Scottish Vacations And Three Fascinating Tourist Attractions To Visit In Or Around Stirling
Feb 23rd, 2009 by DavePF
The city of Stirling has featured strongly in Scotland’s history, especially during important moments. In and around Stirling has an amazing selection of superb visitor attractions and masses of monuments and places to photograph. In article that follows I provide information about 3 places to visit in Stirling; Argyll’s Lodging, Stirling Old Town Jail and Stirling Castle:
Stirling Castle
Situated two hundred and fifty feet above the city of Stirling, and surrounded on 3 sides by steep cliffs is Stirling Castle. The castle is immensely important in the history of Scotland, there have been a number of 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 at the castle. 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 is not the original jail, for four hundred years, Stirling’s prisoners were held in the Old Tollbooth Jail. This jail was terribly overcrowded, and smelt disgusting, with 24 prisoners per cell, and no sanitation. The Tollbooth jail was condemned, due to the dreadful living conditions there, and in 1847 the new jail was opened. Although the jail was classed as a custodial prison, 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 lift that leads to a viewing deck at the top of the jail. From here a person can gaze out across the Forth Valley, and enjoy the spectacular view of the Highland mountains.
Argyll’s Lodging
Argyll’s Lodging is on Castle Wynd, near the middle of Stirling and is Scotland’s best existing renaissance mansion. The house was constructed around 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 1st Earl of Stirling. Argyll’s Lodging passed to the Argyll family on his death and was added to by the 9th Earl in 1666. The rooms which include the dining room, laigh hall, bed chamber and drawing room, have all been carefully restored and furnished, as they would have looked when the 9th Earl lived there, around 1680.
If you are in the process of planning a short break in Stirling you will find a large selection of online hotels and guest houses in Stirling
and you will find a massive selection at http://stirling.hotelreservationhelper.com/
