Stirling (/ˈstɜːrlɪŋ/;Scots:Stirlin;Scottish Gaelic:Sruighlea[ˈs̪t̪ɾuʝlə]) is acity incentralScotland, 26 miles (42 km) northeast ofGlasgow and 37 miles (60 km) north-west ofEdinburgh. Themarket town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royalcitadel, themedieval old town with its merchants and tradesmen,[2] theOld Bridge and the port. Located on theRiver Forth, Stirling is the administrative centre for theStirling council area, and is traditionally the county town and historic county ofStirlingshire. Stirling's key position as thelowest bridging point of the River Forth before it broadens towards theFirth of Forth made it a focal point[3] for travel north or south.[4] It has been said that "Stirling, like a hugebrooch claspsHighlands andLowlands together".[5][6] The city's status as "Gateway to the Highlands" also historically lent it great strategic importance—the credo "he who holds Stirling, holds Scotland" is sometimes attributed toRobert the Bruce.[7]
When Stirling was temporarily under Anglo-Saxon sway, according to a 9th-century legend,[8] it was attacked by Danish invaders. The sound of a wolf roused a sentry, however, who alerted his garrison, which forced a Viking retreat.[9] This led to the wolf being adopted as a symbol of the town[10] as is shown on the 1511 Stirling Jug.[11][12] The area is today known as Wolfcraig.[13] Even today the wolf appears with agoshawk on thecouncil's coat of arms along with the recently chosen[14] motto: "Steadfast as the Rock".[15]
Once the capital of Scotland, Stirling is visually dominated byStirling Castle. Stirling also has a medieval parish church, theChurch of the Holy Rude, where, on 29 July 1567, the infantJames VI was anointed King of Scots byAdam Bothwell, theBishop of Orkney, with the service concluding after a sermon byJohn Knox.[16] The poet King was educated byGeorge Buchanan and grew up in Stirling. He was later also crowned King of England and Ireland on 25 July 1603, bringing closer the countries of the United Kingdom. Modern Stirling is a centre for local government, higher education, tourism, retail, and industry. The mid-2012 census estimate for the population ofthe city is 36,440; the wider Stirling council area has a population of about 93,750.[17]
Stirling's name appears asStrivelin(g) in early sources, later becomingStirveling and finallyStirling. Its meaning, and even its language of origin, are a matter of debate. In 1930, J. B. Johnston'sPlace-Names of Scotland suggested aBrittonic origin, and the name was thought likely to be Brittonic by most commentators thereafter.[18][19]: 7 However, in a comprehensive survey of the evidence in 2017,Thomas Owen Clancy showed that a Brittonic etymology is unlikely, and derived the name fromGaelicsrib-linn, meaning "pool in the river".[19][note 1]
A geographical survey of Britain in the eighth-centuryEcclesiastical History of the English People byBede also mentions a place calledurbs Giudi ("the town ofGiudi"). Although its location is not certain, a 2023 study found that "Stirling is the location ofurbs Giudi favoured by most scholars", and itself supported this identification.[20]: 3 This name is thought etymologically to be Celtic.[21] The ninth-centuryHistoria Brittonum mentions a similar-looking battle-site calledurbs Iudeu, which many scholars have assumed was the same as Bede'surbs Giudi, but this identification is uncertain.[20]: 7–9
A stonecist, found in Coneypark Nursery[22] in 1879, is Stirling's oldest catalogued artefact.[23] Bones from the cist wereradiocarbon dated and found to be over four millennia old, originating within the date range 2152 to 2021 BC.[24] Nicknamed Torbrex Tam, the man, whose bones were discovered by workmen, died while still in his twenties.[25] OtherBronze Age finds near the city come from the area aroundCambusbarron.[26] It had been thought that the Randolphfield standing stones were more than 3000 years old but recent radiocarbon dating suggests they may date from the time of Bruce.[27] The earliest known structures in Stirling are now destroyed but comprised two Neolithic Cursus in Bannockburn.[28] To the south of Stirling isGillies Hill which contains a series of prehistoric fortifications. Two structures are known: what is currently called Wallstale Dun[29] on the southern end of Touchadam Craig, and Gillies Hill fort[30] on the northwest end of the craig. Both structures were built by Iron Age peoples and Gillies Hill is c 2500 years old while the Wallstale structure is later and is related in form to brochs, these appear to coincide with the Roman period and there are around 40 or so in the wider area. South of the city, the King's Park prehistoric carvings (cup and ring marks) can still be found, these date to c 3000 BC.[31]
Its other notable geographic feature is its proximity to the lowest crossing point of the River Forth. Control of the bridge brought military advantage in times of unrest and excise duty, orpontage dues,[32] in peacetime. Unsurprisingly excise men were installed in a covered booth in the centre of the bridge to collect tax from any entering the royal burgh with goods.[33] Stirling remained the river's lowest reliable crossing point (that is, without a weather-dependent ferry or seasonalford[34]) until the construction of theAlloa Swing Bridge betweenThrosk andAlloa in 1885.[35]
The city has twoLatin mottoes, which appeared on the earliest burgh seal[36] of which an impression of 1296 is on record.[37] The first alludes to the story as recorded byBoece who relates that in 855 Scotland was invaded by twoNorthumbrian princes,Osbrecht andElla.[38] They united their forces with the Cumbrian Britons[39] in order to defeat the Scots. Having secured Stirling castle, they built the first stone bridge over the Forth.
