56°07N 3°57W, pop (2000e) 30 300. City and capital of Stirling council, C Scotland, UK, on S bank of R Forth, 34 km/21 mi NE of Glasgow; city status granted 2002; railway; university (1967); machinery, textiles, brick making, coachbuilding; Stirling castle (12th-c), former residence of Scottish kings; ruins of Cambuskenneth Abbey (1147), scene of Bruce's parliament (1326); Church of the Holy Rude (1414), MacRobert Arts Centre, Smith Art Gallery and Museum; Wallace Monument (1870), 2 km/1¼ mi NE; Stirling Festival (May).
| Stirling | |
|---|---|
| Gaelic: | Sruighlea |
| Scots: | Srivling |
| Location | |
| OS grid reference: | NS795935 |
| Statistics | |
| Population: | 41,243 |
| Administration | |
| Council area: | Stirling |
| Constituent country: | Scotland |
| Sovereign state: | United Kingdom |
| Other | |
| Police force: | Central Scotland Police |
| Lieutenancy area: | Stirling and Falkirk |
| Former county: | Stirlingshire |
| Post office and telephone | |
| Post town: | STIRLING |
| Postal district: | FK7-FK8 |
| Dialling code: | 01786 |
| Politics | |
| Scottish Parliament: | Stirling |
| UK Parliament: | Stirling |
| European Parliament: | Scotland |
Stirling (Sruighlea in Gaelic) is a city and ancient burgh, in the Stirling council area of Scotland.
A former capital of the Kingdom of Scotland, Stirling was a royal burgh until 1975.
History
Originally a Stone Age Settlement, Stirling has been strategically significant since at least the Roman occupation of part of Britain, due to its easily defensible hill (latterly the site of Stirling Castle) and its commanding position beside the River Forth.
A ford, and later bridge, of the river at Stirling brought wealth and influence, as did its port.
The town motto, which was adopted in 1296, is:
Standing near the castle, the Church of the Holy Rude (Holy Cross) is one of the town's most historically important buildings.
During the Civil War the Battle of Stirling (1648) took place in the centre of Stirling on 12th September 1648.
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
Geography and Climate
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 land surrounding Stirling has been most affected by glacial erosion and deposition.
The climate of Stirling differs little from that of much of the rest of central Scotland. Warm, unstable air from the Atlantic Ocean is the predominant influence, with a prevailing southwesterly wind
Areas of Stirling
Bannockburn Braehead Broomridge Cambusbarron Cambuskenneth Causewayhead Cornton Cowie Kings Park Raploch Riverside St. Ninians Top of the Town TorbrexDemographics
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.
Government and Politics
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.
In terms of national government, there is a Stirling constituency of the Scottish Parliament with the MSP being Sylvia Jackson of the Labour Party and a Stirling constituency of the House of Commons represented by Anne McGuire of the Labour Party.
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.
With Stirling's development as a market town and its location as the focus of transport and commmunications in the region, it has developed a substantial retail sector serving a wide range of surrounding communities as well as the city itself. 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, the development of a large Sainsbury's at Raploch and a large Dobbies Garden Centre on the northwestern approaches to the city. In terms of tourism, the presence of such historical monuments as Stirling Castle, the National Wallace Monument and 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.
With good transport connections to the major cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, Stirling is home to a large number of commuters, with 12,000 residents commuting to work in other areas, with 13,800 workers travelling in to the city
Sport
Local sporting teams include the football team Stirling Albion F.C., and the rugby union team Stirling County.
Stirling is also a major centre of sports training and education in Scotland.
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. 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 three main high schools in Stirling itself - Stirling High School, with a school roll of 940 pupils, Wallace High School with 950 pupils and St Modan's High School, located in the suburb of St Ninians.
Twinned Cities
Villeneuve d'Ascq, France Dunedin, Florida, United States Obuda, Hungary Summerside, Prince Edward Island, CanadaNotes and References
^ Gazetteer for Scotland Abbey Craig ^ Settlement Population Estimates 2004General Register Office for Scotland, 2004 ^ Stirling Council City Profile Stirling Profile ^ Scotland's Census Results online Results for the Stirling locality, 2001 ^ Stirling Council, Property and the economy Keeping an eye on your business ^ Stirling University University background ^ Stirling University External Visitor Information ^ Visitor Information - Useful facts and figures Stirling University Facts and Figures ^ Stirling University Innovation Park About usMair, Craig (1990).
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