History

Stirling plays a major part in Scottish history as the place where William Wallace turned back the English during the war for Scottish independence at the battle of Stirling bridge. The area pays tribute to the Scottish hero with the Wallace Monument (not a walk for the faint hearted but a free courtesy bus takes you up the hill!), Stirling Castle has also been the feature of a few sieges in its time and stands atop a rocky outcrop as the oldest building in the city.

The Wallace Monument near Stirling, Scotland, UK by Finlay McWalter

Attractions

Along with the monument and castle Stirling offers some other attractions locally, the Blair Drummond Safari park is just outside the city and is a great day out for the whole family, remember to take your barbecue food for the picnic area for after the drive through the big cat compound and boat ride round the chimpanzee island. For the older visitors there are whisky distillery local to the area with Deanston Distillery visitor centre recently opened making an excellent way to spend a few hours. A short drive from Stirling gives you the wide open countryside and some amazing loch side walks or the boat rides along Loch Katrine and Loch Lomond.

A little further afield you can visit Edinburgh which is only an hours drive or train journey away. Home to the Edinburgh Fringe and Edinburgh Tattoo during August Edinburgh can be a hectic place to be and a lot different to the sedate pace of a walk around the lochs! For those looking for something different Edinburgh is currently the only zoo in Great Britain to hold giant pandas (a booking in advance is recommended if you want to see them.)

Stirling Castle, Scotland, UK by Finlay McWalter

Shopping

The Thistle Centre in Stirling offers all the usual high street shops from major towns but if you step outside there are plenty of independent stores to have a look around.

Staying in Stirling

There are some great hotels in Stirling, from the budget to luxury hotel, from b&b to major chains there is something for everyone.

So if you visit Scotland and want to stay out side the major cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow take a trip to Stirling and enjoy the whole of central Scotland.

Looking for things to do elsewhere in the world? Visit the iflightsearch blog for some great ideas at some different destinations.

The post Things to do in Stirling, Scotland | United Kingdom appeared first on Best of European Union.

Now it would be easy to say for families it is a great idea to come in August when the Festival is on as this has enough entertainment and attractions for the whole country, but you may not be able to come then so instead, here are 6 great attractions that you can visit all year round.

Dynamic Earth

It may look a bit like a beetle of some kind or perhaps like a wonky copy of the O2 Arena in London but this exhibition centre nestled between the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood Palace and Arthur’s Seat, is a great place for a family day out. Dynamic Earth’s main feature is an exhibition on planetary evolution but with tons of other shows and events all year round there is always something new to see.

Edinburgh Castle

While very young kids may or may not appreciate the old walls and suits of armour, if you know your kids will get a thrill from visiting one of the most historic sites in the UK then you have to walk up the cobbled streets to the castle gates. Check out the cannons, the crown jewels and the amazing rooms filled with weapons.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, UK by Kevin Gibbons

Edinburgh Zoo

Only 10 minutes west of the centre of town Edinburgh Zoo is as family friendly as attractions come. You can teach your child about all kinds of species and enjoy seeing lions and giraffes and even giant pandas at the same time. Who doesn’t love the zoo?

Scottish Seabird Centre

It may be 30 minutes east of Edinburgh on the train but North Berwick is a beautiful town and home to one of the best Seabird attractions on the planet. You can expect great staff and fun and interesting stuff to do too.

Deep Sea World

Hop across the Firth of Forth and plunge into the brilliant world of the sea. This award-winning centre is home to hundreds of species of all manner of sea creatures and even has an underwater walkway that your kids will love.

Edinburgh Butterfly World

Yes it really is a world full of butterflies and only 20 minutes south of the city. You and your kids can walk into their habitat and see and feel them flying all around you. Then you can go through and see the centres amazing collection of weird and wonderful insects and bugs. They may be a bit gross for some but are always fascinating for children.

Edinburgh Butterfly World, Scotland, UK by Silversyrpher

Best thing about all these attractions is that they offer family discounts or cheap tickets for kids.

Agatha Jones helps run a wedding reception venue in Edinburgh. She has found that Edinburgh tend to offer better than expected facilities for kids.

The post 6 Great Family Attractions In Edinburgh appeared first on Best of European Union.