On the top they reportedly raised a crucifix with the inscription: "Anglos, a Scotis separat, crux ista remotis; Arma hic stant Bruti; stant Scoti hac sub cruce tuti."[40]Bellenden translated this loosely as "I am freemarche, as passengers may ken, To Scottis, to Britonis, and to Inglismen." It may be the stone cross was atripoint for thethree kingdom's borders ormarches;[41] the cross functioning both as a dividing territorial marker, and as a uniting[42]witness stone like in the Bible story in Joshua 22.[43] "Angles and Scots here demarked, By this cross kept apart. Brits and Scots armed stand near, By this cross stand safe here." This would make the cross on the centre of the first stone bridge theHeart of Scotland.
The Stirling seal has only the second part, in a slightly different form:
Hic Armis Bruti Scoti Stant Hic Cruce Tuti
(Brits and Scots armed and near, by this cross stand safe here.)
Apparently the Latin is not first rate having four syllables in "cruce tuti" but the meaning seems to be that the LowlandStrathclyde Britons on the southern shore and the HighlandPictish Scots[44] on the northern shore stand protected from each other by their common Christianity.[45]
A more modern translation suggests that rather than Briton, bruit might be better read as brute, i.e. brute Scots, implying a non-Scots identity was retained in Stirling for some time after inclusion into the land controlled by the King of Scots.[46]
The second motto is:
Continet Hoc in Se Nemus et Castrum Strivelinse
(Contained within this seal pressed down, the wood an' castle o' Stirlin' town.)
It has been claimed that the "Bridge" seal was regarded as the Burgh seal proper, the "Castle" seal being simply a reverse, used when the seal was affixed by a lace to a charter.[47] This agrees with a description in an official publication (which spells[48] Bruti with only one letter t).[49] Clearer images are available[50] with different lettering.[51]Sibbald conflated the two mottos into a single rhyme;[52] he gave no indication that he was aware of Boece's work.[53]
Stirling was first declared aroyal burgh byKing David in the 12th century, with later charters reaffirmed by subsequent monarchs. A ferry, and later bridge, on the River Forth at Stirling brought wealth and strategic influence, as did its tidal port at Riverside.[54] As Stirling's economy grew, a Royal Park was established as a landscape setting to the north of the castle in the 12th century.[55] The short-lived New Park was established in the later 13th century and contains acockshot wood (Coxet Hill), likely to have been used as a base in theBattle of Bannockburn.[56] Major battles during theWars of Scottish Independence took place at theStirling Old Bridge in 1297 and at the nearby village ofBannockburn in 1314 involvingAndrew Moray andWilliam Wallace, andRobert the Bruce respectively. After theBattle of Stirling Bridge, Moray and Wallace wrote toHanseatic League leaders inLübeck andHamburg to encourage trade between Scottish and German ports.[57] There were also severalSieges of Stirling Castle in the conflict, notably in 1304.[58]
Standing near the castle, theChurch of the Holy Rude is one of the town's most historically important buildings. Founded in 1129 it is the second oldest building in the city after Stirling castle. It was rebuilt in the 15th-century after Stirling suffered a catastrophic fire in 1405, and is reputed to be the only surviving church in the United Kingdom apart fromWestminster Abbey to have held a coronation.[64] The death of James V led to theRough Wooing, a period where Henry VIII of England attempted to marry the infant Mary Queen of Scots to his son.[citation needed] Stirling responded by constructing a burgh wall to the south of town, which is among the best preserved in Scotland.[65] Recent archaeological research has identified two new bastions or positions of strength on the wall and Stirling's last surviving medieval gate.[66] On 29 July 1567 the infant son ofMary, Queen of Scots, wasanointedJames VI of Scotland in the church.[64] James' bride,Anne of Denmark was crowned in the church atHolyrood Palace in Edinburgh. The Holy Rude congregation still meet and some 19th century parish records survive.[67] Musket shot marks that may come fromCromwell's troops during theWars of the Three Kingdoms are clearly visible on the tower andapse of the church.[64] There are also musket scars on a gravestone in the cemetery indicating the troop movement to the castle.
