One of the very first castles I ever visited, Stirling Castle holds a special place in my heart. In addition to its personal significance, its historical and architectural significance cannot be understated. Prior to Scotland’s union with England, Stirling Castle was one of the most used castles in Scotland!
Mary, Queen of Scots, was even crowned here!
These days, the castle is a scheduled ancient monument, and a popular tourist attraction.
What to Expect
Stirling Castle has been lovingly restored to much of its former glory. Keep in mind that most of this castle was built in the 1400s so there are a fair amount of recreations, including the famous Unicorn Tapestries (the originals are actually located at the Met Cloisters in New York).
I was lucky enough to be visiting during the last few months of work on these tapestries, so I got to see weavers hard at work creating one of their final tapestries!
Costumed actors are scattered throughout the grounds to help guide you through your visit to the past. They really help bring the history to life!
Children are also welcome to dress up in period-typical costumes and play medieval instruments.
Visitors are able to explore highlights such as the Great Hall, Chapel Royal, Regimental Museum, Great Kitchens, and the Palace Vaults.
My personal favorite part of the castle was just wandering outside and admiring the stunning architecture!
The beautiful view cannot be ignored either- you can see the Wallace Monument from the castle’s walls! The monument honors Sir William Wallace, who defeated the English Army at the nearby Battle of Stirling Bridge and served as the Guardian of Scotland until his death. You may recognize his name from the movie Braveheart.
A guided tour is included in the price of admission, and definitely worth taking advantage of.
Since I was visiting as part of a larger tour group, we mostly wandered the castle on our own time, but I would have liked to have more historical context for the castle.
There is a cafe on site for those looking for a drink or light snacks and there are even a few gift shops to explore. This is a tourist site, after all!
How To Get Here
Although there are several tour options that include Stirling Castle in their itinerary, it is easy enough to visit on your own- especially from Glasgow and Edinburgh! The castle sits nearly equidistant between these two busy cities!
Car
Driving is an option- though parking can be pretty competitive in the summer months. Parking is £4.00 per car, for a maximum of four hours. While there are no electric charging stations at the castle parking lot, there are a few at the nearby Castleview Park and Ride. Busses from the park and ride cost £1 per ride.
Bus & Train
The Stirling Bus Station and Stirling Train Station are both walkable distances to the castle, but keep in mind that it’s an uphill walk!
Direct trains from Glasgow will take approximately 30 minutes and cost about £11.
From Edinburgh, direct trains take about 50 minutes and will run you about £12.
Busses are a a little cheaper but take a little bit longer- pick your poison.
Prices
Make sure to purchase tickets online as they are more expensive at the gate!
Adult (16-64): £17.50
Child (7-15): £10.50
Senior (65+): £14.00
(Prices accurate as of 2025. Click HERE for up to date info)
Gorgeous! My day trip to the Scottish Highlands years ago did not include Stirling Castle, although I did see it way off in the distance while on the road! Looks fantastic and the tourism board seems to do a great job of promoting/reenacting the history of it all! I’ll have to return to Scotland some day to see Stirling Castle. Thanks for sharing!
There are so many castles in Scotland, I’m sure you saw your saw your fair share! This one is so easy to get to it just makes sense to promote it so heavily!
It can be a tad expensive compared to the other castles, but it’s so pretty I thought it was worth it.
Loved reading this! You really brought Stirling Castle to life with your personal touch and helpful tips. Seeing the weavers work on the Unicorn Tapestries must’ve been such a cool experience! And those views of the Wallace Monument—wow. Definitely adding this to my Scotland travel list!
Seeing the weavers was so cool!
Its funny because- at the time- I had no idea that NYC held the original tapestries!
No way, I didn’t know that either! That’s such a fun full-circle moment—experiencing the recreation in Scotland and then finding out the originals are in NYC. Makes me want to plan a follow-up trip just to see them both!
Another gorgeous site in Scotland. Thanks for the tour.
Haha I promise I’m almost done with my Scotland-posting binge!
I’m usually not quite so motivated to spend so much time writing about one country, but Scotland is something special!
Lovely – there really is so much to see and do in Scotland!
There really is! I’ve been really fixated on it for the blog lately, but I’m nearly finished with my list of topics (for now 😉)
You did such a great job with the photos I left them up all day to show my son when he got home from school. He burst into his Scottish accent and said something about William Wallace, lol.
That’s so funny! I love that you loved them so much! I wish I had more to show you 😅