Just 45 minutes from Edinburgh lies Stirling, a pleasant medieval town and a castle that is arguably the most important castle in Scottish history.
As the saying goes, “he who holds Stirling, holds Scotland.” Due to its geographical location, if a king was in control of Stirling castle, they could rule over and defend Scotland.
To get to Stirling, you can take a guided day tour via a large tour bus from Edinburgh, you can rent a car and go on your own, or you can take a train.
I recommend having the freedom to explore the castle, town and surrounding areas on your own, because you may also want to stop by the National Wallace Monument or meander around the walled city and have lunch in a nice cafe such as the Darnley Coffee House in the cellar of a 16th century house.
The castle offers guided tours included in the cost of admission, starting at 10 AM and leaving every hour after that until 3 PM, so you can plan your visit to coincide with the start of one of these tours. We thought our tour was great, just enough information and explanation of each part we visited from an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide.
The other exhibitions at the castle were also very interesting, and certainly worth a bit of extra time after the tour.
If you have any interest in learning a little more about Scottish history, if you are a fan of Braveheart, or if you just want to see a cool castle with beautiful views over the countryside, Stirling Castle is definitely worth a visit.
