Visit Stirling Places

Visit Stirling Place – things to do & explore

  

Stirling places overview by Walkfo

---

Stirling history

---

Etymology

The origin of the name Stirling is uncertain, but folk etymology suggests it originates in either a Scots or Gaelic term meaning the place of battle, struggle or strife . One proposal is that Stirling derives from Gaelic srib-linn, meaning “stream-pool” or similar . Other sources suggest that it may have originally been a hydronym, connected to Brittonic *lïnn, “lake, pool” (Welsh llyn)

Ancient history

A stone cist, found in Coneypark Nursery in 1879, is Stirling’s oldest catalogued artefact . The earliest known structures in Stirling are now destroyed but comprised two Neolithic Cursus in Bannockburn . The area is likely associated with the Maeatae and their Early Medieval successors the Miathi .

Roman and early Medieval

Stirling remained the river’s lowest reliable crossing point (that is, without a weather-dependent ferry or seasonal ford) until the construction of the Alloa Swing Bridge between Throsk and Alloa in 1885 . The city has two Latin mottoes, which appeared on the earliest burgh seal of which an impression of 1296 is on record .

Late Medieval and early Modern

The castle and the church are shown on Blaeu’s map of 1654 which was derived from Pont’s earlier map . The Church of the Holy Rude is one of the town’s most historically important buildings . Cambuskenneth Abbey is the resting place of King James III of Scotland and his queen, Margaret of Denmark .

Victorian and Modern

In the early 19th century an “exceedingly low” cost steamboat service used to run between Stirling and Newhaven or Granton . The coming of the railways in 1848 started the decline of the river traffic . After the blockades of the World Wars there was some increase in the use of the port including a tea trade with India .

Stirling culture & places

Walking the Marches is a custom probably started in the 12th century. Stirling has hosted the National M�òd several times: in 1909, 1961, 1971,1987 and 2008. The Smith Art Gallery and Museum is now free to tourists and residents alike.

Stirling geography / climate

Stirling is renowned as the Gateway to the Highlands. The city is situated at the point where the Scottish Lowlands meet the rugged slopes of the Highlands along the Highland Boundary Fault. The land surrounding Stirling has been most affected by glacial erosion and deposition.

Areas of Stirling

Top of the Town consists of Broad Street, Castle Wynd, Ballengeich Pass, Lower Castle Hill Road, Darnley Street, Baker Street, St John Street and St Mary’s Wynd . These streets all lead up to Stirling Castle and are favourite haunt of tourists .

Climate

Stirling has some of the warmest summers in all of Scotland, being relatively far away from the cooling effects of the North Sea and the Firth of Clyde . The city has an oceanic climate with mild summers and cool winters .

You can visit Stirling places and use Walkfo Stirling to discover the history & things to do in Stirling whilst walking with our free digital tour app. Walkfo Stirling has 268 places on our Stirling map with history, culture & travel facts that you explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Stirling, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route – you choose where you want to go, when you want to go and Walkfo Stirling will keep up.
–
With millions of places including tourist walks, Stirling travel destinations, National Trust locations converted to audio experiences, our Stirling places AI guide will help you get the best from your visit to Stirling & the surrounding areas. The Stirling places app for iPhone & Android delivers hidden history, interesting culture and amazing facts in interactive audio stories in response to where you walk at National Heritage sites, tourist attractions, historic locations or city streets, with no predefined walk map requirements.

“The Walkfo AI has curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 268 audio facts unique to Stirling places forming an interactive Stirling map for you to explore.”

Walkfo’s Visit Stirling Places Map
268 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

---

–

Stirling historic spot	Stirling tourist destination	Stirling plaque	Stirling geographic feature
Walkfo Stirling tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Stirling

  

Best Stirling places to visit

---

Stirling has many places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Stirling’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Stirling’s information audio spots:

Cruach Ardrain Cruach Ardrain is a Munro mountain located in the southern highlands of Scotland . It is located five kilometres south east of Crianlarich in the Stirling Council area .

Ben Oss Ben Oss (Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Ois) is a Scottish mountain situated in the Stirling Council area . It is situated six kilometres south west of Tyndrum within the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park .

Beinn Challuim Beinn Challuim (English: Ben Challum) is a Scottish mountain in the very northern part of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park . The mountain stands in the Forest of Mamlorn, an ancient deer forest in Breadalbane .

Inchmahome Inchmahome, an anglicisation of Innis Mo Cholmaig, is the largest of three islands in the Lake of Menteith, in Stirlingshire .

Duchray Water Duchray Water is a 14-mile-long (23 km) headstream of the River Forth in the Trossachs region of Scotland .

Edinample Castle Edinample Castle is a late 16th-century tower house on the southern shores of Loch Earn near Balquhidder . It was designated as a Category A listed building in 1971 .

Glen Ogle Glen Ogle (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Ogail) extends 7 miles north westwards from Lochearnhead to Lix Toll, where it opens into Glen Dochart .

Leighton Library The Leighton Library, or Bibliotheca Leightoniana, in The Cross, Dunblane, is the oldest purpose built library in Scotland . Its collection of around 4000 volumes and 78 manuscripts from the 16th to 19th century is founded on the personal collection of Robert Leighton (1611–1684)

Loch Earn Loch Earn (Scottish Gaelic, Loch Eire/Loch Éireann) is a freshwater loch in the southern highlands of Scotland . Loch Earn is located in Perth and Kinross and Stirling .

Inchcruin Inchcruin is an island in Loch Lomond in Scotland . Not to be confused with Creinch, which has occasionally been referred to as “Inchcroin”

Visit Stirling plaques