Stirling Castle

One of my favourite castles I visited when in Scotland.
Spectacular views from all sides. Beautiful gardens and quiet spots which you imagine would have been so nice back then.
Great war memorial and arts inside too.
Highly recommended.

Found myself stuck in Stirling for a night. Unplanned not only did I find a Hostel which is 5 minutes from castle families welcome, prices change all the time. I managed to bag a night at £26. Anyway, I couldn't not visit the grounds of the castle. I arrived after it had closed. Car park signs showed £4 parking. I'm sure it would be worth a visit inside castle itself. For the history and to take it all in. The views surrounding the castle are Majestic & truly spectacular. Be prepared for walking uphill. The photos do not do it justice. Capturing the marvel as many have done on here is fantastic. I arrived just before late evening.

Amazing place. There was more history than I could handle. If you drive to the very top of the castle road, parking is 4 pounds. You pay for parking at the ticket window. The castle has such beautiful grounds. I used an Explorer Pass obtained through Historic Scotland. I did not arrange for a tour. But there are many exhibits that tell the story. There were also actors in period dress that tell the stories of various rooms. We took about two hours to see majority of the place.

An absolutely amazing castle that you must visit. Was by far our favorite one in Scotland.

Tickets need reserving in advance. We went with our Explorer Pass with Historic Scotland which is WELL WORTH purchasing.

There are free tours every 30minutes or so and our tour guide was amazing. Very quirky, very knowledgeable and gave great advice for which areas to go back and explore further.

We had a beautiful day and were able to really enjoy every part of the castle. Our toddler loved running around and seeing all the interesting parts of the castle. Many places for him to interact with the castle - either running or climbing, hugging cannons, sitting in chairs, or hunting for little lego men in the museum. It was a great way to keep him busy while we tried to read all the information.

The castle is super well maintained, and the views all around are beautiful. Would highly recommend visiting whether you're staying in the area or coming through.

Incredible, incredible, INCREDIBLE! If you think you need two hours to go through this, you need at least twice that! Excellent. Free guided tours but you just get there ahead and ask to join. Later in day is a bit less busy. Used Scotland’s Explorer Pass (that we purchased for a two week interval)for significant discount. Like more than half.
Also reserved the time slot for entry.
Parking was easy. Twisty and lots of tight turns rolling up the very steep road to get to location. Very picturesque. Will return to visit Stirling town site as well. Exquisite and very intriguing. Have so many more pictures but won’t post here!! Great time. Lots and lots of kids running around.

It's such a gorgeous, well-maintained castle! It's definitely worth a visit. It's one of Scotland's most magnificent stone castles, perched on a volcanic hill. This place has been home to people since ancient times, and it really came into its own in the 1500s.

The views are absolutely breathtaking!

If you love history and you're looking for a place to spend a whole day, this is perfect for you! You'll love exploring the castle and all the beautiful sights it has to offer, as well as learning about its fascinating history. It's a really big castle, with lots of different levels and lots of walking!

There's also a lovely little gift shop.
You can buy tickets to the castle online or right there at the entrance.

Just a heads-up: it's a good idea to get to the car park nice and early, even though there are lots of spaces. It fills up pretty quickly! Otherwise, you can also hop on and off tour buses during the season, which is great! If you're lucky enough to park right next to the castle, you'll find lots of wonderful historical gems just a short walk away.

Visiting Stirling Castle was an amazing experience. The castle sits on a hill and overlooks Stirling Bridge and the Forth Valley, offering incredible views. Inside, it felt like stepping back in time with the old architecture and beautiful decorations. The royal chambers had artifacts from Scottish kings and queens, adding to the historic vibe. Standing on the castle walls, I could see the stunning Scottish countryside, which was really refreshing. This visit gave me a better understanding of Scottish history and culture and left me with great memories. Anyone visiting Scotland has to visit Stirling and Stirling Castle—it's a must-see!

