Shindigs, forensics, and fairies: It’s September!

by | Sep 8, 2016 | Blog

September is upon us, and you have to admit, there’s a fresh chill in the air as we teeter on the brink of autumn. But be of good cheer, because September happens to be one of Stirling’s most spectacular months! Check out these events …

Men with Coconuts, playing at The Shindig this weekend.

Men with Coconuts, hilarious high energy improv at The Shindig this weekend

Sir Moustache Bristleby and the Ed-splorers - spinning yarns to all ages at the Shindig

Sir Moustache Bristleby and the Ed-splorers – spinning yarns to all ages at the Shindig

Bloody Scotland 9-11 September

Far from being a ‘just Stirling’ event, Bloody Scotland is fast becoming a national literary treasure. Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival draws crime writers from all over the world to Stirling every September. And in this fifth year of the festival they include Stuart MacBride, Caro Ramsay, Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Chris Brookmyre and many more. The authors give unforgettable talks on crime and writing, and offer panels on everything from forensics to soil science and witness identification. There’s even a Scotland-England writers football match. If you love a crime thriller, you need to be in Stirling this weekend! For a full events line-up, see: www.bloodyscotland.com/

The Shindig 9-11 September

After three brilliant years, the Stirling Fringe Festival has relaunched as The Shindig: The Best Wee Party in Scotland. Despite the strapline, there’s nothing ‘wee’ about the Shindig. From its new residence in the Old Town Jail, the Shindig will host a performance marquee, an acoustic zone yurt where you can kick back and relax with some low key acoustics, as well as an open air music stage for the signature acts. There will be everything from live music and comedy, to children’s storytelling, street performers, ceilidhs, pipe bands, beer tastings and street food too. With much of it free, the Shindig is well worth a visit simply for the buzz. For full details of all events, see: http://stirlingfringe.com/

Doors Open Days

Doors Open Days is an annual event throughout Scotland each September. It does exactly what it says on the tin. It opens doors to the most fascinating buildings, sites and landscapes we have, whether large or small, grand or quirky. And it’s free. More than 800 buildings are expected to open, generating over 200,000 visits to sites and architectural gems in locations throughout Scotland. The website is brilliant – simply choose where you are or want to go, and you’ll find your listings. The Stirling Open Doors focuses on 10-11 September, an already busy weekend in the Stirling calendar, but there is plenty to see on other dates throughout September, so do have a browse: http://www.doorsopendays.org.uk/

Woodland Experiences

If you have kids who might find Stirling’s September a bit too hectic, how about leaving the city behind and heading outdoors for a bit of natural magic? Woodland Experiences operates from a family-tended woodland in North Ballochruin Farm in Balfron Station, just on the edge of Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Their ‘Fairy Experience’ event runs throughout September, with a magical fairy trail through the woodland, and light refreshments included in the £4 ticket price. While you are there you might also want to book up for their November Light Experience, and their Santa Experience for the festive season. Nothing like being prepared! For more information, see: http://www.woodlandexperiences.co.uk/

Searching for fairies in Ballochruin Woodland

Searching for fairies in Ballochruin Woodland

Enjoy the Fairy Experience throughout September

Enjoy the Fairy Experience throughout September

Photo credits:

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Stirling: your gateway to the Festivals

by | May 25, 2016 | Blog

We all love a festival – whether it be the world-famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe, or some of the intriguing new festivals to be found within a stone’s throw of Stirling. So if you want to immerse yourself in the Edinburgh mayhem, or find something closer to home, here’s our guide!

Henderson's Bistro at The Albert Halls, Stirling

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe – the International Arts Festival’s cheeky little brother

Edinburgh Festivals

Edinburgh’s streets are alive with impromptu performances during the Festival period

Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe run from 5-29 August and draw performers and audiences from across the globe. This international arts festival and its cheeky comedy sidekick are the largest arts festivals in the world – staging way more than 50,000 acts over a three-week period. The Edinburgh Festivals are where many of our best-loved actors and comedians earned their spurs, and if you want to ‘celebrity spot’, you should definitely spend some time in Edinburgh over the Festival period with a selfie stick at the ready. Bear in mind, though, that accommodation in Edinburgh is both extortionately expensive and booked out months in advance, so consider Stirling as your alternative base. A one-hour train ride will take you from central Stirling into the heart of Edinburgh, and it’s an attractive journey too. To find out more about the Edinburgh Festivals, see their websites: http://www.eif.co.uk/ and https://www.edfringe.com/

