There is never a shortage of things to do in Stirling. With all sorts of historic attractions like Stirling Castle, the Wallace Monument and Old Stirling Bridge, visitors will be able to have a great trip without venturing far from the city itself.
Nonetheless, it would be a big mistake not to venture further, not least as Stirling is nicknamed the ‘Gateway to the Highlands’. The fact is that the Highland fault line is not far to the north and some of Scotland’s very finest mountain scenery is well within reach.
For that reason, eating out in Stirling should include fuelling yourself for a great trip to the peaks beyond.
The highest mountains in Scotland are known as the Munros, the 282 peaks over 3,000 ft deemed to be sufficiently separate from each other to constitute different mountains (often a bone of contention on a ridge of several summits). The nearest to Stirling are Stuc a’ Chroin and Ben Vorlich, lying on a ridge to the north-west of the A84 beyond Callander.
Not only can these two peaks be climbed together, but on a long summer day you can combine the trek with other, lower mountains. The route from the A84 will include Beinn Each, at 2,667 ft a mountain in the ‘Corbetts’ classification (peaks between 2,500 and 2,999 ft).
The third mountain category in Scotland is the ‘Grahams’, which applies to peaks between 2,000 and 2,499 ft. The closest mountain of all to Stirling is one of these, the 2,175 ft peak of Uamh Bheag.
Of course, there are many more mountains just a little further on, with the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park lying to the west, featuring the biggest lake on mainland Britain (Loch Lomond itself) and the southernmost Munro, Ben Lomond. The highest peak of all in this part of Scotland is the 3,982 ft Ben Lawers.
You’ll need the right gear and to be fit, of course, but don’t forget to eat some great energy food while you’re still in Stirling first.