Breathtaking, super interesting and well-maintained. Obvious respect from both visitors and staff.
The castle is gorgeous, the views worth taking a good long while to take in and the uphill walk is more than worth it!

Really interesting castle. Do start with an excellent free guided tour. Very popular, glad we booked ahead. Palace rooms are very ornate, with your very own Mary Queen of Scots actor. Great military museum. We took 4 hours in all!

Such a great castle to visit, especially if you like learning about the history of the royal family.
Most of the rooms have historical times inside, including the original wooden portraits from the 1500s ordered to be made by King James V.
The castle is beautiful along with its gardens, I would recommend visiting.

Very well kept castle, interactive stations for kids, very friendly staff and spectacular views. My wife and i decided to visit Stirling castle before we returned home to the west midlands. Was worth the trip.
Staff were really friendly from the moment we arrived making us feel very welcome and this continued throughout our visit.
Well kept and a lot of information on display. Was not overly busy so you could take your time through each section.
We were lucky to be there when music was being played throughout the rooms, which added to our visit and made it more realistic
Oy slight negative is that you have to queue to get in for parking and this is manned by 1 person in a cabin. It is card only and you have to get out of your vehicle to go and pay. This slows entry down. Once you are through that you are directed to a space by helpful attendants.
Overall well worth a visit and we enjoyed our day trip

Probably the best tour we had during our entire trip in Scotland was at Stirling castle with Andrew! He's an amazing tour guide that gave me goosebumps and made me tear up when he was speaking about the history of the castle and the battles in the area.

Stirling castle is absolutely stunning with a rich history and amazing views. Definitely do not miss this castle if you are in the area, and get the explorer pass to save some money if you're hitting other castles in Scotland!

Many places to view and absorb the history, you can walk up along the walls which provide great views. Even with crowds you can move around well, and the highland army exhibit is really interesting. Toilets available before you head in the gate, along with a few gift shops around the grounds and even ice cream for sale within the courtyard. Staff dressed in period costume within the royal apartments and providing information was pretty cool.

It's a beautiful castle with a lot of history. Definworth the tour. The garden was blooming. Wear comfortably shoes, lots of walking inside. Loved the castle. You could get the tickets earlier or at the door.

It was overall an amazing experience. The Castle is well maintained. Ample of parking is available. There are two cafes inside.

One would need around 4 hours to cover the Castle.
Admission is with tickets. Purchase the tickets in advance to avoid last minute rush.

#join historic Scotland first!
Excellent guided tour for about an hour. Then wander around and look at the sights! Beautiful gardens and lots of history. Excellent family destination. Allow 2.5 hours for thorough exploration

A wonderful castle, well worth the visit. The guided tour was fantastic and FREE!
All the staff seemed very happy in their jobs and this definitely prevailed. A lot of history, I learnt so much. Give yourself at least 4 hours.

Our visit to Stirling Castle was fantastic. It's a place where history comes alive, and the stunning views and impressive architecture make it a must-visit attraction in Scotland. Whether you're a history buff, a family looking for a fun day out, or someone simply wanting to soak in some breathtaking scenery, Stirling Castle has something for everyone.
Highly recommended!

If your not castled out then it is just another castle. But it is in good condition with informative and helpful staff around. Some very cool sights like the wooden carved heads of past royalty and renovated buildings. Worth the vist and less busy than others the day we were there. Recommended

Brilliant loved this! We arrived at 10 on a Tuesday morning and the car park was already full, we were walking so it didn't affect us. A bit of a wait to get in about 10 mins in the queue not bad. £42.90 for 2 adults that included a donation, which you don't have to add on if you don't want to. The gardens were lovely and well kept. Castle inside is beautiful the tapestries were brilliant. There were people dressed up in the different rooms that told you about the history, fun facts and stories. The views are spectacular from all around the castle. There are a few different gift shops dotted around, a cafe, a small shop for juice, water and cakes ect. The toilets were busy with the ladies you had to queue to get into, so don't leave it to the last minute 😂. We spent 3 hours here well worth the money and a must see if you go to Stirling.