Stirling Totally Explained

Stirling (Sruighlea in Gaelic) is a city and ancient burgh, in the Stirling council area of Scotland.
The city is clustered around a large castle and mediæval old-town. It is a centre for government, retail, and light industry. Its population (as of the 2001 census) was 41,243, making it the smallest city in Scotland.
A former capital of the Kingdom of Scotland, Stirling was a royal burgh until 1975. In 2002, as part of Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee, Stirling was granted city status.

History

Originally a Stone Age settlement, Stirling has been strategically significant since at least the Roman occupation of Britain, due to its naturally defensible Crag and tail hill, which latterly became the site of Stirling Castle, and its commanding position beside the River Forth. It is supposed that Stirling is the fortress of Iuddeu or Urbs Giudi where Oswiu of Northumbria was besieged by Penda of Mercia in 655, as recorded in Bede and contemporary annals.
   A ford, and later bridge, of the River Forth at Stirling brought wealth and influence, as did its port. The town was chartered as a royal burgh by King David in the 12th century, with charters later reaffirmed by later monarchs (the town then referred to as Strivelyn). Major battles in Scotland's long conflict with England took place at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 and at the nearby village of Bannockburn in 1314.
   The place-name or etymology of Stirling is of unknown origin. The town has two Latin mottoes, which appeared on the earliest burgh seal of which an impression of 1296 is on record:
ť Hic Armis Bruti Scoti Stant Hic Cruce Tuti (The Britons stand by force of arms, The Scots are by this cross preserved from harms) and

   Continet Hoc in Se Nemus et Castrum Strivilinse (The Castle and Wood of Stirling town are in the compass of this seal set down.)
   Standing near the castle, the Church of the Holy Rood (Holy Cross) is one of the town's most historically important buildings. The Church of the Holy Rude

, which was rebuilt in the 1400s after Stirling suffered a catastrophic fire in 1405, is the only surviving church in the United Kingdom apart from Westminster Abbey, to have held a coronation. On the 29 July 1567 the infant son of Mary Queen of Scots was crowned James VI of Scotland here. Musket shot marks from Cromwell's troops during the War of the Three Kingdoms are clearly visible on the tower and apse.
   During the War of the Three Kingdoms, the Battle of Stirling also took place in the centre of Stirling on 12th September 1648.
   The fortifications continued to play a strategic military role during the 18th century Jacobite Risings. In 1715, the Earl of Mar failed to take control of the castle. In January 1746, the army of Bonnie Prince Charlie seized control of the town but failed to take the Castle. On their consequent retreat northwards, they blew up the church of St. Ninians where they'd been storing munitions; only the tower survived and can be seen to this day.
   Economically, the city's port supported overseas trade, including tea trade with India and timber trade with the Baltic. The coming of the railways in 1848 started the decline of the river trade, not least because a railway bridge downstream restricted access for shipping. By the mid 20th century the port had ceased to operate.
   Famous residents have included Mary Queen of Scots, King James VI of Scotland, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, documentary film pioneer John Grierson, film music composer Muir Mathieson, animation pioneer Norman McLaren, TV presenter Kirsty Young and footballer Billy Bremner (captain of Leeds United and Scotland).
   The Barnwell brothers, Frank and Harold, worked at Grampian Motors in Causewayhead, and in 1909 they designed and flew the first powered flight in Scotland. Frank Barnwell went on to design aircraft including the Bristol Blenheim. A small monument to the brothers' pioneering achievement has been erected at Causewayhead roundabout.
   Stirling is also famous for its many hauntings, like the Green Lady of the Castle, seen by many a Soldier and "The Settle Inn" near the Castle which is one of the most haunted places in Scotland. Other haunted pubs include "The Golden Lion" and "The Albion Bar" - named after the local football team Stirling Albion.

Governance

In terms of local government, the city of Stirling is a part of the wider Stirling Council area, which governs on matters of local administration as set out by the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994. Elections to the council take place every 4 years. Following the May 2007 elections, the largest party is the Labour Party. The Provost of Stirling is Margaret Brisley.
In terms of national government, there's a Stirling constituency of the Scottish Parliament with the MSP being Bruce Crawford of the Scottish National Party and a Stirling constituency of the House of Commons represented by Anne McGuire of the Labour Party. As Scotland comprises a single European Parliament Constituency, Stirling participates in electing 7 MEP's using the d'Hondt method of proportional representation every 4 years.

Geography

Stirling is renowned as the Gateway to the Highlands and is generally regarded as occupying a strategic position at the point where the flatter largely undulating Scottish Lowlands meet the rugged slopes of the Highlands. The starkness of this contrast is evidenced by the many hills and mountains of the lower Highlands such as Ben Vorlich and Ben Ledi which can be seen to the northwest of the city. On the other hand, to the east of the city, the Carse of Stirling is one of the flattest and most agriculturally productive expanses of land in the whole of Scotland.
The land surrounding Stirling has been most affected by glacial erosion and deposition. The city itself has grown up around its castle which stands atop an ancient volcanic plug a major defensive position, which is, in turn at the lowest crossing point on the River Forth. Stirling stands on the River Forth at the point where the river widens and becomes tidal. To the east of the city the Ochil Hills dominate the skyline with the highest peaks in the range being Dumyat and Ben Cleuch. The Ochils meet the flat floodplain of the River Forth to the east of the distinctive geographical feature - Abbey Craig, a crag and tail feature upon which sits the 220ft (67m) high Wallace National Monument.
The climate of Stirling differs little from that of much of the rest of central Scotland. The warm, Gulf Stream air current from the Atlantic Ocean is the predominant influence, with a prevailing southwesterly wind.

