Visitor Attractions in Central Region Scotland

"Stirling is amazing and I wouldn't have even known to stop here, We'd have missed all this on our own."  Anthony, Oxford

In the rush to the Highlands it is too easy to drive up the M9 and miss out what this area has to offer. Yet the area around Stirling Castle has had a greater impact on Scottish History than Edinburgh or Glasgow.

The reason is simple, on Medieval maps, Stirling Bridge, the lowest crossing on the River Forth is shown as the gateway to the whole of the rest of Scotland; and overlooking it, the imposing prize, Stirling Castle, now beautifully restored to the time of James V (the father of Mary Queen of Scots).

To the the west of Stirling is Loch Lomond and Loch Katrine, which were a day's journey north from Glasgow by carriage and became the must see area for the Georgians and early Victorians inspired by the vivid descriptions of the area in the poem, "The Lady of the Lake" (1810) by Sir Walter Scott. Though little read now, every notion we have of Romantic Scotland originated in this sublime work.

This is the land of heros such as the outlaws, William Wallace and Rob Roy; and while films such as "Braveheart" and "Rob Roy" don't let history stand in the way of a good story they have reinvigorated the tourist trail in the truly stunning landscape of the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park.