Here's a few suggestions for things to see and do in Stirling, Falkirk, Clackmannanshire & the Campsies:
Walking & Cycling
Excellent hiking and walking paths can be found around
The Ochil Hills and Campsie Fells. Enjoy the extensive
network of cycleways in Clackmannanshire.
Golf
There are numerous courses to challenge the golfer. Try
a put overlooking Stirling Castle, or drive down the fairways
in the shadow of the Ochils.
Shopping
Treat yourself or take home a souvenir from one of the
modern shopping centres in Falkirk and Stirling,
or grab a designer bargain at Tillicoultry. Simply browse
in the many country stores found in other towns and villages.
Arts & Crafts
Visit local galleries or craft shops or take in a theatrical
occasion at the MacRobert, the regional arts centre situated
on Stirling University Campus.
Indoor
Sports
A variety of different activities await the visitor. Why
not take a dip at one of the swimming pools at Alloa,
Falkirk, Grangemouth or Stirling.
Stirling, Falkirk, Clackmannanshire & the Campsies
Dumgoyne
The countryside surrounding
the ancient town of Stirling is lush and fertile, with the peaceful
slopes of the Campsies and the rolling farmlands of Strathallan.
Scattered towns and villages dot the landscape, offering a rich
flavour of rural Scotland.
Bridge of Allan is an elegant former spa town
nestling on the banks of the Allan Water, with broad, tree-lined streets.
Nearby Stirling University now occupies the fine parklands of Airthrey
Estate.
From
Castles to Cathedrals
The town of Doune has an imposing 14th century ducal castle,
a favourite royal hunting retreat and tower house, as well as
the Scottish Antiques and Crafts Centre. Doune Ponds is an excellent,
award-winning nature reserve, with birdwatching hides from which
to spy on the abundant wildlife.
Nearby is the famous Blair Drummond Safari and Leisure Park,
complete with drive through reserves, chimp island boat safari
and pet farm and children’s activity areas.
Blairdrummond Safari Park
Dunblane Cathedral, dating back
to the 12th Century, establishes this ancient community as one
of Britain’s smallest cities. The Cathedral Museum unfolds
much of the rich and colourful history that surrounds Dunblane,
while Scotland’s oldest private library, the Leighton Library,
was founded by Robert Leighton, Bishop of Dunblane, in the 17th
century, and housed in a building completed in 1688, boasts
some 4,500 volumes in 90 languages.
Dunblane
There are riverside walks along the banks of the Allan Water
and the ‘city centre’ still exudes an olde worlde
charm where examples of 17th and 18th century architecture
blend with Victorian and more modern buildings, creating a
distinctive setting for the various local shops and hostelries.
The Campsies - A Hidden Gem
The Campsie Fells provide a scenic backdrop to the numerous
colourful floral villages of the area. Attractive 18th and
19th century cottages provides a strong character in the historic
village of Killearn, with its 103 foot obelisk which commemorates
George Buchanan, tutor to King James VI. Nearby, Glengoyne
Distillery, set beneath the distinctive volcanic plug of Dumgoyne
Hill, welcomes visitors for guided tours.
Fintry, tucked high among the hills,
is noted for its regular awards in the ‘Scotland’s
Best Kept Village’ competition. 700 year old Culcreuch
Castle, is Central Scotland’s oldest inhabited castle,
and offers 1,600 acres of parkland estate in its grounds.
There are forest walks and good fishing
at the Carron Valley Reservoir and an excellent fishery at the North
Third Reservoir. The delightful village of Kippen was once home
to a local laird by the name of John Buchanan, who declared himself
“King of Kippen”, which more amused than annoyed the real
king, James V, at his favourite residence in Stirling Castle.
The West Highland Way long distance footpath
passes through the broad valley of Strath Blane en route to Loch
Lomond. Other excellent walks nearby, for example at the Queen’s
View on Stockie Muir, Campsie Glen, by Clachan of Campsie and in
Mugdock Country Park, just south of the villages of Blanefield and
Strathblane. The park offers 500 acres of varied countryside and
has an excellent visitor and craft centre.
The Moss Lairds
Like Kippen, Balfron, Buchlyvie, Arnprior Gargunnock and Cambusbarron
each skirt the edge of the Campsies, overlooking the broad Carse
of Stirling - once an impenetrable bog but drained in the 18th
century ‘the Moss Lairds’ to form fertile pasturelands,
now known as ‘the hay basket of Scotland’. Parts of
the old wetlands remain, in Flanders Moss and are rich in wildlife.