Areas of Stirling

Bannockburn
Braehead
Broomridge
Cambusbarron
Cambuskenneth
Causewayhead
Cornton
Cowie
Fallin
Kings Park
Raploch
Riverside
St. Ninians
Top of the Town
Torbrex

Demography

The city of Stirling had a population of 41,243 at the 2001 census, which has risen to 44,460 according to mid-2004 population estimates. The wider Stirling Council area had a population of 86,370 in 2004. The city is reputed to be the third fastest growing area of Scotland in terms of population. According to the 2001 census, 52.7% of the population was female compared to 47.2% male. Stirling had both a smaller proportion of under 16's, at 16.7% compared to the Scottish average of 19.2% and a smaller proportion of those of pensionable age - 17.8% - compared to the Scottish average of 18.6%. The highest proportion of the population, at 24.3% was concentrated in the 16-29 age group. Stirling also had a higher proportion of non-Scottish born residents at 16.5% compared to the Scottish average of 12.8%. The population was also slightly younger than the Scottish average - the median age for males was 34 to the national average of 37; and the median age for females was 36, to the national average of 39. The population peaks and troughs significantly when the students come and go from the city.

Economy

At the centre of a large rural agricultural hinterland that encompasses some of the flattest and most productive land in Scotland, Stirling principally functioned as a market town with farmers coming to sell their products and wares in the large agricultural market that was held in the town. Today, agriculture still plays a part in the economic life of Stirling, given its focus at the heart of a large rural area, but to a much less extent than previously.
   With Stirling's development as a market town and its location as the focus of transport and communications in the region, it has developed a substantial retail sector serving a wide range of surrounding communities as well as the city itself. Primarily centred on the city centre, there are a large number of chain stores, as well as the Thistles Centre mall. However this has been augmented by out-of-town developments such as the Springkerse Retail Park on the city bypass to the east of Stirling, and the development of a large Sainsbury's at Raploch. A major new regeneration project on the site of the former port area and Army depot, adjacent to Stirling Railway Station, is currently underway. Known as Forthside, it has the aim of developing a new waterfront district comprising retail, residential and commercial elements, that will ultimately expand the city centre area, linking it to the River Forth.
   In terms of the service sector, financial services as well as tourism are the biggest employers. The financial services and insurance company - Prudential - have a large and well-established base at Craigforth on the outskirts of Stirling. In terms of tourism, the presence of such historical monuments as Stirling Castle, the National Wallace Monument and other nearby attractions like Blair Drummond Safari Park, the key role which Stirling has played in Scottish history, as well as the scenery of the area, has bolstered Stirling's position as an important tourist destination in Scotland.
   The University of Stirling and Stirling Council are two of the biggest employers in the area. Knowledge related industries, research and development as well as life sciences have clustered around the university in the Stirling University Innovation Park, close to its main campus. Other public sector agencies that are major employers in the city include Central Scotland Police, HMP Cornton Vale, NHS Forth Valley and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.
   Public Transport within the city and to the surrounding towns, like Bridge of Allan and Alloa, is almost completely provided by buses operated principally by the First Group. With good road connections to the major cities of Glasgow, via the M80 motorway, and Edinburgh, via the M9 motorway, as well as rail links from Stirling Railway Station. The City of Stirling is home to a large number of commuters, with 12,000 residents commuting to work in other areas, with 13,800 workers also travelling in to the city.

Sports

Local sporting teams include the football team Stirling Albion F.C. who play at Forthbank Stadium, and the rugby union team Stirling County. Footballers Billy Bremner and Duncan Ferguson were born in Stirling, as was rugby internationals Kenny Logan and Allister Hogg, jockey Willie Carson, and cricketer Dougie Brown.
   Stirling is also a major centre of sports training and education in Scotland. The Scottish Institute of Sport is headquartered in a purpose built facility on the campus of Stirling University which opened in 2002. Also at the university in the state of the art Scottish National Swimming Academy as well as the Gannochy National Tennis centre which is seen as a tennis centre of excellence.
   Furthermore the university itself has its own dedicated Sports Studies department and was ranked amongst the best in the United Kingdom for its provision of sports facilities, with the maximum 5 star award, shared by 16 other universities in the UK.
   Stirling and its surrounding area has a number of 9 and 18 hole golf courses, the largest of which is the Stirling Golf Course, located in the Kings Park area of the city.

Education

The University of Stirling opened in 1967 on a greenfield site outside the town. Currently there are 9000 students studying at the university, of which 7000 are undergraduates and 2000 are postgraduates. Students of over 80 nationalities are represented at the university, with 14% of students coming from overseas. It has grown into a major research centre, with a large science park - Innovation Park, located immediately adjacent to the main university campus. Innovation Park has grown since its initiation in 1993, and is now home to 40 companies engaging in various forms of research and development. Stirling is also home to part of the wider Forth Valley College which was formed on August 1st 2005 from the merger of Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannan colleges.
There are four main high schools in Stirling itself - Stirling High School, with a school roll of 940 pupils, Wallace High School with 950 pupils, St Modan's High School, located in the suburb of St Ninians and Bannockburn High School in Broomridge.

Twinned cities

Villeneuve d'Ascq, France

Dunedin, Florida, United States

Óbuda, Hungary

Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada

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