Suggestions welcome :-)

Welshlady

Hello folks, On Monday we are travelling from Pembrokeshire Wales to stay near Stirling, Perthshire. We have our 15 year old son with us and would welcome any suggestions as to the 'must see / visit places'. We love both countryside and coast and would like to visit Edinburgh but as we have only 4 nights booked (I know ....... just not long enough, which is why we need some advice) we can't spend too much time travelling. Thanks very much in anticipation of your help :-)

VisitScotlandMuriel

Top attractions in Stirling are: Stirling Castle which has been extensively refurbished, the Old Town Jail, the Wallace Monument (also recently upgraded) from which you get stunning views of the town and surrounding areas - it can be extremely windy at the top!... Also not far away is the Battle of Bannockburn Experience which brings the famous battle back to life! The Trossachs (mini Highlands) and Loch Lomond is a very popular area and is now a National Park. There are plenty of places to visit in Perthshire too (Dunkeld, the Hermitage, Pitlochry, Killikrankie, Loch Tay...).
Edinburgh is only an hour or so away from Stirling. If you don't want to drive into Edinburgh, you can take a bus or train from Stirling. If driving, you can leave your car at Ingliston Park and Ride next to Edinburgh airport and get a bus/tram into town. Please have a look at the discussions about Edinburgh on the forum. The festival is on until the 29th of August so there's a great atmosphere and lots to do on top of the tourist attractions.
I hope this helps - you can get lots of ideas from our website too.

Samantha_Grant

Hi @welshlady Fairly close to Stirling you'll find Doune Castle.  It features in Outlander and is worth a visit. 

I'd definitely visit Balquhidder if you get a chance. You'll find the grave of Rob Roy there in a pretty little kirkyard. There's a short but spectacular walk from this point too, which takes you to the ancient rallying point of the Clan MacLaren - Creag an Tuirc. The views down over Loch Voil below are spectacular. Mhor 84 nearby is excellent for lunch or dinner. 

Also in this area you'll find the BLiSS trail which is a trail of art installations, conveniently located beside excellent places to eat. The most well know is Still by Rob Mulholland but us Scots just call him the mirror man. He can be found standing on Loch Earn at St Fillans by the Four Seasons Hotel. You'll find another spectacular walk behind the hotel which will give you a great view of the loch and surrounding mountains. 

I'd also suggest the village of Killin. It's a favourite of mine.  The Falls of Dochart are stunning.  There's lots of history too.  You'll find the ruins of Finlarig Castle there hidden amongst trees. There's also an ancient standing stone known as Fingal's stone which legend says is the burial place of the mythical giant Fingal. Killin also has a fairly well preserved stone circle which you'll find by following a path that leads along the side of the Falls of Dochart Inn. By the inn you'll also see the dramatic arches that lead to the ancient burial ground of the Clan MacNab.

Other suggestions for the area would be to visit Loch Katrine and take a cruise on the steamship Sir Walter Scott or if you're looking for something less tranquil how about an adrenaline inducing tree top adventure at Go Ape Aberfoyle?

The options are endless it's a fabulous area with lots to see and do.

Enjoy oh and don't forget The Kelpies. 

VisitScotlandHeather

You can do walking ghost tours in both Stirling and Edinburgh so I'd recommend trying to squeeze one of those in one evening... great entertainment and educational too