Stirling

Stirling is one of Scotland's most historic towns. Once upon a time it was Scotland's capital and is still known as the gateway to the Highlands. It's also a thriving modern city – Scotland’s newest, with excellent arts provision, a forward thinking university and excellent shopping.

Key facts

  • 87,000 population
  • 36 miles from Edinburgh, 27 miles from Glasgow and 33 miles from Perth
  • Stirling Castle, once home to Mary Queen of Scots, attracts 22 percent of visitors to the city
  • Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is the 2nd largest park in the UK

Work in Stirling

Fifty five percent of Scotland's population lives within an hour of Stirling and 80 percent within two hours, making it an ideal location for commuting to both Edinburgh and Glasgow. Stirling has one of the highest qualified work forces in Scotland.

Stirling has attracted diverse businesses with its prime location and wealth of business parks and industrial estates.

Stirling's key sectors are

  • Health and social work
  • Retail trade
  • Education
  • Public administration and defence
  • Hotels and restaurants
  • Business support services
  • Construction
  • Insurance and pension funding
  • Wholesale and commission trade
  • Recreational, cultural and sporting activities

An investment programme of over 140 million has helped make Stirling one of the UK's fastest growing areas with high employment levels and business success.

Study in Stirling

The University of Stirling is Scottish University of the Year for 2009/2010 (Sunday Times). Over 80 different nationalities are represented on campus, with 14 percent of the students being from overseas. 

Stirling is also home to Forth Valley College, Scotland’s fifth largest college. It also has 41 primary and 7 secondary schools which produce some of the best qualified school leavers in Scotland.

Live in Stirling

Stirling is steadily establishing itself as the place to live, locate, learn and visit and enjoys a lower cost of living than other cities in central Scotland. It attracts growing numbers of residents, tourists, visitors, students and shoppers.

The Stirling area has

  • One of the highest qualified workforces
  • An outstanding quality of life with low crime, beautiful scenery, quality health care
  • Most accessible to rest of Scotland than almost any other location

As well as having one of the finest medieval cityscapes in Scotland, Stirling is a modern, compact city and headquarters for many diverse businesses.

Its location in the middle of the central belt makes it highly desirable for commuters.

The Trossachs and the Campsie Fells are both on its doorstep.

Stirling has excellent provision for arts and nightlife. In the centre of the Old Town is the Tolbooth, a popular theatre and arts centre serving the 87,000 strong community.

Other buzzing arts venues include Changing Room, a contemporary art space that houses regular exhibitions and Albert Halls, a thriving venue for concerts and conferences as well as local community activities.

Sport and leisure

The best way to explore Stirling is on foot. Walks range from history trails and countryside rambles to a children's quiz walk and ghost tours.

The Peak, Stirling's newest sports and leisure complex brings a range of facilities together on one site where people of all ages and abilities can mix together and enjoy all kinds of sport. It'll also play a major role in attracting international teams preparing for both the London 2012 Olympics and Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Stirling hosts everything you expect of a leading regional shopping centre as well as farmers' markets, speciality shopping areas and the Stirling Arcade.

Spend a day visiting Stirling Castle – one of the most stunning castles in Scotland.

Stirling Castle is a great symbol of Scottish independence and a source of enduring national pride.

The castle's long, turbulent history is associated with great figures from Scotland's past, such as William Wallace, Robert the Bruce and Mary Queen of Scots.