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A City Break and Some. Stirling in Autumn

by ssc | Oct 20, 2016 | Blog

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulnesss – autumn in Scotland can be one of the most rewarding times to visit. Burnished leaf displays, quieter streets, temperate weather, and good value accommodation too. Here’s five reasons why an autumn holiday in Stirling is far more than your average city break.

Twin room in Glendevon Apartment, one of our budget properties

Edinburgh Castle, just a one-hour trip from Stirling

Great value accommodation

If you’re considering a city break in Stirling, why not choose from our budget accommodation portfolio at budgetacommodationstirling.co.uk? Each one of our properties is perfectly equipped for your stay, with crisp, modern interiors and ideal central locations in both Stirling and in Bridge of Allan. Offering exceptional value for money, these apartments will provide you with the ideal base to explore Stirling and its beautiful surrounds without hammering your budget in the run up to Christmas!

Gateway to Glasgow to Edinburgh

Slap bang in the heart of Scotland, Stirling is the perfect place for a city break. Not only is it the gateway to the Highlands (heck, you can be in the wilds of Glencoe in under two hours!), but its central location opens up both Glasgow and Edinburgh as easy day-trip destinations too. Direct trains run frequently from Stirling City centre to both cities, and you could be in the heart of Glasgow or Edinburgh in around 50 minutes. Plan your Edinburgh day trip here: http://edinburgh.org/ or your Glasgow adventure here: https://peoplemakeglasgow.com/

Experience Scotland ‘in the fall’

For those who love autumn colour, there’s no need to get on board an expensive flight to New England. Stirling can provide the perfect base for ‘leaf peeping’ – just an hour from Stirling by car or even less by train, Perthshire has earned itself the title of ‘Big Tree Country’. Here, you can find Europe’s oldest tree, the world’s highest hedge, Shakespeare’s Birnam Wood in present day, and lots more. Visit some of the stunning sites recommended for leaf peeping by Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust at http://www.pkct.org/. Browse through their ‘Top 10’ for inspiration. Wow.

Scottish autumn wildlife

From spotting red squirrels to the bellow of red deer stags, autumn is an exciting time in the Scottish landscape, and it’s probably the best time to see our more elusive animals as they prepare for winter. For general information on what to look for and where, see VisitScotland’s autumn wildlife e-book here: http://ebooks.visitscotland.com/scottish-wildlife-series/. And if you want the help of an expert guide, there are many companies who can help you get the sighting you want. Check out this website for full information: http://www.wild-scotland.org.uk/

Seasonal produce

One of the best things about the autumn is the bounty it brings, and Stirling is a brilliant place to get your hands on it. Visit Stirling Farmers’ Market on the second Saturday of every month, from 10-4pm in Port Street Stirling. There, more than 25 stallholders will brave all elements to bring you the very best seasonal fare from their farms, orchards and kitchens. For more information, see: http://www.stirlingfarmersmarket.co.uk/. Look out too for Perth Festival of Chocolate on 19 and 20 November at http://perthfestivalofchocolate.co.uk/. And if foodie festivals are your thing, take a look at http://foodfestivalfinder.co.uk/scotland to ensure you don’t miss any during your Stirling city break!

Craigvinean pine cone shelter, by Ronald Weir

Craigvinean pine cone shelter, Perthshire. Photo by Ronald Weir

Autumn can be the best time to see Scotland’s wildlife

Photo credits:

Edinburgh Castle By Klaus Hermsen (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Craigvinean Pine Cone Shelter: Photo by Ronald Weir and originally supplied by Perthshire Big Tree Country, now http://www.pkct.org/
Red squirrel By 4028mdk09 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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Stirling’s romantic waterfalls

by ssc | Aug 11, 2016 | Blog

There is something captivating about waterfalls, especially when in full spate after hard rains. Dramatic and romantic, there are some stunning waterfalls just a stone’s throw from Stirling. As the weather breaks up at the end of summer, waterfalls, in contrast, are reaching their spectacular best. By autumn, you’ll be able to watch salmon leap too, as they make their way upstream to spawn. Here are some of the closest falls to Stirling, and worth a visit whatever the weather.

Bracklinn Falls, Callander

The Falls of Leny, Kilmahog

Bracklinn Falls, Callander (15 miles from Stirling)

Located in the woods just above the beautiful town of Callander (worth a visit in its own right), Bracklinn Falls is a spectacular stepped waterfall best viewed from the vantage point just above the cascade. Queen Victoria is said to have visited here, and it’s not hard to see why. For the easiest walk, park your car in the Falls car park about halfway up Bracklinn Road, then follow the footpath up to the falls and the new bridge. For details on this short walk, and others around Callander, see this pdf: http://www.thegreattrossachsforest.co.uk/assets/maps-guides/Callander-Paths-Leaflet.pdf

Falls of Leny, Kilmahog (17 Miles from Stirling)

If you are visiting Callander to see the Bracklinn Falls, be sure to take in the Falls of Leny too, near the village of Kilmahog, just north-west of Callander in the Trossachs National Park. This is a great falls to see if any of your party have mobility problems – there is a car park at the falls, and cyclists can even get right up to the falls too. This is a narrow-gorged waterfall, so is particularly dramatic after heavy rain. For its location see: http://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/falls-of-leny-p662861#location. The more adventurous can walk there from Callander itself, a distance of around five miles: http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/outdoors/walk-of-the-week-callander-to-falls-of-leny-1-3182009

Loup of Fintry, near Fintry (17 miles from Stirling)

Close to Stirling, the Loup of Fintry waterfall is on the River Endrick and lies just two miles from Fintry village. At 94ft high, this spectacular waterfall is best seen after rain or snow, as the Endrick River also feeds the Carron Reservoir. You can find the waterfall signposted two miles East of Fintry on the B818 Denny Road. For location see: http://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/loup-of-fintry-p669471#location

Pots of Gartness, Killearn, (22 miles from Stirling)

To the west of Killearn you will find Pots of Gartness, a series of stepped rocky waterfall pools whose natural ladder makes for spectacular salmon-watching in October and November. On the Endrick water like the Loup of Fintry, these falls once powered a mill, still visible in ruins alongside the former mill-worker dwellings. To reach the Falls by car, take the A81 Glasgow-Aberfoyle road, signposted for The Wishing Well. There is roadside parking just before the bridge. For location, see: http://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/pots-of-gartness-p669461#location

For tips on salmon-watching: https://www.visitscotland.com/blog/scotland/6569/

The Endrick Water, on which can be found the Loup of Fintry and Pots of Gartness waterfalls

Photo credits:

Bracklinn Falls: Thomas Stenhouse [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Falls of Leny: Colin Smith [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Endrick Water: Louise Harris [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Carron Reservoir: Scotia [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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