Economically, the city's port supported foreign trade, historically doing significant trade in theLow Countries, particularly withBruges[68] in Belgium andVeere[69] in the Netherlands. In the 16th century there were so many Scots inDanzig[70] inPrussia that they had their own church congregation and trade is mentioned with that city in Stirling Council's minutes of 1560.[71] AroundJohn Cowane's time there is an account which states there were about 30,000 Scots families living in Poland[72] although that was possibly[73] an exaggeration.[74] Trade with theBaltic[75] also took place such as a timber trade with Norway.
After the Jacobite threat had faded but before the railways were established, the Highland cattle drovers would use the Auld Brig on their way to market at Falkirk[76] orStenhousemuir.[77] Three times a year, tens of thousands of cattle, sheep and ponies were moved together to the trysts in the south with some drovers going as far asCarlisle or even London'sSmithfield.[78] There is a record of a four-mile long tailback (of livestock) developing fromSt. Ninians toBridge of Allan after a St. Ninians tollman had a dispute.[79]
In the early 19th century an "exceedingly low" cost steamboat service used to run between Stirling andNewhaven orGranton.[80] The coming of the railways in 1848 started the decline of the river traffic,[81] not least because theAlloa Swing Bridge downstream restricted access for shipping. The railways did provide opportunity too with one Riverside company selling their reaping machines as far afield asSyria and Australia. Similarly, in 1861, a company making baby carriages was set up. These prams were exported to Canada, South America, India and South Africa.[82]
After the blockades of the World Wars there was some increase in the use of the port including a tea trade with India. However, with normal shipping lanes open, the growth of the railways including TheForth Rail Bridge, left the harbour uneconomical and by the mid 20th century the port had ceased to operate.
Stirling is renowned as theGateway to the Highlands and is generally regarded as occupying a strategic position at the point where the flatter, largely undulating Scottish Lowlands meet the rugged slopes of theHighlands along theHighland Boundary Fault.[88][89] The starkness of this contrast is evidenced by the many hills and mountains of the lower Highlands such asBen Vorlich andBen Ledi which can be seen to the northwest of the city. On the other hand, theCarse of Stirling, stretching to the west and east of the city, is one of the flattest and most agriculturally productive expanses of land in the whole of Scotland.
The land surrounding Stirling[90] has been most affected byglacial erosion anddeposition. The city itself has grown up around its castle which stands atop an ancientquartz-doleritesill, known as theStirling Sill, a major defensive position which was at the lowest crossing point on the River Forth. Stirling stands on the Forth at the point where the river widens and becomestidal. To the east of the city theOchil Hills dominate the skyline with the highest peak in the range beingBen Cleuch, althoughDumyat is more noticeable from Stirling. The Ochils meet the flatcarse (floodplain) of the River Forth to the east of the distinctive geographical feature ofAbbey Craig, acrag and tail hill upon which stands the 220 ft (67 m) highNational Wallace Monument.[91]
Top of the Town consists of Broad Street, Castle Wynd, Ballengeich Pass, Lower Castle Hill Road, Darnley Street, Baker Street (formerly Baxters St), St John Street and St Mary's Wynd. These streets all lead up to Stirling Castle and are the favourite haunt of tourists who stop off at the Old Town Jail,Mar's Wark,Argyll's Lodging and the castle. Ballengeich Pass leads to the graveyard at Ballengeich and the Castle Wynd winds past the old graveyard. The Top of the Town from Broad Street upwards is renowned for its cobblestoned roads, and cars can be heard rattling over the cobblestones on the way down. Craft shops and tourist-focused shops are evident on the way up and once at the top, panoramic views are available across Stirling and beyond.
