Travel bucket list idea:
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This dramatic fortress hunkered into a volcanic crag and appearing to glower down on the town below, has real castle wow factor.
There’s no missing its might and impregnable magnificence – of key importance in medieval times. Set in a strategic location, two game-changing battles in Scotland’s fight for independence took place near here; Stirling Bridge in 1297 when William Wallace routed the English and Bannockburn in 1314 when Robert the Bruce did the same.
A painstaking restoration project recently focused on the castle’s centrepiece, a glorious 16th-century Renaissance palace.
The Stirling Tapestries on the wall of the Queen’s Inner Hall in the Royal Palace were created as part of the £2million project and took seven years to complete.
The Church of the Holy Rude, dating back to the 12th century, has elaborate stained glass windows. It’s the only church in use today to have hosted a coronation (James VI) apart from Westminster Abbey.
Stirling is 45 minutes’ drive from Glasgow, an hour and a quarter from Edinburgh. There are regular direct trains and buses to the centre. From both the bus and train station you walk up to the castle – but it’s up a steep hill.
Booking tickets online and in advance is recommended to guarantee entry. Audio tours are available for a small fee to use on your mobile phone and can be pre-booked or join one of the guided tours every half hour, included in the ticket price.
The castle is open all year round, seven days a week. As with most major attractions the summer months are the busiest. Try to avoid weekends if you want to escape the crowds.
Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Scottish Highlands, United Kingdom (UK)
Magnificent mountain scenery slashed by silvery lochs and peppered with brooding castles: all laden with rich Scottish heritage, history and tradition. Drive the NC500 road trip, or ride on the spectacular West Highland Line.
