Moms Travel TipsTravel Tips and Vacation Ideas for the Whole Family

The city of Stirling has played an important role in Scotland’s history, especially during vitally important times. The city and surrounding area has an incredible number of superb visitor attractions and a multitude of photo opportunities. In article that follows I discuss three places to visit in Stirling; Stirling Castle, Stirling Old Town Jail and Argyll’s Lodging:

Stirling Castle

Two hundred and fifty feet above the city of Stirling, standing guard, and surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs is Stirling Castle. Stirling Castle is incredibly important in Scotland’s history, there have been many coronations within the castle, including Mary Queen of Scots coronation in 1543. Stirling Castle was also witness to a shocking murder in 1452. The 8th Earl of Douglas was victim to James II in 1452. Stirling Castle is the home of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, although they are, unfortunately no longer stationed there. However, the regimental museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, can be found inside the castle.

Stirling Old Town Jail

The Stirling Old Town Jail of today was not the first jail in Stirling, for four hundred years, Stirling’s prisoners were housed in the Old Tollbooth Jail. This jail was shockingly overcrowded, and smelt foul, with 24 prisoners per cell, and zero toilet facilities. The Tollbooth jail was condemned, because of the awful living conditions there, and in 1847 the current jail was opened. Although the jail was classed as a custodial jail, from 1888 to 1935, it was also the only military jail in Scotland. Today the Stirling Old Town Jail is a tourist attraction, and was only renovated in the 1990’s. As well as guided tours, there is a glass paneled lift that rises to a viewing platform at the top of the jail. From commanding viewpoint a person is able to gaze out across the Forth Valley, and soak in the atmosphere of the Highland mountains.

Argyll’s Lodging

Argyll’s Lodging is on Castle Wynd, located in the middle of Stirling and is Scotland’s finest existing renaissance house. The house was erected circa 1630, by Sir William Alexander, founder of Nova Scotia and Viscount Canada. Sir William Alexander who became Secretary of State for Scotland, and then became the first Earl of Stirling. Argyll’s Lodging became the property of the Argyll family on his death and was extended by the ninth Earl in 1666. The rooms which include the dining room, drawing room, bed chamber and laigh hall, have all been sympathetically restored and furnished, as they would have been when the ninth Earl lived there, around 1680.

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