Like most of theUnited Kingdom, Stirling has anoceanic climate (KöppenCfb) with mild summers and cool, wet winters. Stirling has some of the warmest summers in all of Scotland, being relatively far away from the cooling effects of theNorth Sea and theFirth of Clyde.
Climate data for Stirling (1991–2020 averages, extremes 2009–present, [25 m or 82 ft asl])
The population of the settlement of Stirling in the 2022 Census was 49,928[96], which is very similar to the figure for thesettlement in 2011 of 49,950. In 2022, the Stirling council area had a population of 92,600, reflecting a 2.6% increase from the 2011 census. Of the population in 2022, 51.9% of the population were female, while 48.1% were male.[97] The age distribution in Stirling showed that 16.7% of the population was under 15 years old, which is slightly higher than Scotland's average of 15%. Additionally, Stirling had a larger proportion of residents of pensionable age, with 20.41% of the population being 65 or older, compared to the Scottish average of 20.1%.[98]
Historical records also exist both in book form[68] and in online databases.[99]
Walking theMarches[41] is a custom probably started in the 12th century. The only way the town's boundaries could be protected was to walk round inspecting them annually. The walk was followed by a dinner.[100] This was traditionally done by the Birlaw men made up from members of the Seven Trades, the Guildry and Council. In 2014 the tradition was revived after an official abeyance of several years.[101] It now takes place on the last Saturday in May and is open for all to take part in.[citation needed]
There are about sixteen libraries and two mobile libraries in Stirling.[102] TheSmith Art Gallery and Museum is now free to tourists and residents alike. Shearer's 1895 Penny Guide to Stirling and Neighbourhood used to list it under "How to spend a few hours on a wet day".[103]TheMacrobert Arts Centre has a variety of exhibitions and performances. There are many events at theStirling Tolbooth and at TheAlbert Halls.[104]Stirling has hosted theNational Mòd several times: in 1909, 1961, 1971 and 1987.[105]
Hotel Colessio. Tourism is a major part of the economy of Stirling.
With Stirling's development as a market town and its location as the focus of transport and communications in the region, it has developed a substantialretail sector serving a wide range of surrounding communities as well as the city itself. Primarily centred on the city centre, there are a large number of chain stores, as well as theThistlesshopping centre. However this has been augmented by out-of-town developments such as the Springkerse Retail Park on the city bypass to the east of Stirling.[130]
A major newregeneration project on the site of the former port area and the 40-acre (160,000 m2) former Ministry of Defence site, adjacent toStirling Railway Station, is currently underway.[131] Known as Forthside, it has the aim of developing a new waterfront district linked to the railway station viaForthside Bridge. The development comprises retail, residential and commercial elements, including a conference centre, hotel andVue multiplex cinema, that will ultimately expand the city centre area, linking it to the River Forth, which has been cut off from the city centre area since the construction of theA9 bypass under the railway station in the 1960s.[132]
In terms of tourism, the presence of such historical monuments as Stirling Castle and theWallace Monument[134] and other nearby attractions likeBlair Drummond Safari Park has bolstered Stirling's position as a significant tourist destination in Scotland.[135]
Mauchline ware started producing wooden snuff-boxes in 1790 inMauchline, Ayrshire. They were produced of the wood from the trees from the Castle craig. Today they are highly collectible.[137]
Stirling is home to national construction companies Ogilvie Group, chaired by Duncan Ogilvie, who was listed in theSunday Times Rich List as being worth £32 million in 2009.[138]
ABank of Scotland survey in 2009 found that workers in Stirling had the highest average earnings of £716 a week.[139]
The City of Stirling is home to a large number ofcommuters but has fewer commuting to work in other areas, than travel into the city. About half of Scotland's population live within an hour's travel time of Stirling.[140]
Cities with motorway links to Stirling include Glasgow, via theM80 motorway past Cumbernauld, and Edinburgh, via theM9 motorway past Falkirk. To the north, the M9 provides access toDunblane with easy links toPerth and further beyond theCentral Belt.
Stirling has no airport, but there are international airports atGlasgow andEdinburgh which can be reached within an hour. Light aircraft can be chartered atCumbernauld Airport.