The Shindig is the name of the re-branded Stirling Fringe Festival. This three-day arts extravaganza runs 9-11 September in the grounds of Stirling Old Town Jail. The festival aims to celebrate Scottish culture of the past, present and future, and features everything from traditional storytelling and ceilidhs to cutting edge DJs, hip hop and contemporary art. The jail’s three stages will host live music, street performances, comedy, cinema, cabaret and much more, with a beer garden and food zone on hand too. Look out for impromptu street performances in central Stirling over the Festival. For more information, see http://stirlingfringe.com/

The Solas Festival takes place 17-19 June at Blackruthven, Perth, just 45 minutes from Stirling. The line-up spans everything from literature, music, and performing arts, to events aimed specifically at families like puppet theatre, adventure circus and outdoor ‘instinctively wild’ workshops. There will be lots of local food on offer, craft-brewed beer, and a bustling marketplace to enjoy too. For more information, see: http://www.solasfestival.co.uk/

Strathyre Music Festival, 27-29 May, is the largest small community-based festival in Scotland. It takes place in Callander, Perthshire, just 25 minutes from Stirling. Its wide music offering includes everything from traditional & folk to blues. Set in the beautiful natural amphitheatre of Strathyre, the Festival is inclusive, family friendly, and includes a Festival Market place for food and drink and local crafts. For more information, visit: http://www.balvaig.co.uk/

Mhor Festival, Lochearnhead, Perthshire, is definitely one for the foodies among us on 28-29 May. Bringing together some of Scotland’s top chefs alongside bread-making workshops, a raft race, a Bugsy Malone Bar (with splurge guns), a hog roast, afternoon teas, a Mhor Bake Off, omelette challenge and much more, this event claims to be one of the most unique in Scotland (and we’re inclined to agree). There’s a market, theatre, music and pop-ups. And for the kids there’s a mini Commonwealth Games, fairground stalls, entertainment with Magwitch Monsters and pot planting in the gardens too. That’s everyone sorted then! For more information, visit: http://www.mhorfestival.net/

Edinburgh Festivals

Comedy, dance and theatre at the Festival Fringe

Edinburgh Festivals

Audiences come from across the globe to Scotland’s festivals

Photocredits: © Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society

 

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Local Heroes: Green Aspirations

by | May 12, 2016 | Blog

Green Aspirations is a woodlands social enterprise whose mission is to inspire outdoor learning. They’re driven by a desire to see everyone re-connect with nature, not only to benefit the environment, but to improve health and wellbeing too. They’re a small, dynamic team, big on fun, and are this month’s Local Heroes.

Having fun outdoors at a Green Aspirations birthday party

Having fun outdoors at a Green Aspirations birthday party 

Bug hunting with Lorna at Green Aspirations

Bug hunting in the woods with Lorna

Just a 28-minute drive from Stirling city centre will take you to Balfron Station – at the edge of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park – and the woodland home of Green Aspirations. There, alongside volunteers, you will likely be welcomed by Louise, an award-winning community consultant and founding director of Green Aspirations; Paul, her partner and woodworker extraordinaire; or Lorna, bug expert and mastermind of the Green Aspirations holiday club, Wee Skelfs. Together, they deliver workshops, parties and volunteering projects that teach skills as varied as woodland management, whittling, axecraft, bushcraft, and green woodworking. All profits are ploughed back into sustaining the enterprise and widening its reach.

Green Aspirations is for everyone – from companies who commission team-building days and offer corporate volunteering, to kids having den-building birthday parties, to tourists who want to reconnect with nature. ‘Our holiday clubs give children a chance to get outdoors and learn more about their environment in a fun, hands-on way they might not otherwise be allowed to do. Then there are our family bushcraft days, which teach firelighting, bow and arrow-making, den building, campfire cooking and lots more, and encourage people to really think about nature for the first time. We can create days round a theme of their choice, from hunter-gathering, to bridge-building and more. But we’re not extreme – you won’t find us eating bugs or creating survival challenges – we share insights in a soft way for people who’re new to nature or who want to engage more with it at their own pace.’

So what keeps such a busy team motivated when money isn’t a factor? Louise answers without hesitation: ‘It’s being involved with nature – there’s a mindfulness about it. It’s good for the soul – and there’s scientific evidence to prove that being closer to nature is good for everyone. Also, it’s great seeing people change. One family come to us for a family bushcraft day, and the mum in particular was marked by it – gaining enough confidence to take her family hillwalking, make campfires and use her new skills.’

