A morning at Stirling Castle: palace, old town and lunch
A few hours.
The route
Stirling Castle stands high on its crag above the town, the home of Stewart kings and queens, and it deserves an unhurried morning of its own.
Here's half a day on foot from Stirling station and back, with time to see the castle at an easy pace, then good coffee and lunch in the old town below it.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Cromlix, 8 miles away.
Book a timed ticket for Stirling Castle online with Historic Environment Scotland, for the 9.30am slot leaving the station by 9am or the 10am slot for an easier start, and come without a big bag, as rucksacks of 30 litres or more are not let in and there is nowhere at the castle to leave them.
The day
Stirling
A morning on the castle rock, climbing from the station through the old town and its kirkyard to the castle's gates. Afterwards, it's back down the hill for coffee and lunch at Unorthodox Roasters, a few minutes from the station.
About four and a half hours
Stirling Castle
An attraction
The day starts at Stirling station, a 17-minute walk below the castle, most of it uphill. The way up is by St John Street, past the Church of the Holy Rude, where James VI was crowned in 1567, then through the old kirkyard to the esplanade, with steps in places. The kirkyard is part of the Old Town Cemetery, free and open every day; only the church itself takes a ticket. Set off by nine for the 9.30am slot. Give the castle two or three hours: the Great Hall, the Royal Palace of James V, the Great Kitchens and the walls. The guided tour is included in your ticket; ask at the gate for its times. The walk back down the same way to the station takes 17 minutes, with lunch on the way at Unorthodox Roasters on Friars Street, 4 minutes short of the station and open every day from 9.30am to 4.30pm.
If it rains
The Great Hall, the Royal Palace and the Great Kitchens are all under a roof, and so is lunch. The walk up and down through the kirkyard and the castle walls are not, and old stone paths and setts are slippery in the wet, so wear shoes with a good grip and keep the walls for a dry spell.
Unorthodox Roaster, a café in Stirling.
Mint, a café in Stirling.