Relaxing in Stirling
If the bagpipes in the video haven’t put you off, then you will have noticed that Stirling is Scotland’s heritage capital, the stage for some of the most significant events in the nation’s history. But the city has also has a modern, cosmopolitan edge, thanks to its fusion of locals, students and tourists, attractive shops and leisure areas.
Stirling sits beneath the two unmistakable landmarks of Castle and Wallace Monument and is Scotland’s youngest city. HM Queen Elizabeth II granted six UK towns city status in 2002 to mark her Golden Jubilee, and Stirling’s bid was one of the successful ones.
The world-class university spreads across one of the most beautiful campuses in Europe, the largest regeneration project in the country, a new national park on the doorstep, thriving inward investment, a growing population and a great quality of life are just some of the reasons for Stirling’s success.
Castle Business Park
Stirling is a thriving economy, located at the heart of Scotland – 55% of Scotland’s population live within an hour’s drive of Stirling. The Stirling area’s strategic and accessible location, along with exceptional quality of life has helped it to attract new residents, businesses and visitors, driving economic growth. As well as providing a regional centre, Stirling is a key location for servicing markets in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and the North of England. Stirling is ranked 11th in the UK out of 189 towns and cities for quality of life for people aged 21-44. It is not as built up as other cities in Scotland and is close to the Trossachs and Loch Lomond. It has the second highest healthy life expectancy out of all of Scotland’s 32 local authorities. It has a low crime rate, excellent health care provision and high quality schools. The majority of people in Stirling work in the health and social work area, with retail and education following behind that.
The Tolbooth foyer
The Tolbooth, located in the heart of the old town area of the city, is the place for traditional and world music. It reopened in 2002 after an award-winning £6m conversion transformed this historic and characterful building into a state-of-the-art performance space, dance studio and recording studio. It is the venue for the annual experimental music festival, le weekend and the annual roots music festival, the blend. Many of the original features have been preserved such as the stairwell. That’s not all, the recently revamped Macrobert arts centre, which is based in Stirling University’s campus, now offers a cinema and theatre programme and a host of activities designed for children and families.
Scotland’s newest city, Stirling is easy to reach and benefits from excellent public transport links, easy access from the motorway network and ample parking. Positioned in the heart of Scotland, Stirling attracts shoppers from a very wide geographical area. Today, Stirling is the home of the new National Swimming Academy and the Scottish Institute of Sport.
Stirling, recently played host to a unique educational gathering. The World Youth Congress; a series of symposiums designed to bring together the best and brightest young people in the world so that they can share their skills and expertise with a view to reducing poverty, ignorance and suffering around the world.
Forthside regeneration image
Stirling Council has approved plans for the next phase of the city’s £110 Forthside regeneration project. A new city square, a hotel development and a restaurant are part of proposals to redevelop the 40-acre site on the banks of the Forth River. The first phase of the project saw the opening of a new “2.5m, eight-screen, 1,100-seat Vue cinema and two restaurants in January, as well as the construction of a £6m pedestrian bridge to link the development with Stirling city centre.
Stirling was firstly a military centre and is now a centre for commerce and trade and the regional ‘capital’ of central Scotland.
The Wave Pavilion 