Staying In Stirling And A Few Delightful Places Worth Visiting

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Staying In Stirling And A Few Delightful Places Worth Visiting

Sunday, June 28th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

Stirling has appeared throughout the history of Scotland, especially during important events. The city and surrounding area has an amazing number of excellent tourist attractions and masses of places and monuments to photograph. In the article below I write about 3 places to visit in Stirling; Argyll’s Lodging, Stirling Old Town Jail and Stirling Castle:

Stirling Castle

Situated 250 feet above the city of Stirling, and surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs is Stirling Castle. The castle is incredibly important in Scotland’s history, there have been several coronations at the castle, including Mary Queen of Scots coronation in 1543. The castle was also witness to an horrific murder in 1452. The 8th Earl of Douglas was victim to James II in 1452. Stirling Castle is home to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, even though they are, sadly no longer stationed there. However, the regimental museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, can be found within the castle.

Stirling Old Town Jail

The Stirling Old Town Jail we see today was not the first jail in Stirling, for 400 years, Stirling’s prisoners were held in the Old Tollbooth Jail. This jail was seriously overcrowded, and smelt vile, with twenty four prisoners in each cell, and no toilet facilities. The Tollbooth jail was condemned, due to the inhuman living conditions there, and in 1847 the new jail 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 visitor attraction, and was only renovated in the 1990’s. As well as guided tours, there is a glass paneled elevator that rises to a viewing platform at the very top of the jail. From commanding viewpoint a person is able to 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 house. The house 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 passed to the Argyll family on his death and was added to by the ninth Earl in 1666. The rooms which include the dining room, drawing room, bed chamber and laigh hall, have all been furnished and restored, as they would have been when the 9th Earl lived there, circa 1680.

If you are planning a weekend break in Stirling you will find a large amount of online Stirling hotels and guest houses and you will discover a huge selection at http://stirling.hotelreservationhelper.com/

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