Jun

17

Stirling City Breaks And A Selection Of Worthy Visitor Attractions Worth Visiting

Filed Under Travel and Leisure 

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/

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