Between running their workshops, education projects, holiday clubs and kids’ birthday parties, the team are pretty busy, but that hasn’t stopped them taking on a challenging project of their own. Over the past year, they’ve built their own greenwood shelter from scratch, to provide cover when the weather isn’t great. ‘Previously we used tarps hung between trees but on wet days things could get muddy and we might be forced to cancel activities,’ Louise explains. ‘But we’re proud to be finishing off our new shelter which we’ve built entirely by hand, without electricity, and using only wind-felled trees found on site.’ Not only is their new greenwood shelter a handsome asset, it’s something of an emblem for what Green Aspirations are all about – working with nature, not against it, to improve your environment and have a whole heap of fun at the same time.

Getting muddy is never a problem at Green Aspirations

Getting muddy is never a problem at Green Aspirations

The team have worked hard on building ther own greenwood shelter over the past year

The Green Aspirations Team have worked hard to build their own greenwood shelter this year

 

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Stirling: your base for Scottish Castles

by | Apr 27, 2016 | Blog

For many, the lure to Scotland is a lot to do with its turbulent past, and the rugged romance of its landscape and legends. Nothing captures this spirit of Scotland like its castles, so here is a handful of the best, all within an hour from Stirling.

Stirling Castle Great Hall

The Great Hall, Stirling Castle

Doune Castle

Doune Castle, favoured by film crews the world over

See all of these with an Explorer Pass

Buy an Explorer Pass valid for 5 or 14 consecutive days and visit as many of these properties as you wish within that time – for no additional cost. You can even buy an Explorer Pass in person at the first property you visit. Multiple sites can be visited on any single day. You can visit a specific site only once, and the Palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh is not included. To buy your Explorer Pass: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/explorer-passes/

Stirling Castle

Perhaps one of Scotland’s most important castles, and one of its largest, Stirling Castle sits majestically on a tall volcanic crag in the heart of the city of Stirling, gazing over to the Wallace monument atop Abbey Craig. The castle’s strategic position overlooking the River Forth has made it a pivotal fortress in Scotland’s history, as gateway to and from the Scottish Highlands. Though its history can be traced back to ancient times, its royal residents greatly expanded the Castle throughout the 1500s adding the Great Hall, the Chapel Royal, and Palace. The Castle has been at the centre of Scottish history for centuries, overseeing the Battle of Stirling Bridge, the crowning of Mary Queen of Scots, and the Wars of Independence, to name just a few of its key events. Take a moment to enjoy the view from the battlements over to the Vale of Menteith, the Ochils and the southern Highlands. This is a great source of further info: http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z3944wx. For information on admissions, see:  https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/stirling-castle/

Doune Castle

Just eight miles from Stirling, Doune Castle has become the darling of film crews the world over, attracting the makers of Outlander, Game of Thrones, and The Outlaw King, to name just  few. The striking medieval castle was the seat of the Duke of Albany, Scotland’s ‘uncrowned King’ who effectively ruled Scotland from 1388 to 1420. Thereafter, it served as a royal retreat until 1603, when James VI left for London to become James I. Doune Castle’s unique silhouette is characterised by its commanding 100ft high gatehouse, within which you will find the Duke’s Hall, musicians’ gallery, double fireplace and oak carvings. For more detail on this stunning 14th century castle, how to get there, and admission, see: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/doune-castle/

Edinburgh Castle

Jump on a train to Edinburgh and within the hour, you’ll find your train carriage overshadowed by the imposing presence of Edinburgh Castle. Its place on Edinburgh’s most strategic volcanic crag can be traced back more than 1,000 years, and in the 15th and 16th centuries, was Scotland’s primary royal residence. The Castle holds articles of great national significance, including Britain’s oldest Crown Jewels ‘The Honours of Scotland’, as well as the Stone of Destiny, the ancient Scottish coronation stone, taken by Edward I in 1296 and returned in 1996. Set your watch by the one o’clock gun, and visit Mons Meg, the late medieval siege cannon that glares out over the city from its crag-top battlements. You’ll get unrivalled views across Edinburgh too. For information and admission, visit: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/edinburgh-castle/

Linlithgow Palace

Just 21 miles’ drive will take you to Linlithgow’s 15th century palace. Birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, and a refuge for Edinburgh’s brightest students during the Great Plague, Linlithgow Palace is a beguiling place with a fascinating history. Built by the Stewart kings, this was a royal retreat rather than a fortress, offering a tranquil hideaway at a convenient location between the key seats of Stirling and Edinburgh. This commanding loch-side ruin appeared in Outlander, and is also an important haven for wildlife and migratory birds. For details and admissions, see: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/linlithgow-palace/

