Essential Hotels > Scotland > Argyll, The Isles and Trossachs > Stirling

The ancient town of Stirling is known as the ‘gateway to the Highlands’ and takes up a strategic position, both in Scottish history, and geographically, joining together the Lowlands to the south and the Highlands further north. It is to be found at the heart of Scotland, in the Argyll, the Isles and Trossachs part of the country and is in fact Scotland’s newest city after the Queen designated it as such at the time of her golden jubilee in 2002.

Stirling Castle dominates the city from its position perched 76 metres up on a hill top. The fortification has proved sturdy in defence over the years, helping to stave off invaders from the south as well as Jacobites in times gone by. Scotland’s smallest city is also home to the University of Stirling which is positioned in the northern suburbs and welcomes more than 11,000 students comprising 80 different nationalities.

Approximately 41,000 inhabitants live in the city itself, with somewhere in the region of 100,000 living in the wider area. There are plenty of contemporary aspects which combine well with the historic nature of the city, with theatres, cinemas, art galleries and spaces for live performances available for visitors and residents. It is thought there are around two million visitors to the city each year as they come to explore something of the city’s past.

As well as its role as the gateway to the Highlands, Stirling is also known as the ‘cockpit of Scotland’, cockpit referring to the arena in which cock fights occur, due to its often turbulent history. It has endured a number of battles over the years, such as the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 under the renowned William Wallace and the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 under the leadership of Robert the Bruce which ensured Scottish independence from the English. To commemorate these events there is the Bannockburn Heritage Centre and the National Wallace Monument which is perched on a hill in the city.

The Church of the Holy Rude is another of Stirling’s attractions; it is the only surviving church in the United Kingdom apart from Westminster Abbey to have held a coronation. In 1567 it ushered son of Mary Queen of Scots King James VI of Scotland. The city’s Old Town is a popular place to visit for those heading to Stirling and it is around here, and indeed the castle, which the rest of Stirling is clustered.