Stirling
Locator map for the Scottish administrative region of Stirling.
Unitary authority in central Scotland, created in 1996 from Stirling district, Central region.
Area
2,196 sq km/848 sq mi
Towns
Dunblane,
Stirling (administrative headquarters), Aberfoyle
Physical
mountainous to the north, including the forested Trossachs, and the open moorland north and west of Breadalbane, within the flood plain of the River Forth to the south around Sterling. The area contains many famous Scottish lochs (Tay, Katrine, Lomond) and Scotland's only lake (Lake of Menteith). Peaks include Ben More (1,174 m/3,852 ft) and Ben Venue (727 m/2,385 ft)
Features
Bannockburn Heritage Centre; Stirling Castle (most visited paid attraction in Scotland outside Edinburgh)
Industries
tourism, light engineering
Agriculture
forestry and stock rearing in the uplands, while in the lowlands some of the richest agricultural lands in Scotland may be found, including the Carse of Gowrie
Population
(2001) 86,200
History
William Wallace won battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297; English defeated at Bannockburn by Robert the Bruce in 1314; battle at Sheriffmuir in 1715 between Jacobites and Hanoverians
Economy Large-scale afforestation has occurred in Breadalbane and the Trossachs, and the attraction of the natural scenery of loch, mountain, and river, has led to the development of a considerable tourist industry concentrated on Aberfoyle and Callander. The Stirling area benefits from the presence of the university and from tourism. |
Architecture There are many fine examples of early religious establishments, including Dunblane Cathedral (13th century with a 12th-century tower), Cambuskenneth Abbey (12th century), and the Church of the Holy Rude in Stirling town (15th century). Stirling Castle, whose main buildings date from the 15th and 16th centuries, and Doune Castle, dating from the 14th century, are good examples of castle-building of that period. |
Environment There are 68 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, four National Nature Reserves, one Special Protection Area, three National Scenic Areas, one regional park, and one country park. |
Administrative history Prior to 1975, the area was part of the counties of Perthshire and Stirlingshire. |
Stirling
City and administrative headquarters of Stirling unitary authority, Scotland, on the River Forth, 43 km/27 mi northeast of Glasgow; population (2001) 32,700. Industries include the manufacture of agricultural machinery, textiles, chemicals, and carpets. The Stirling skyline is noted for its castle, which guarded a key crossing of the river, and the (William) Wallace Monument, erected in 1870 to commemorate the Scots' victory of the English at nearby Stirling Bridge in 1297. Edward I of England (in raising a Scottish siege of the town) went into battle at Bannockburn in 1314 and was defeated by Robert I (the Bruce), in the Scots' greatest victory over the English.
The castle predates the 12th century and was long a Scottish royal residence. Stirling was made a city in 2002 after winning a national contest to mark the golden jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
| The Augustinian abbey at Cambuskenneth was founded by David I in the 12th century (c. 1140); in 1326 Robert the Bruce held his parliament in the abbey, and James III and his queen, Margaret, are buried there. At St Ninians there is the site of the ‘Borestone Rotunda’ on which it is claimed Robert the Bruce's standard was set up after the Battle of Bannockburn. A university was established at Stirling in 1967. |
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