Blackness Castle

Just 27 miles from Stirling is Blackness Castle, on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth. Outlander crews used this formidable fortress to depict the Fort William headquarters of Black Jack Randall. Built as a garrison fort and state prison, the austere castle offers expansive views across the Firth of Forth to Fife, as well as Scotland’s celebrated three Forth Bridges – well worth a visit with a pair of binoculars. For information and admissions, see: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/blackness-castle/

Aberdour Castle

Drive just 32 miles from Stirling and you will find Aberdour Castle on the Fife coast. This 12th century castle appears in Outlander as the French monastery Sainte Anne de Beaupré. Arguably the oldest standing stone castle in Scotland, Aberdour also boasts lovingly tended walled gardens and views overlooking the Forth. For more information and admissions, see: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/aberdour-castle-and-gardens/

Linlithgow Palace

Linlithgow Palace has a tranquil loch-side setting

Edinburgh Castle

The view up to the imposing facade of Edinburgh Castle

Photo credits:

  • Stirling Castle Great Hall: By Christian Bickel (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.0 de (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/de/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • Linlithgow Palace: Paul Taylor [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • Doune Castle: By Wikifan75 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • Edinburgh Castle: By Ad Meskens (Own work) [Attribution, CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

 

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Spring and summer breaks in Stirling!

by | Apr 13, 2016 | Blog

Life: it’s all about breaking it up into little enjoyable chunks, isn’t it? So, now that the Easter chocfest is over, and most of us have seen off our kids back to the school gates, we’re thinking about the next holiday!

 

Grade C Listed Victorian villa - Gladstone, perfect for a summer break

Relax by the log burning stove in Gladstone, in the heart of Stirling’s King’s Park

Grade C Listed Victorian villa - Gladstone's master bedroom

Master bedroom luxury, Gladstone

Short and sweet Bank Holidays

The English and Scottish May bank holidays coincide on 2 and 30 May – giving us two great opportunities for a week or more away for the price of a mere 4 days’ annual leave. The key thing about bank holidays is location – you don’t want to waste too much time travelling to your base. And once there, you want to squeeze in as many experiences as humanly possible in a short space of time. Slap bang in the heart of Scotland, Stirling is the perfect place for just such a break. Not only is it the gateway to the Highlands (heck, you can be in the wilds of Glencoe in under two hours!), but its central location opens up both Glasgow and Edinburgh as easy day-trip destinations too. From Stirling, you can even experience both Scotland’s east and west coastlines – either can be reached in around an hour by car. If you’re planning on using your holiday home as a day-trip base (and have an eye on your whole-year holiday budget), have a peek at our bright, beautiful and affordable apartments at www.budgetaccommodationstirling.co.uk. They might be just what you’re after. To find out more about why Stirling could be just right for your short spring or Bank Holiday break, give us a call on +44 (0) 7730 145 965.

Lazy luxury summer holidays

Summer holidays are all about feeling relaxed – kicking back, forgetting work and responsibilities. With longer breaks, it’s essential too that you feel at home and cared for in your holiday accommodation. That’s why our portfolio of luxury cottages and apartments have every comfort you could possibly wish. Unwind in front of Gladstone’s log-burning stoves with a glass of wine, or enjoy a secluded barbecue in its enclosed gardens – all in the heart of Stirling’s prestigious King’s Park. If you’ve a family or group celebration in mind, Park Terrace is the perfect property – comprising extensive gardens, a hot tub, sauna and even a bar area. Luxury comes in all sizes too – couples and small families will love the cosy cottage feel of Pear Tree House and Redcarr Lodge, for example, all with our warm and attentive customer service. Browse all of our fabulous properties at www.stirlingselfcatering.co.uk/properties

Our people

But why, when you’ve the whole word to choose from, should you choose Scotland for a holiday? After all, you can find nice views and a luxury apartment anywhere in the world. Well, we think that Scotland’s people are something special, and it seems that 2015’s visitors wholeheartedly agree. Nearly 6,000 tourists were surveyed by Visit Scotland* last summer, and their top three descriptions of Scots were ‘friendly’, ‘helpful’, and ‘welcoming’. More than 80 percent of visitors said that Scotland’s people actually added to their holiday experience. If you want to find out more about what makes us tick, look out for the hashtag #ScotSpirit on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see just what we mean about our brilliant, warm and helpful people. By the way, we’ve a few of them working right here in the office, ready to help plan your unforgettable holiday

Park Terrace has extensive gardens and facilities - perfect for a summer break

Park Terrace has extensive gardens and facilities perfect for a special gathering 

Cosy cottage charm at Redcarr Lodge - perfect for a summer break

Cosy cottage charm at Redcarr Lodge

*Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-35774291

 

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