Stirling, United Kingdom

The Stirling council area (Gaelic: Sruighlea) is one of the 32 local authorities in Scotland. 

Population: According to the 2021 census, Stirling had about 93,470 people. Most of Stirling’s population is located in its southeast corner, in the city of Stirling and in the surrounding lowland communities, Bridge of Allan and Dunblane to the north, Bannockburn to the immediate south, and the three former coal mining communities of Cowie, Fallin, and Plean, known collectively as the “Eastern Villages”. The rest of the population is sparsely distributed across the rural, mainly highland, expanse in the north and west of the area. The southern half of this rural area comprises the flat western floodplain of the River Forth, bounded on the south by the Touch Hills and the Campsie Fells. North of the glen lie the Trossachs mountains, and the northern half of the council area is generally mountainous. There is an estimated 1600 people living with dementia across Stirling.

There are 39 primary schools, seven high schools and one university. NHS Forth Valley has an acute hospital, Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, supported by a network of four community hospitals in Stirling, Falkirk, Clackmannanshire and Bo’ness. They have several day and inpatient hospitals which provide care for older people and patients with mental illness.

In line with Scottish Government’s emphasis on place-based policy and planning, Stirling has created place profiles for each of Stirling’s neighbourhoods. The Council has also created a breakdown of the area in terms of health and wellbeing.

While generally considered an affluent area, Stirling has pockets of deprivation and neighbourhoods that score high on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation

Stirling Council was created in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which abolished Scotland’s counties, burghs and landward districts and replaced them with upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts within the Central region. The district covered parts of the historic counties of Stirlingshire and Perthshire, which were abolished for local government purposes. In 1996, the Central region was abolished, and Stirling Council took over all local government functions within the area. Stirling Council borders the council areas of Clackmannanshire (to the east), North Lanarkshire (to the south), Falkirk (to the southeast), Perth and Kinross (to the north and northeast), Argyll and Bute (to the north and north-west), and both East and West Dunbartonshire to Stirling’s southwest.

What is Stirling City famous for? Stirling is known for ancient castles, national heroes and battlefields like the Stirling Bridge, where the battle of Stirling Bridge was fought during the First War of Scottish Independence. On 11 September 1297, the forces of Andrew Moray and William Wallace defeated the combined English forces. Famous landmarks include Stirling Castle with its Royal Palace with the Chapel Royal and the Regimental Museum. The National Wallace Monument overlooks the scene of Wallace’s greatest victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Stirling’s famous landmark commemorates the life of the patriot Sir William Wallace. The Church of the Holy Rude: Founded in the 12th century and the second oldest building in Stirling. The Church of the Holy Rude was the setting for the coronation of James VI in 1567, in a ceremony performed by revolutionary theologian John Knox. The Old Town Jail once home to the infamous executioner Jock “The Happy Hangman” Rankin, along with murderers, martyrs and more. Smith Art Gallery and Museum: the exhibits and paintings all reflect the culture of the town and wider county.

If you would like to work with the Stirling project, please contact Mary Njoki.

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Funded by Economic and Social Research Council: