Jun
17
Stirling City Breaks And A Selection Of Worthy Visitor Attractions Worth Visiting
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The city of Stirling has appeared throughout the history of Scotland, especially during vitally important times. The city and surrounding area has a fantastic selection of excellent visitor attractions and a huge amount of monuments and places to photograph. In the following article I provide details of 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 three sides by steep cliffs is Stirling Castle. The castle is very important in Scotland’s history, there have been several coronations at the castle, including that of 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, sadly no longer stationed there. However, the regimental museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, can be found inside the castle.
Stirling Old Town Jail
The Stirling Old Town Jail we see today is not the first jail in Stirling, for four hundred years, Stirling’s prisoners were incarcerated in the Old Tollbooth Jail. This jail was shockingly overcrowded, and smelt disgusting, with twenty four prisoners to a cell, and no sanitation. The Tollbooth jail was condemned, because of the inhuman living conditions there, and in 1847 the current jail was opened. Although the jail was classed as a custodial prison, from 1888 to 1935, it was also the only military jail in Scotland. Today the Stirling Old Town Jail is a tourist attraction, and was only renovated in the 1990’s. As well as guided tours, there is a glass paneled elevator that leads to a viewing platform at the top of the jail. From this superb spot one is able to look out across the Forth Valley, and glance across at the Highland mountains.
Argyll’s Lodging
Argyll’s Lodging can be found on Castle Wynd, located in the center of Stirling and is Scotland’s best surviving renaissance mansion. The mansion was constructed around 1630, by Sir William Alexander, founder of Nova Scotia and Viscount Canada. Sir William Alexander who was appointed Secretary of State for Scotland, and was then appointed the first Earl of Stirling. Argyll’s Lodging became the property of the Argyll family on his death and was extended by the ninth Earl in 1666. The rooms which include the dining room, laigh hall, bed chamber and drawing room, have all been superbly furnished and restored, as they would have looked when the ninth Earl lived there, circa 1680.
If you are in the process of planning a city vacation in Stirling you will discover a large amount of online Stirling hotels and guest houses and you will discover a huge range at http://stirling.hotelreservationhelper.com/
May
27
Scottish Vacations And A Selection Of Charming Places to Visit Close To Pitlochry
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Vacations in Scotland are rather popular at this time due, in part, to the strength of the US dollar against the £ making vacations to Scotland, England and Wales great value, especially if visiting from from America. In the article below we take a look at 3 superb places to visit in Pitlochry, Blair Castle, the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre and the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre.
Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre
A power station is an unusual place for a visitor attraction, however this is just where you will discover the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Center. The visitor center is found inside the striking Pitlochry Power Station, and includes interactive displays which trace the history of hydro power in Scotland, starting in the 1940’s to the present day. The Pitlochry Dam(constructed nineteen forty seven to nineteen fifty one) offers tourists the exciting opportunity to view the famous salmon ladder through three observation areas. Within the visitor center, you will also discover audio-visual presentations (interactive) which explain this natural phenomenon. The turbine hall of Pitlochry Power Station can also be observed from within the Visitor Center.
Blair Castle
Blair Castle, which can be dated back to the thirteenth century, is the ancient seat of the Earls and Dukes of Atholl. The construction of Blair Castle began in the year 1269, under the guidance of John I Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, a northerly neighbor of the Earl of Atholl. The Earl was away, fighting in the Crusade’s, when John I Comyn started construction of the castle on his land. As soon as the Earl returned he angrily complained to the Scottish King, King Alexander III about the interloper, and his lands were returned. Rather than demolishing the tower than John I Comyn had constructed, the Earl decided to incorporate the tower into his own castle. A Great Hall and a number of vaulted chambers were incorporated into the castle over the centuries, by various Earls. It was the 2nd Duke of Atholl who, in 1740, decided to renovate the castle as a Georgian Mansion.
Killiecrankie Visitor Centre
During the period of the Jacobites Killiecrankie, near to Pitlochry, found itself full of the sounds of battle. The government soldiers were utterly destroyed by the rebel army of the Jacobites, under the guidance of Bonnie Dundee. During the bloodthirsty battle a soldier evaded capture by leaping over the River Garry, hence the name, Soldier’s Leap. The area about the gorge and pass were a favored haunt of Queen Victoria.
To find out concerning the famous battle you can pay a visit to the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre. The Killiecrankie Visitor Centre has a selection of otherpresentations and services, which include; ranger service’s, a natural history of the area and guided walks and much more.
If you are considering having a Scottish vacation based in Pitlochry then you will find Pitlochry hotels online by by placing “Pitlochry hotel accommodation” in your favorite search engine.