Stirling

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stirling
Scottish Gaelic Sruighlea
Scots Stirlin
View over Stirling
View over Stirling
Coordinates 56 ° 7 ′  N , 3 ° 56 ′  W Coordinates: 56 ° 7 ′  N , 3 ° 56 ′  W
Stirling (Scotland)
Stirling
Stirling
Residents 36,142 2011 census
administration
Post town STIRLING
ZIP code section FK7, FK8, FK9
prefix 01786
Part of the country Scotland
Lieutenancy Area Stirling and Falkirk
Council area Stirling
British Parliament Stirling
Scottish Parliament Stirling

Stirling ( Scottish Gaelic Sruighlea , Scots Stirlin ) is a Scottish city north-west of Edinburgh with a population of 36,142. The medieval old town, which is still preserved today, developed around the large castle ( Stirling Castle ), which still dominates the cityscape.

Stirling was once a capital of Scotland (as Burgh ) in earlier centuries , but is now an administrative and commercial center with little industry. Despite its importance in history , it only received its current city rights on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the throne of Queen Elizabeth II in 2002. The city gives its name to a Scottish administrative district: Stirling Council Area .

history

Traces of settlement have been found in the area since the Stone Age. However, at the latest since the Roman occupation, the place was strategically important due to its favorable location on an easily defended hill. The hill on which the castle was later built also dominated the course of the Forth . In 655, Oswiu of Northumbria was besieged by Penda of Mercia in a fortress called "luddeu" or "Urbs Giudi". It is believed that this fortress stood in Stirling. The ford through the river near the city brought prosperity and influence, as did the port that was built later. In the 12th century King David and his successors raised the city, which was then called "Strivelyn", to a royal castle district (Scottish: Burgh ). At the ford, which was later expanded into a bridge, the Battle of Stirling Bridge broke out in 1297 during the constant conflicts between the Scots and the English . In 1314 the two armies met again near the bridge at the Battle of Bannockburn . Near the castle is the Church of the Holy Rude . This historically valuable church is the only surviving church in Great Britain, along with Westminster Abbey , where a royal coronation took place. The church was rebuilt in the early 15th century after it was damaged in the 1405 fire. On July 29, 1567, the son of Queen Maria Stuart was born here as Jacob VI. crowned King of Scotland . He later took over the English throne as James I. Damage from the English Civil War can still be seen on the tower and the apse of the church, when downtown Stirling was in the middle of the battle during the Battle of Stirling in 1648.

The castle fortifications played a strategically important role during the Jacobite uprisings in the 18th century. At first the Earl of Mar tried in vain to take the castle in 1715. In 1746 the Jacobite pretender to the throne Charles Edward Stuart (also known as "Bonnie Prince Charlie") was able to take the city, but failed to conquer the castle. When he had to withdraw from the city, he blew up the church of St Ninians , which had served as an ammunition store. Only the tower was preserved and can still be seen today.

The port on the Forth River brought prosperity to the city - especially through the tea trade with India and timber trade with the Baltic states. With the invention and spread of the railway, however, the decline of river trade began. After a railway bridge was finally built over the river, which made it possible to load the goods further downstream on the ships, the port finally disappeared in the middle of the 20th century.

In 1858 Theodor Fontane visited Stirling and described it in his travelogue Beyond the Tweed .

The already mentioned Queen Maria I, her son Jacob VI, were among the well-known residents of Stirling. of Scotland, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (a former Prime Minister), documentary filmmaker John Grierson, film music composer Muir Mathieson, film animation pioneer Norman McLean, and TV presenter Kirsty Young. The brothers Frank and Harold Barnwell also lived in Stirling, who carried out the first powered flight in Scotland in 1909. Frank Barnwell later developed the Bristol Blenheim bomber. A memorial to the brothers was erected on the Causewayhead roundabout.

Stirling is also known for its multitude of ghosts that are said to appear in different places. The best known are the "Green Lady", who is said to have been seen several times in the castle, and a soldier who appeared there. The Settle Inn is one of the places where most ghostly apparitions occur in Scotland.

