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Stirling Castle


Stirling Castle
Upper Castle Hill Old Town
Stirling
Scotland
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Stirling weather essentials

Monthly Averages
Month
High
Low
Nov
47°F 8°C
36°F 2°C
Dec
43°F 6°C
33°F 0°C
Jan
43°F 6°C
33°F 0°C
Feb
44°F 6°C
32°F 0°C
Mar
47°F 8°C
34°F 1°C
Apr
51°F 10°C
37°F 2°C

Extended Forecast
Monday
16 Nov
Hi:
48°F 8°C
Lo:
42°F 5°C
Tuesday
17 Nov
Hi:
46°F 7°C
Lo:
35°F 1°C
Wednesday
18 Nov
Hi:
53°F 11°C
Lo:
46°F 7°C
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What's Near Stirling Castle

Top-Rated Nearby Hotels
Hotel GBP* Distance Rating
The Portcullis Hotel £85 0.2 mi 0.2 km 4.5 of 5 stars
Castlecroft £50 0.4 mi 0.6 km 4.5 of 5 stars
Park Lodge Hotel N/A 0.7 mi 1.2 km 4 of 5 stars
Terraces Hotel £72 0.8 mi 1.3 km 4 of 5 stars
Adamo Bridge of Allan £140 2.2 mi 3.6 km 4 of 5 stars
All Hotels in Stirling
*Average price
Top-Rated Nearby Restaurants
restaurant Distance Rating
hermans 0.2 mi 0.3 km 4 of 5 stars
Wila Wan Thai 0.4 mi 0.7 km 4 of 5 stars
Henderson's Bistro 0.5 mi 0.8 km 4.5 of 5 stars
All Restaurants in Stirling
Top-Rated Nearby Things to Do
Thing to Do Distance Rating
Argyll's Lodging 0.2 mi 0.2 km 4 of 5 stars
Xtreme Karting 10.6 mi 17.1 km 4 of 5 stars
Linlithgow Palace 14.2 mi 22.9 km 4.5 of 5 stars
All Things to Do in Stirling

Traveller Advice on Stirling Castle

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Professional Advice (7)
Title Source
“Stirling Castle” Frommer's
“A White Christmas in Scotland? Tartan Is Just Fine” New York Times (free registration required)
“By high road and low road, a wee tasting of Scotland” USA Today/Associated Press
“To Love, Honor and - Wait a Minute! - How Did 'Obey' Get in There?” Go World Travel Magazine
“In Search of Ghosts and Castles” TravelLady
“Great escapes: Scotland 1 - Stirling” Practical Caravan
“Highland Fling” Travel Terrific
Web Comments from Travellers (1)
Title Source
“Stirling Castle” VirtualTourist.com
TripAdvisor Traveller Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
TripAdvisor Popularity Index: #1 of 2 attractions in Stirling
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Traveller Description:
Dominating the skyline for miles around, Stirling Castle is a shining example of Renaissance architecture. Visitors can look out from its high stone...... more » Dominating the skyline for miles around, Stirling Castle is a shining example of Renaissance architecture. Visitors can look out from its high stone walls to the battlefields of Stirling Bridge where great medieval armies clashed to decide the fate of nations. Home to generations of Scottish monarchs including, Mary Queen of Scots, the Castle is an enduring and powerful reminder of our fascinating history. « less
Familiar with Stirling Castle? Write your own description and share what you know with other travellers.
Attraction type: Castle, Museum, Historic home
Activities: Getting married, Group tours/walking tour
Address: Upper Castle Hill
Old Town Stirling
Scotland
Tel: 01786 450 000
Fax: 01786 464 678

Reviews you can trust

[ Date ] [ Rating ]
“The Guided Tour is a Must”
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5 of 5 stars
sparky043
Wales
2 Nov 2009

On 27 October 2009, I opted for the 12pm tour of Stirling Castle which came free with the entrance fee. The guide who took us around was a born actor and was just so passionate about his subject.. Describing in vivid detail the Battle of Stirling Castle and Bannockburn and then quickly bypassing the other battles which the Scots lost... more

“Well worth the entrance price!”
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5 of 5 stars
pandmg
Swansea S.Wales
28 Oct 2009

We spent a whole day here recently, which included a guided tour of the castle of about an hour and another similar length tour of the nearby Argyll Lodgings (I think thats what it was called). The guides for both tours were enthusiastic and knowledgable. After the tours we were free to go back and explore other parts of the... more

“Palace under restoration”
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4 of 5 stars
fishie85
Seattle, Washington
11 Oct 2009

I was really looking forward to visiting Stirling castle, but should have looked to see what was being restored. The Chapel and Great hall were beautiful, having been restored previously. Hanging in the Chapel are the 4 completed tapestries depicting a story about capturing a Unicorn that will one day hang in the palace. There is also a weaver's hall... more

“Brilliant time spent here in last week”
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5 of 5 stars
waggytails
Forest of Dean
22 Sep 2009

One of the best castles we visited whilst in Sotland this year. We spent at least 3 hours thoroughly engrossed. Great audio tapes allowing you to go at your own pace and well marked stopping points on the way round the various interest points. An interesting selection of static, film and live exhibits - the execuetioner was very good at... more

Management response from
Nicola McCrae, Marketing Executive

We are always delighted to hear that visitors have enjoyed their visit to the castle, and in paricular our event weekends such as Legends which took place in September. In addition feedback on the Unicorn Cafe and Military Museum was also helpful and we will pass these comments on to the relevant managers. With regard to the cobblestones these can...

“Stirling Castle a no experince”
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1 of 5 stars
YorkshireDangerousd
Yorkshire
13 Sep 2009

After paying full price for less than half an attraction and my wife practically being sick in the filth of the ladies toilets I would say the person(s) in charge must be sacked as bringing Scotlands Heritage into disripute more

Management response from
Nicola McCrae, Marketing Executive

We take great pride in the castle and, as a five-star attraction, put great effort into ensuring that the visitor experience is memorable for all the right reasons therefore we were very disturbed at the nature of this post. Our cleaning staff check toilets on a regualr basis throughout the day and nothing was reported to us on this occasion....

“If short on time you should skip it.”
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2 of 5 stars
boo2U
Bowie, Maryland
27 Jul 2009
1/1 found this review helpful

The castle looks great from the outside, and you can skirt around it outside but there are only like two interior rooms to see and they are not impressive, they are almost empty. This castle is undergoing renovations and shouldn't be charging admission to see just about nothing. However, the views are fantastic but I was still very disappointed with... more

“A Bit Disappointing”
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2 of 5 stars
ryliesmomMichigan
michigan
8 Jun 2009
0/1 found this review helpful

We visited Stirling Castle on the last day of a wonderful trip to Scotland. We were a bit disappointed to find so much of the castle closed for rehab. Also, the Great Hall wasn't so great- mostly a large empty room. Had we known that there would be so little to see, especially considering the price of admission, we would... more

Management response from
Nicola McCrae, Marketing Executive

The closure of the Royal Palace is disappointing but unavoidable due to the scale and nature of the project which will see the Royal Apartments restored to their Renaisance magnificence. In the meantime there are many other buildings to explore on site including the Great Hall, Chapel Royal, The Military Museum and the Tapestry Studio. We also offer complimentary guided...

“Awesome”
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5 of 5 stars
CanadianSuzyQ
Calgary, Canada
30 May 2009
1/2 found this review helpful

Worth every penny and then some. We did the guided tour of the castle (free guide) and then did a guided tour of Argyle house (again free). We had taken a train on our own, took a cab to the castle, did the tours, had lunch at the castle, and then walked back to the train station - through town... more

Management response from
Nicola McCrae, Marketing Executive

We are always delighted to hear our visitors have enjoyed their time at Stirling Castle. Even more rewarding is when you agree that the entry price reflects great value for money. And as pointed out we are very accessible by public transport, just a short distance from both Stirling bus and train stations.

“Disappointing...”
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2 of 5 stars
heidotheroad
Aberdeen, Scotland
27 Jan 2009
3/3 found this review helpful

Stirling Castle is well worth the visit for its imposing exterior and the little lodge is worth catching too. However, I totally agree with previous reviews, Scotland needs to try harder if it wants to attract visitors and charge the entrance fees they do. Inside was disappointing - many areas closed, (reduced entrance fees could be applied when major renovations... more

Management response from
Nicola McCrae, Marketing Executive

As we have already acknowledged in previous responses, we understand visitors' dissappointment at the closure of the Royal Palace. However at present, and to add value to the visitor experience, Historic Scotland are offering a guided tour of Argyll's Lodging, a 17th century townhouse located next to the castle. This is included in the Stirling Castle ticket price. In addition...

“great exterior, poor interior”
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2 of 5 stars
doneit1
London
13 Oct 2008
3/3 found this review helpful

The negative reviews on this site are pretty much right. This castle has a fantastic location and is quite impressive in this respect, but you can see most of this from the outside. Compared to the numerous amazing castles in Scotland and England which have very impressive grounds AND very impressive interiors, Stirling is ripping you off with its 8... more

Management response from
Nicola McCrae, Marketing Executive

Stirling Castle is one of the most impressive historical sites in Scotland due in no small part to its breathtaking setting and the iconic figures associated with the building's fascinating past. We understand visitors' disappointment at the closure of the Royal Palace but due to the scale and nature of the refurbishment it was not possible to keep the Palace...

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Stirling Castle Address

Upper Castle Hill | Old Town, Stirling, Scotland
Tel: 01786 450 000 Fax: 01786 464 678