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Straddling the River Forth a few miles upstream from the estuary at Kincardine, STIRLING appears at first glance like a smaller version of Edinburgh. With its crag-top castle, steep, cobbled streets and mixed community of locals, students and tourists, it's an appealing place, though it lacks the cosmopolitan edge of its near neighbours Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Stirling was the scene of some of the most significant developments in the evolution of the Scottish nation. It was here that the Scots under William Wallace defeated the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, only to fight - and win again - under Robert the Bruce just a couple of miles away at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Stirling enjoyed its golden age in the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries, most notably when its castle was the favoured residence of the Stuart monarchy and the setting for the coronation in 1543 of the young Mary, future Queen of Scots. By the early eighteenth century the town was again besieged, its location being of strategic importance during the Jacobite rebellions of 1715 and 1745.
Today Stirling is known for its castle - as atmospheric and explorable as Edinburgh's - and the lofty Wallace Monument , a mammoth Victorian monolith high on Abbey Craig to the northeast which has become a place of pilgrimage for admirers both of William Wallace and of Mel Gibson's Oscar-winning film epic Braveheart , based on Wallace.
The Town Stirling evolved from the top down, starting with its castle and gradually spreading south and east onto the low-lying flood plain. At the centre of the original Old Town , Broad Street was the main thoroughfare, with St John... read more >>
For eating , the upmarket option is Hermann's in the historic Mar Place House at the top of Broad Street (tel 01786/450632); its downstairs brasserie is open at lunchtime and their Austrian/Scottish evening main courses start around £10. Across the road, the Yill & Kail , 39 Broad St, has a relaxed bar downstairs and a restaurant upstairs, seving a broad range of moderately priced Scottish food. At the East India Company , 7 Viewfield Place (tel 01786/471330), a five-minute walk from the centre, you can enjoy fabulous Indian food, Raj-style decor, and the friendliest service in town; their buffet (Sun-Thurs) costs around £10 for as much as you can eat.
Nightlife in Stirling revolves around pubs and bars and is dominated by the student population. The lively Barnton Bar and Bistro , on Barnton Street, serves a good selection of beers and food in a setting of wrought-iron and marble tables. Try to visit in the morning (from 10.30am) to sample one of their huge breakfasts. Also popular with students is the real ale at the Settle Inn , 91 St Mary's Wynd, Stirling's oldest alehouse, built in 1733; nearby at no. 73, Whistlebinkies has regular folk music sessions and reasonable bar meals. The main venue for theatre and film is the excellent MacRobert Arts Centre (tel 01786/461081) on the university campus, which shows a good selection of drama plus mainstream and art-house films.
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