Bob Law: A Day Trip To Stirling – City of the Wolf

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Bob Law: A Day Trip To Stirling – City of the Wolf

Until I visited Stirling for a day walk around the place I didn’t realise it was the city of the wolf.

(Paid car parking is available on the streets leading up to the castle. Bus and train routes are also available.)

In many ways Stirling is like a smaller version of Edinburgh. It has an interesting castle perched on a volcanic lump of rock, a rising slope ( a Royal Mile) of historic buildings and graveyards clustered below then leading up to castle, and a long proud history of events central to Scotland’s birth and growth as a nation.

Another plus is it’s compact size making it easy to explore the place on foot as many of the best locations lie clustered around the castle. It is all on a slope however.

The ancient graveyard is definitely worth a visit offering a range of elaborate memorials and headstones, good views over the surrounding farming lowlands yet leading easily into several other nearby historic buildings.

At the bottom of the slope a period building holds the story of the wolf that saved Stirling from intruders by howling loudly and awakening the sleeping citizens. On this one occasion not a menace but a guardian. A good balcony trail walk also exists directly below the castle and its cliffs giving a circular tour with other panoramic views over the landscape. As both myself and my friend had visited the castle on a previous trip years ago ( slightly cheaper as not as many tourists as Edinburgh’s ) we didn’t bother going into it this time as we had plenty to see without it. Historic Stirling Bridge and The Wallace Monument are not far away either to make a full day trip even better in most weather conditions. A few pounds for street parking on the slope below the castle was our total outlay. Thick morning mist on our trip certainly added to the Gothic surroundings.