  • Stirling Castle (south-west view)

  • View from Stirling Castle towards the city and the Wallace Monument

  • Stirling Bridge (2006)

  • Old Town Jail

Geography and climate

Stirling climate diagram

Stirling is often referred to as the “gateway to the highlands”, as this is where the flat rolling hills of the Scottish lowlands meet the steep slopes of the highlands. This stark contrast is particularly evident on the steep slopes of the mountains Ben Vorlich and Ben Ledi , which lie in the north-west of the city, while on the other side of the city in the east lies one of the flattest and most fertile agricultural areas in Scotland.

The city and the castle stand on an ancient volcanic cone of strategic importance. At the same time, the ford of the Forth River was the first opportunity to cross the river from England. Immediately afterwards the river widens and increases in depth. Even the tides of the sea can be felt there. To the east of the city are the Ochil Hills , the highest peaks of which are the Dumyat and the Ben Cleuch . These hills are directly connected to the river plains of the Forth. There you will also find the Wallace Monument , erected in 1869 on an Ice Age rock plinth, the Abbey Craig , which commemorates William Wallace , a Scottish freedom fighter of the 13th century. Here you can see the well-preserved sword of William Wallace, which (it is believed) accompanied him during his fights. The tower was built as an "attraction for English tourists" (claim the locals). Another attraction is the Old Town Jail , which has been converted into a museum and exhibition building near the castle, in which the criminal system of Great Britain from the last centuries to the present day can be studied in detail.

The climate in Stirling differs somewhat from the usual central Scottish climate, as it is more strongly influenced by mainly south-westerly winds from the Atlantic Ocean.

Districts of Stirling

  • Cowie
  • Kings Park
  • Rap hole
  • Riverside
  • St Ninians
  • Top of the Town
  • Torbrex

population

In the 2001 census, 41,243 residents were found in Stirling; in the meantime the population has increased according to estimates. If you include the surrounding districts, the population was around 86,000. Stirling is the third fastest growing city in Scotland. The 2001 census also found that 52.7% of the population were female and 47.3% were male. 16.7% are under 16, while the Scottish average is 19.2%. The number of retirees at 17.8% is also just below the Scottish average of 18.6%. The largest group of the population is the age group of 16-29 years with 24.3%. The proportion of non-native Scots is 16.5% (Scottish average: 12.8%). The mean age of the population is slightly younger for both men at 34 and women at 36 than the overall Scottish average (37 for men, 39 for women).

Politics and government

The city of Stirling is part of the Stirling Council Area , which was established in 1994. Elections are held every four years. Currently, the Stirling Council is dominated by the Scottish National Party . The incumbent mayor of Stirling is Fergus Wood.

economy

Stirling is located in the middle of one of the most fertile agricultural areas in Scotland and for this reason developed into a market town early on, in which farmers from the surrounding area offered their goods. Agriculture still plays a major role in Stirling's economy today, but it is no longer as prevalent as it was in previous years. At the same time, due to the favorable traffic situation, Stirling has developed into an important shopping center for the surrounding area. All the major shopping chains are represented in the city and several large shopping centers have now also settled on the outskirts, much to the reluctance of the shops in the center. In addition, financial service providers such as the headquarters of the major insurance agency "Prudential" and the tourism industry are two main employers in the area. Due to the large number of historical buildings and the natural landscape, Stirling is one of the main tourist attractions in Scotland.

There are good transport links to the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. 12,000 employees go to work abroad every day, while 13,800 employees come to work from outside Stirling.

Sports

The most famous clubs from Stirling are the Stirling Albion football club and the Stirling County rugby team. The Scottish national soccer players Billy Bremner and Duncan Ferguson were born in Stirling, as was the well-known jockey Willie Carson . Stirling is also surrounded by a variety of golf courses and the University of Stirling is one of the universities with the best sports facilities in Great Britain.

education

The University of Stirling opened in 1967 and is located outside the city. 9,000 students from eighty nations are currently studying there. There are three high schools within the city, Stirling High School with 940 students, Wallace High School with 950 students and St. Modan's High School in the suburb of St. Ninians.

Twin cities

Sister cities of Stirling are

sons and daughters of the town

Web links

Commons : Stirling  Collection of Images
Wikivoyage: Stirling  Travel Guide

Notes and individual references

  1. ↑ 2011 census
  2. ↑ Council votes to remove provost . BBC News. March 28, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  3. ↑ Stirling Council ( Memento of the original from October 14, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed October 14, 2016 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / my.stirling.gov.uk