Stirling Weekend Breaks And A Number Of Superb Places You Must See

The city of Stirling has featured strongly in the history of Scotland, especially during crucial moments. The city and surrounding area has a fantastic selection of superb tourist attractions and a mass of of photo opportunities. In the article below I provide information about 3 places to visit in Stirling; Argyll’s Lodging, Stirling Castle and Stirling Old Town Jail:

Stirling Castle

Set two hundred and fifty feet above the city of Stirling, and surrounded on 3 sides by steep cliffs is Stirling Castle. Stirling Castle is very important in Scotland’s history, there have been many coronations within the castle, including Mary Queen of Scots’ in 1543. Stirling Castle was also witness to a violent murder in 1452. The eighth Earl of Douglas was victim to James II in 1452. The castle is the home of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, even though they are, sadly no longer garrisoned at the castle. However, the regimental museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, is situated in the castle.

Stirling Old Town Jail

The Stirling Old Town Jail we see today is not the original jail, for 400 years, Stirling’s prisoners were secured in the Old Tollbooth Jail. This jail was awfully overcrowded, and smelled dreadful, with twenty four prisoners to each cell, and zero sanitary facilities. The Tollbooth jail was condemned, because of the fearful living conditions there, and in 1847 the new jail opened. Although the jail was classed as a custodial prison, from 1888 to 1935, it was also the only military prison in Scotland. Today the Stirling Old Town Jail is a visitor attraction, and was only restored in the 1990′s. As well as guided tours, there is a glass paneled elevator that rises to a viewing platform at the top of the jail. From this superb spot you can gaze out across the Forth Valley, and enjoy the spectacular view of the Highland mountains.

Argyll’s Lodging

Argyll’s Lodging can be found on Castle Wynd, located in the center of Stirling and is Scotland’s best existing renaissance house. The house was constructed around 1630, by Sir William Alexander, founder of Nova Scotia and Viscount Canada. Sir William Alexander who became Secretary of State for Scotland, and was then appointed the 1st Earl of Stirling. Argyll’s Lodging became the property of the Argyll family on his death and was added to by the ninth Earl in 1666. The rooms which include the dining room, bed chamber, drawing room and laigh hall, have all been expertly furnished and restored, as they would have been when the 9th Earl lived there, circa 1680.

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