Stirling has featured strongly in the history of Scotland, especially during vitally important moments. In and around Stirling has a fantastic selection of excellent visitor attractions and a mass of of photographic opportunities. In article that follows I discuss 3 places to visit in Stirling; Argyll’s Lodging, Stirling Castle and Stirling Old Town Jail:
Stirling Castle
Set two hundred and fifty feet above the city of Stirling, and surrounded on 3 sides by steep cliffs is Stirling Castle. The castle is incredibly important in the history of Scotland, there have been several coronations within the castle, including Mary Queen of Scots’ in 1543. The castle was also witness to an horrific murder in 1452. The eighth 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, is located in the castle.
Stirling Old Town Jail
The Stirling Old Town Jail of today was not the original jail, for four hundred years, Stirling’s prisoners were secured in the Old Tollbooth Jail. This jail was seriously overcrowded, and smelled foul, with 24 prisoners to a cell, and zero sanitation. The Tollbooth jail was condemned, due to the dreadful living conditions there, and in 1847 the new jail opened. Although the jail was classed as a custodial jail, from 1888 to 1935, it was also the only military prison in Scotland. Today the Stirling Old Town Jail is a visitor attraction, and was only restored in the 1990′s. As well as guided tours, there is a glass paneled elevator that leads to a viewing deck at the very top of the jail. From this superb vantage point a person can look out across the Forth Valley, and catch a glimpse of the Highland mountains.
Argyll’s Lodging
Argyll’s Lodging can be found on Castle Wynd, near the center of Stirling and is Scotland’s best surviving renaissance mansion. The mansion was built circa 1630, by Sir William Alexander, founder of Nova Scotia and Viscount Canada. Sir William Alexander who was appointed Secretary of State for Scotland, and then became the 1st Earl of Stirling. Argyll’s Lodging became the property of the Argyll family on his death and was further extended by the 9th Earl in 1666. The rooms which include the dining room, drawing room, bed chamber and laigh hall, have all been expertly restored and furnished, as they would have looked when the 9th Earl lived there, circa 1680.
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