Stirling and Bannockburn: The National Wallace Monument on Abbey Craig above the trees

Una mini guida a

Stirling and Bannockburn

The castle on its crag, the Old Town below it, the Wallace Monument and the Bannockburn battlefield

Benvenuti nella zona

The castle on its crag, the Old Town below it, the Wallace Monument and the Bannockburn battlefield

Stirling Castle stands on a volcanic crag above the city. Historic Environment Scotland describes it as one of Scotland's greatest stone castles: inside are the Great Hall, the Royal Palace where Mary Queen of Scots spent her childhood, and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum. The Old Town runs downhill from the castle esplanade, past Argyll's Lodging, Mar's Wark, the Church of the Holy Rude, Cowane's Hospital and the Old Town Jail.

Across the River Forth, the National Wallace Monument rises from Abbey Craig above the fields of the Battle of Stirling Bridge (1297), and the medieval Old Bridge still crosses the river. Two miles south of the station, the National Trust for Scotland's Bannockburn Visitor Centre stands near the field of Robert the Bruce's victory in 1314. Doune Castle, about 8 miles north-west, is a short drive away.

Da non perdere

Da dove iniziare

Con poche ore a disposizione, questi sono ottimi punti di partenza.

Vedi tutte le 16 idee su cosa fare

Come orientarsi

Sulla mappa

The map shows Stirling and Bannockburn and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.

Visualizza la mappa ingrandita →

Consigli da insider

Prima di partire

1

Walk up to the castle

Historic Environment Scotland says the castle car park is closed to all vehicles except coaches and visitors who need accessible parking, so plan to walk up through the Old Town or use a town car park.

2

Book the Wallace Monument

The monument asks visitors to book a timed entry slot online. Wikipedia notes 246 steps to the top platform and that the tower is not accessible to disabled visitors.

3

Bannockburn is outside the centre

Visit Glasgow puts the Bannockburn Visitor Centre about 2 miles from Stirling station and advises booking before you visit.

4

Doune Castle

Historic Environment Scotland's Doune Castle featured in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Game of Thrones and Outlander. Book a timed ticket on its site.

Consigli della redazione di Britlens

Crediti fotografici

Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits