Stirlingshire - 92 places to stay
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It is in Stirlingshire that Scottish history was shaped by victory, defeat and the shedding of blood. A bastion of Scottish patriotism whose serene vistas, clothed in verdure, bely a past troubled by territorial squabble.
Historically; Picts, Scots, Northumbrian , and Cumbrian Britons, all at one point exerted control over the area. From further afield, the Romans , led by Julius Agricola took their turn to invade, and as part of the Empire’s plans to subjugate the northern Scots, a road from Camelon (outside Falkirk ) was constructed. The Antonine Wall runs through parts of Stirlingshire, and the area was littered by coins, weapons and other relics when the Romans were eventually expelled.
A drive through this pristine county will explain what all the fuss was about. Based around the city of Stirling – the country’s smallest city, the area has a patriotic verve, a pride generated from the diverse natural landscapes; from mountains to pastoral land, lochs and rivers and all in between. Bordered by; Perthshire , Clackmannanshire, Lanarkshire , West Lothian and Dunbartonshire, the county is central to Scotland. And its attractions are spread generously across its land. Perhaps it’s apt to discover Stirlingshire from the historic city that gives it its name, and shaped the both county and country’s future.
The Church Of The Holy Rude and Stirling Castle are two buildings that really define Stirling. The former was where the coronation of the infant King James VI took place. His mother, Mary Queen Of Scots was crowned in the nearby Stirling Castle, which sits on the sheer cliffs of Castle Hill, a natural defensive position that was greatly needed; for the castle would find itself under seige through history.
The Wallace Monument in Stirling pays tribute to one of Scotland’s most celebrated heroes. The tower assembled at the top of Abbey Craig was built in the late 19th century, offering panoramic views of the Ochil Hills , the Forth Valley and ruddy faced visitors walking up the steep approach to the monument.
Although William Wallace would have had a more convincing accent than Mel Gibson, in 1995 Braveheart introduced Wallace to to the world via the silver screen. In the thirteenth century, Wallace was introducing himself to the armies of Edward I with claymore and shield in hand. Nowadays, visitors are afforded a warmer welcome; the only battle they’ll face is deciding what to do.
Stirlingshire is studded with small towns all with a unique and quieting allure. It has Scotland’s first national park; Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, a park whose 700 square miles are jewelled by over 20 pristine lochs, and the Lake Of Monteith, Scotland’s only lake, immortalized in verse by Sir Walter Scott . The county’s reaches are easily accessible without too much time spent behind the wheel.
With Loch Lomond, to the west of the county, caters for all; golf, fishing walking and shopping are all available by its bonnie banks, and it is a wonderful gateway to the county. Loch Lomond Shores, on the loch’s western bank, provides all the creature comforts, while the eastern bank, including the towns of Balmaha and Rowardennan, has a less cultivated feel.
Stirlingshire has three main rivers flowing through it; the Carron, the Endrick and the Forth. The Carron and the Endrick’s waters stream from the broad-shouldered heights of the Campsies.
Falkirk is a town that owes its existence to the waterways that help establish it as an iron casting heartland at the cusp of the Industrial Revolution , where Forth and Clyde and Union Canals allowed it to service, and be serviced, by the east and west of Scotland. Now the canal’s junction attracts visitors to the Falkirk Wheel. The world’s first rotary boat lift, it lifts and carries boats from one waterway to another, a spectacular triumph in engineering.
Stirlingshire has many stories to tell, and a great many bookshelves have creaked under the strain of tomes chronicling the discord, the tragedy and the triumph of the area and its peoples through time. But really, its story is told best by the area itself; where castles, churches, towns and villages await visitors amongst the unspoiled settings that knit the country’s history together.
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Destinations
Recommended Hotels See Map
- Airth Castle Hotel & Spa Resort Airth *featured*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Pool, Gym, Parking, Restaurant, Conference Facilities - Dunmar House Hotel Alloa *featured*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Parking, Restaurant, Satellite TV - Glenskirlie House And Castle Banknock *featured*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Parking, Restaurant - Adamo Bridge of Allan Bridge Of Allan *featured*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Parking, Restaurant - Buchanan Arms Hotel & Leisure Club Drymen *featured*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Pool, Gym, Parking, Restaurant, Conference Facilities - Grange Manor Grangemouth *featured*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Parking, Restaurant, Satellite TV, Conference Facilities - Black Bull Hotel Loch Lomond *featured*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Parking, Restaurant, Satellite TV - Winnock Hotel Loch Lomond *featured*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Parking, Restaurant, Satellite TV, Conference Facilities - Creagan House Restaurant with Accommodation Strathyre *featured*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Parking, Restaurant, Conference Facilities
Hotels bookable online See Map
- Inchrie Castle Hotel Aberfoyle *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Restaurant - Royal Hotel & Lodge Bridge of Allan *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Restaurant, Satellite TV, Conference Facilities - An Lochan Tormaukin Country Inn and Restaurant Dollar *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Restaurant - Castle Campbell Hotel Dollar *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Restaurant - Rowardennan Hotel Drymen *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Restaurant - Birnam Hotel Dunkeld *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Restaurant, Satellite TV, Conference Facilities - Hilton Dunkeld House Dunkeld *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Pool, Gym, Restaurant - The Pend Dunkeld *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Restaurant, Satellite TV - Antonine Hotel Falkirk *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Restaurant - Best Western Park Hotel Falkirk *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Restaurant, Conference Facilities - Hotel Cladhan Falkirk *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Restaurant, Satellite TV - Leapark Hotel Grangemouth *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Restaurant, Conference Facilities - Hotel Colessio Stirling *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Restaurant, Satellite TV, Conference Facilities - Royal Hotel & Lodge Stirling *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Restaurant, Satellite TV - Stirling Highland Hotel Stirling *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Pool, Gym, TennisCourt, Restaurant, Satellite TV, Conference Facilities - Stirling Management Centre Stirling *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Gym, TennisCourt, Restaurant, Conference Facilities - Walmer Hotel Stirling *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Restaurant - Kirkhouse Inn Strathblane *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Restaurant, Satellite TV - Strathblane Country House Strathblane *book online*
Licensed, Parking, Historic, Restaurant
Bed and Breakfast See Map
- Gartmore House Aberfoyle *featured*
TV in rooms, No Smoking, Historic, Parking, Disabled - Hillview Cottage B&B Blair Drummond *featured*
TV in rooms, No Smoking, Historic, Parking - Ballochneck Country House Callander *featured*
TV in rooms - Ashbank Bed & Breakfast Drymen *featured*
TV in rooms, No Smoking, Historic, Parking, Disabled - Bramblewood Drymen *featured*
TV in rooms, No Smoking, Historic, Parking - Elmbank Drymen *featured*
TV in rooms, No Smoking, Historic, Parking - Ashbank Guest House Falkirk *featured*
TV in rooms, Children Welcome, No Smoking, Historic, Inspected, Parking - Hotel Cladhan Falkirk *featured*
TV in rooms, Historic, Parking - Oak Tree Inn Loch Lomond *featured*
TV in rooms, Historic - Old School House Loch Lomond *featured*
TV in rooms, No Smoking, Historic - Sunnyside B & B Loch Lomond *featured*
TV in rooms - Kings House Hotel Lochearnhead *featured*
TV in rooms, Children Welcome, Historic - Hillhead Farm Lets Stirling *featured*
TV in rooms - The Old Tram House Stirling *featured*
TV in rooms, No Smoking, Historic, Parking
Pubs & Inns
- Oak Tree Inn Balmaha *book online*
Food, Historic, Open all year, Parking, Credit Cards - Dreadnought Hotel Callander *book online*
Food, Historic, Open all year, Parking, Credit Cards - Atholl Arms Dunkeld *book online*
Food, Historic, Open all year, Parking, Credit Cards - Black Bull Hotel Stirling *book online*
Food, Historic, Open all year, Parking, Credit Cards - Golden Lion Hotel Stirling *book online*
Food, Children Welcome, Historic, Open all year, Parking, Credit Cards - Munro Inn Strathyre *book online*
Food, Open all year, Parking, Credit Cards
Self-Catering See Map
- Foxglove Cottages Drymen *book online*
Pub Nearby, Open all year, Parking, Credit Cards - Cooper Cottages Lochearnhead *featured*
Pub Nearby, Open all year, Parking, Credit Cards - Mackays Holiday Cottages & Lodges Stirling *book online*
Pub Nearby, Open all year, Parking, Credit Cards
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