Stirling used to have steamboats which carried hundreds of passengers a day.[81] There is currently no workingport at Stirling but there are plans to develop the river[143] and the harbour[144] which might include links with towns on theFirth of Forth. Since theForth is tidal at Stirling, development ofpontoon style landing stages could potentially allow river taxis and tourist boats to operate during the summer.[145]
Local radio stations are community based radio stations: CastleSound[146] andAir3 Radio, which is a student-run station that broadcasts from theUniversity of Stirling.[147]
Stirling is home to professional league teams in football, rugby and cricket. The firstStirling Scottish Marathon was held on 21 May 2017.[150] The National Curling Academy is located in Stirling Sports Village.[151] It was opened in 2017 byEve Muirhead.[152] They use facilities linked to The Peak.[153] It was hoped this would increase the chances of British medals at events like theWinter Olympics andParalympics.[154]
Next to this pitch there is also the ground of Stirling County Cricket Club, whose pavilion captured an architectural award in June 2009,[160] three years after its opening.
TheUniversity of Stirling is a major centre of sports training and education in Scotland. It was designated as Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence by the Scottish Government in 2008. The headquarters of theScottish Institute of Sport is a purpose-built facility on the campus which opened in 2002. Also at the university is the Scottish National Swimming Academy, where Rio 2016, Olympic silver medalists and students at the university,Duncan Scott andRobbie Renwick trained. Commonwealth gold medalistRoss Murdoch, who also competed at Rio 2106, is a student at the university. The Gannochy National Tennis centre, which is seen as a tennis centre of excellence, was whereAndy Murray and his brotherJamie Murray honed their skills as juniors.Gordon Reid, wheel chair Olympic gold medalist in 2016, was a tennis scholar at the university.[161] The university men's and women's golf teams are consistently ranked among the best in Europe.[162]
The university has a dedicated sports studies department, which is within the Faculty of Health Science and Sport, and is ranked amongst the best in the United Kingdom for its provision of sports facilities, with the maximum 5-star award, shared by 16 other universities in the UK.[163] The University of Stirling also currently hosts the Scottish men's lacrosse champions. Stirling and its surrounding area has a number of 9- and 18-holegolf courses, the largest of which is the Stirling Golf Course, located in the Kings Park area of the city. The Peak, a new Sports Village, was opened in April 2009 to cater for a range of sporting activities.[164]
In June 2014, Stirling became the home of Scottish cricket after an agreement between Stirling County Cricket Club,Cricket Scotland andStirling Council. It is hoped that the redevelopment of the ground will start at end 2014 with the intention being to upgrade it to international match standards. Scotland will play the majority of their home international games at the ground, starting with the World T20 qualifiers in the summer of 2015. The development will see a new pavilion and indoor training facility built atNew Williamfield, the home of Stirling County Cricket Club, withCricket Scotland relocating its headquarters from theNational Cricket Academy atRavelston,Edinburgh.[165]
Looking out over Airthrey Loch on the main campus of The University of Stirling
TheUniversity of Stirling opened in 1967 on a greenfield site outside the town. In 2025 the university had 18,500 students globally, of whom over 11,000 areundergraduates and over 6,000 arepostgraduates. There are over 140 nationalities represented on the university campus, with more than 30% of students being international.[166] It has grown into a major research centre, with a largeInnovation Park located immediately adjacent to the main university campus. Innovation Park has grown since its initiation in 1993, and is now home to 40 companies engaging in various forms ofresearch and development.[167] In January 2008 it was announced that students fromSingapore would be able to gain degrees in retail from the University of Stirling in a tie-up with the country'sNanyang Polytechnic (NYP).[168] Stirling is also home to part of the widerForth Valley College which was formed on 1 August 2005 from the merger ofFalkirk, Stirling andClackmannan colleges.
^This would theoretically have developed intoSribhlinn in modern Gaelic.Sruighlea is the usual Gaelic name for the city, butSribhlinn does appear in an isolated 19th century source.
^Nimmo, William; Gillespie, Robert (1880).The history of Stirlingshire (3rd ed.). Glasgow: Thomas D. Morison. pp. 63–65 & 368–369. Retrieved5 April 2017.
^Hutchison, A.F. (1898).Transactions 1878–1879. Stirling: Stirling Field Club (now Stirling Natural History and Archaeological Society). pp. 13–22. Retrieved4 November 2017.
^Ronald, James (1899).Landmarks of Old Stirling. Stirling: Eneas Mackay. pp. 240–285.Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved20 June 2017.
^"The Lübeck letter, 1297".Scottish Archives For Schools. National Records of Scotland.Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved3 April 2017.
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