One of Scotland’s famous cities is kicking off festivities today as it celebrates its 900th anniversary.
Stirling is well-known as a historic town, with the castle and Wallace Monument attracting thousands of visitors every year.
Now, celebrating 900 years since King David I of Scotland decreed that Stirling would become a Royal burgh, a programme of new and scheduled events has been created to mark the milestone over the next 12 months.
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What’s happening today?
A ceremonial opening of the gates took place at Stirling Castle this morning at 9 am, involving the current Earl of Mar, James Erskine, and Stirling Provost, Elaine Watterson.
At 11 am, if anyone in the area is unaware of the event getting underway, they’ll know by then. The bells from the Church of the Holy Rude will begin ringing for an hour at that time.
Later today bookable events will be located in the Smith Museum between 1:30pm and 3:30 pm before the Wallace monument is lit up in a private civic reception at 5pm.
Stirling Council Leader, Cllr Chris Kane said: “Stirling 900 is a celebration of our past but it will also be an opportunity to look to the future, and the recent announcement about Stirling Studios shows our ambition to usher in a new transformational chapter in Stirling’s story.
“We have an exciting programme of events planned to mark the next 12 months, from international stars in concert to plays, exhibitions and a wide range of special events.”
New artwork
The main attraction today is the unveiling of a brand-new piece of artwork in the city centre created by local artist David Galletly. He’s created a colourful 30ft long illustration that will adorn one side of the square located across from the busy Stirling train station.
The artwork showcases some of the major moments of Stirling’s rich history over the past 900 years, from the Battle of Bannockburn to the opening of the University of Stirling, and mingles it with legends from the Stirling area such as William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, Sir Andy Murray and Billy Bremner.
David’s design was inspired by suggestions submitted by Stirling locals of all ages including children from Riverside Primary School.
Ayyub Rehman and Eilidh Patrick, P7 pupils at Riverside PS, said: “We are really impressed with the finished result, it will look brilliant to anyone visiting the area.
“We suggested that this should be creative, and we think that our voice is reflected in this design. We love it!”
“I'm Stirling born-and-raised and, despite feeling like I know the city intimately, this project has allowed me to make countless new discoveries about my hometown. Distilling 900 years into a single image is an impossible task but, by putting a spotlight on a select few characters, stories and tall tales. Hopefully the energy of the city is apparent for all to enjoy.”
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What’s happening over the next year to celebrate Stirling 900?
Some of the events already confirmed include a special edition of the Walking of the Marches, Stirling Summer Sessions, a Stirling 900 art exhibition, a symphonic laser spectacular at the Church of the Holy Rude , and events at the National Wallace Monument.
Stirling’s young people will also have the opportunity to get involved in the celebrations with a range of activities planned in schools.
For more information on Stirling 900 and the list of events, which will be added to throughout the next 12 months, visit: www.yourstirling.com/whats-on/stirling-900
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