Wending their way in period costume through Stirling’s oldest cobbled streets, and bringing the city’s myths and legends to life, this week’s Local Heroes are Stirling Walking Tours and Stirling Ghostwalk.
Stirling Walking Tours welcomes you
Exploring the ancient and atmospheric streets of Stirling’s Old Town
The private walking tours are designed for groups and offer a selection of themed tours, such as Stirling Castle and the secrets of the Old Town, a private guided sightseeing tour of Stirling Old Town followed by visit to the mighty Stirling Castle. New tours now include the Stirling City Tour with Whisky and Craft Gin Tasting. This offers a unique journey round the sites, stories of the Old Town and City Centre, and takes in some boutique shopping in the Stirling Arcade. This is followed by a private whisky and craft gin tasting at a local independent specialist shop. Local experts explain the different malts and craft gins, with a chance to enjoy some tastings and samples.
For those interested in the heroes of Scottish history, Wallace and Bruce, Stirling Walking Tours have devised a fantastic tour based around the Wars of Independence. Hear the real stories behind William Wallace and Robert The Bruce. Get beyond the Braveheart myths and explore some of the highlights of Stirling.
But what was the inspiration for Stirling Walking Tours in the first place? We spoke to Director Jason Clark.
‘We felt there was a real opportunity to develop something special in Stirling with its cobbled streets and concentration of medieval buildings under the shadow of the Castle rock. Stirling is a leading destination for visitors: we think our guided tours really add to the range of tourist activities on offer – they’re the perfect complement to a visit to Stirling Castle’.
Jason explains that delivering Stirling’s history vividly is a key focus for the team: ‘We really enjoy delighting visitors with unusual tales from Stirling’s past. We’re passionate about Stirling and love bringing its history alive.’ And that passion has borne results – Stirling Walking Tours are not only rated 5 stars on Trip Advisor and invariably get great feedback from the people on their tours, but were a finalist in the regional Thistle Awards. Jason is rightly proud. ‘It confirms our place on the Stirling tourism map as a must-do, and highlights our commitment to providing unforgettable experiences for visitors to Stirling Old Town’.
To have earned such accolades, the tours are clearly top-notch – so how do the guides keep every walk fresh and spontaneous? David Kinnaird, guide for Stirling Walking Tours by day and Stirling GhostWalks by night, explains: ‘Although the formulae for the Old Town Tour and the Stirling GhostWalk are consistent, you rarely perform exactly the same tour twice. With the former, fact-based, tour I encourage audiences to ask questions, and those questions often lead us in very different directions – literally and metaphorically. The latter show is theatrical. I’m in character – usually as the 18th-century Happy Hangman, Jock Rankin – dealing with myth and legend and their peculiar intersections with local history. This offers lots of flexibility – a particular tale might be used comically one night, dramatically the next – and after 26 years’ writing and scripting the show, there are a LOT of tales to choose from. Both shows, in very different ways, keep me on my toes. The expectations of each audience are so very different, and prompt me to seek out new stories or facts.’
The Stirling GhostWalk, unsurprisingly, attracts a clientele with more specific interests: ‘Perhaps the oddest request involved me leading a group of trainee spirit mediums around famous sites in the Old Town, letting them sense … well … whatever it is they sense – and only THEN providing them with historical facts and tales from the folk-record which relate to the locations.’ It seems no two days are ever the same when you are a Stirling tour guide.
At this time of year, Stirling GhostWalks are in much demand, and explore many of the more unsettling corners of Stirling’s Old Town past. But David is unfazed: ‘The sites of the Old Town have never spooked me, appropriately enough, what with ME being the ghost! But in the darker months the Auld Kirkyard next to the Holy Rude can be very atmospheric. The moon shining on the grim and gruesome Momento Mori carvings on some of the 16th- and 17th-century headstones adds to the gothic mood. Lovely.’
Explore Stirling by day, and Stirling Walking Tours promise ‘an ever-changing mix of history, and storytelling, ’. Explore the city’s streets by night and you’ll enjoy ‘fear, fun and frights for boys and ghouls of all ages’. Two very different tours, delivered with the very same passion.
The city is brought to life with costume, story and drama
The tours are a perfect complement to a visit to the Castle
For details:
- Stirling Walking Tours offer private pre-boooked tours of Stirling Old Town: www.stirlingwalkingtours.com
- Stirling Ghostwalk offer spooky evening tours led by the ‘Happy Hangman’: www.stirlingghostwalk.com