and in the heart of Clan MacGregor country. In the kirkyard of
the roofless kirk is Rob Roy MacGregor's
Grave (see also Callander), plus those of some of his family.
Killin
30 miles NW of Stirling on the A827
Killin sits close to the western end of Loch
Tay, which stretches for 15 miles north eastwards into Perthshire. The best views
of the loch are from the wooded south shore road, though the northern road is wider
and straighter.
The Falls of Dochart, a series of
cascades on the River Dochart, are within the village, and next to them is the
Breadalbane Folklore Centre, which gives an insight
into life and legends of the area. Three miles north on a minor road are the
Falls of Lochay on the River Lochay, though
care should be taken when approaching them. The
Moirlanich Longhouse (National Trust for Scotland) on the Glen Lochay
road dates from the 19th century, and is a rare surviving example of a Scottish
longhouse, where a family and their livestock
lived under the one roof. In an adjacent shed is a display of working clothes found in
the longhouse, along with displays, which
explain the building's history and restoration. The ruins of
Finlarig Castle, which date from the late 16th century,
are to the north of the village. The castle was once a Campbell stronghold, and was
built by Black Duncan, one of the most notorious members of the clan. Within its grounds
are the remains of a beheading pit and a Campbell mausoleum built in the
early 1800s
Crianlarich
32 miles NW of Stirling on the A82
The name of this small village comes from the Gaelic for "low pass", and sits on
the southern edge of Breadalbane. Surrounding it is some marvellous walking and
climbing country, with the West Highland Way passeing close to the village. The
twin peaks of Ben More (3,843 feet) and Stobinian (3,821 feet) are to the south
east,
while the picturesque Falls of Falloch
(with a small car park close by) lie four miles
to the southwest on the A82.
Tyndrum
40 miles NW of Stirling on the A82
This little village has a population of no more than 100 people, and yet it has
two railway stations - one on the line from Glasgow to Oban and the other on the
line from Glasgow to Fort William. It sits at the head of
Strath Fillan, which snakes south towards Crianlarich and carrying the
West Highland Way. At Dalrigh, in 1306,
Robert the Bruce was defeated in battle, and nearby was the site
of Strathfillan Priory, founded by Bruce in 1318. St Fillan was
an Irish monk who lived during the 8th century and who founded a monastery
in the vicinity (see also Pittenweem, Madderty and St Fillans). It is said that while
building the monastery, a wolf attacked and killed one of the oxen used to bring materials
to the site. St Fillan then prayed, and a miracle occurred - the wolf took the
place of the ox.
|
|
Travel Publishing Ltd, 7a Apollo House, Calleva Park,
Aldermaston, Berkshire, UK RG7 8TN
e-mail:
info@travelpublishing.co.uk
Copyright © 2008 Travel Publishing Ltd |
|
