Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hermann's
Mar Place House,
58 Broad St
T
01786
450632,
W
hermanns-restaurant.co.uk.
The classiest
option in Stirling,
Hermann's
is set in the historic Mar Place
House towards the top of the Old Town with views of the
Church of the Holy Rude. It operates brasserie-style at
lunchtime and offers upmarket Austrian-Scottish dining such
as
jäger schnitzel (
veal) or Scottish lamb with cheese potatoes
in the evening (mains from £16).
Noon-2.30pm & 6-11pm.
Mamma Mia
52 Spittal St
T
01786 446124,
W
mammamiastirling.co.uk.
Set in an old-town mansion,
this is an irrepressibly friendly and boisterous southern Italian
restaurant, run by some boys from Bari. They specialize in
seafood dishes such as
spaghetti alla pescatora
(£17.55) as
well as Italian standards.
Mon & Tues 5-11pm, Wed-Sat
noon-3pm & 5-11pm, Sun noon-9pm.
Mediterranéa
4 Viewfield Place
T
01786 478534,
W
mediterranearestaurant.com.
Spanish tapas (from
£3.75) and moderately priced pan-Mediterranean dishes
(such as Greek souvlaki for £12.95) in an upbeat
atmosphere.
5.30-10pm.
Unicorn Café
Stirling Castle
T
01786 450000,
W
www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/home/visit/facilities/cafe.
The castle's e
ciently run café is a better-than-average spot
for a simple soup (£4.75) and sandwich or coffee and cake. The
rooftop terrace enjoys sweeping views.
April-Sept
9.30am-6pm, Oct-March 9.30am-5pm.
NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT
The nightlife scene in Stirling is nothing to write home about, with the cluster of mainstream bars and pubs changing
hands frequently. The best choice on a summer evening is the beer garden at the
Portcullis Hotel
. There's a mainstream Vue
cinema behind the train station.
7
Ì
Tolbooth
Jail Wynd
T
01786 274000,
W
stirling
.gov.uk/tolbooth.
By far the best option for a night out,
the Tolbooth has a glamorous high-ceilinged bar (open
only when there's an event on) and a folk-orientated live
music programme. Look out for their boisterous ceilidhs in
July and August.
Open daily.
MacRobert Arts Centre
On the university campus at
Bridge of Allan
T
01786 466666,
W
macrobert.org.
Shows mainstream and art-house films, and hosts theatre,
music and dance events. The campus itself is regularly
voted the most beautiful in Scotland.
Around Stirling
Just on the outskirts of town is
Bannockburn
, one of the country's most significant
battlefields, while the satellite town of
Bridge of Allan
offers more sedate attractions.
North and west of Stirling are the historic draws of the cathedral at
Dunblane
, the
imposing castle at
Doune
and the attractive settlements of the
Carse of Stirling
, while,
on either side of the Forth, the county of
Clackmannanshire
at the foot of the
Ochil
Hills
. A highlight of the semi-industrial hinterland to the east and south of the city is
the massive
Falkirk Wheel
, a spectacular feat of modern engineering. Rugged ruined
castles are the draw at both
Dollar
and
Loch Leven
.
Bannockburn
A872, 2 miles south of Stirling city centre •
T
0844 493 2139 • #24, #52 or #57 bus from Stirling bus station or Murray Place
A couple of miles south of Stirling, all but surrounded by drab suburban housing, the
Bannockburn Heritage Centre
commemorates the most famous battle in Scottish
history, when King Robert the Bruce won his mighty victory over the English at the
Battle of Bannockburn
on June 24, 1314. It was this battle, the climax of the Wars of
Independence, which united the Scots under Bruce and led to independence from
England, sealed by the Declaration of Arbroath (1320) and the Treaty of Northampton
(1328). At the time of writing the visitor centre was closed for a major restoration to
coincide with the seven-hundredth anniversary of the battle in 2014.
Dunblane
Small, attractive
DUNBLANE
has been an important ecclesiastical centre since the seventh
century, when the Celts founded the church of St Blane here. he cathedral, praised in
the highest terms by John Ruskin, stands serenely amid a clutch of old buildings.
