Stirling Castle

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Stirling Castle: Tours & Tickets

See all tours & things to do in Stirling Castle

The History of Stirling Castle

One of Scotland's largest and most important castles, Stirling Castle is the site of many important battles in Scottish history. It's well worth a visit, but before you go, here are some historical snippets.

  • How old is Stirling Castle?

    1. How old is Stirling Castle?

    The King’s Old Building is the oldest part of the castle, and is over 500 years old!

  • William Wallace

    2. William Wallace

    In 1297 William Wallace at the Battle of Stirling Bridge defeated the much larger English army by trapping them on the bridge.

  • The Battle of Bannockburn

    3. The Battle of Bannockburn

    A significant Scottish victory over the English, who had until this point occupied the castle for 10 years!

  • Mary Queen of Scots

    4. Mary Queen of Scots

    Mary Queen of Scots was crowned in Stirling Castle in 1543. She was only 9 months old, and apparently cried throughout the ceremony.

  • Modern use

    5. Modern use

    The castle is now a popular tourist site, and hosts cultural events and concerts regularly.

Planning Your Visit

  • What are the opening times?

    The castle is open 7 days a week, in winter 9:30AM to 5:00PM and in summer 9:30AM to 6:00PM.

  • How much does entrance cost?

    A standard adult ticket costs £14.50

  • Do I need to take a tour?

    Tours are not compulsory, however they are reccommended and highly enjoyable!

Good to know

  • When should I visit?
    Seven days a week, winter 9:30AM to 5:00PM and summer 9:30AM to 6:00PM.
  • Is it expensive?
    Regular adult ticket costs £14.50.
  • Will I need a guide?
    It will definitely help. Might be worth it to check out our best-selling tours.
  • How to get there
    The castle is about a 10 minute walk uphill from the Stirling train station, reached easily from Edinburgh or Glasgow.
  • Additional information
    ** Free guided tours are run by the castle staff throughout the day and audio-guides are available in several languages! | There are no facilities for luggage, so plan to leave any at the bust station.*

What people are saying about Stirling Castle

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 4,138 reviews

Nik was a great tour guide with all his stories and friendly approach. There were only 3 people on the tour including ourselves which added to a more personal feeling. The only thing for us was, we felt we didn’t have enough time visiting the Kelpies. 30 minutes was the allocation, 45 minutes would have been better. Times for exploring the other locations was fine. All in all a very enjoyable day

Loch Lomond, Kelpies, and Stirling Castle Small-Group Tour Reviewed by Chris, 10/3/2020

Our tour guide, Stuart, was fab. Completely made the trip. However, a lot of the trip is spent driving. Only 1 hour spent at Loch Lomond, 1 hour for lunch, 1.5 hours at Stirling Castle and a quick stop at the Kelpies and possibly a highland cow. In future I would prefer to rent a car, as you can get to each place quicker and stop for as long as you want in each location.

Loch Lomond, Trossachs & Stirling Castle Tour from Edinburgh Reviewed by Max, 10/4/2020

We had a really great time on our tour with Alan B. He was super knowledgeable, interesting to listen to and even occasionally sang us a tune or two to help reflect the beauty of all Scotland has to offer and it's connection to music :) The trip was safe, enjoyable, comfortable and overall a great day out from Edinburgh. Highly recommend it.

Loch Lomond, Trossachs & Stirling Castle Tour from Edinburgh Reviewed by Daniela, 10/13/2020

Our guide Dom was funny and shared with us a lot of interesting facts, stories and legends which were also accompanied with relevant Scottish songs which was nice. I liked the fact that we had long stops however the time passed so quick that even seemingly long stops were not enough, that was the only drawback of the trip.

Loch Lomond, Kelpies, and Stirling Castle Small-Group Tour Reviewed by Diana, 9/19/2020

Thank you to Michael, our tour guide! he made this tour a great experience. He showed us a secret view point that we never would've found on our own, told us about the history of Scotland, answered any questions well, and gave us a great time.

Loch Lomond, Kelpies, and Stirling Castle Small-Group Tour Reviewed by Taylor, 10/12/2020

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