Stirling (council area)

infobox Scotland council area
Council= Stirling
Sruighlea






SizeRank= 9th
Size= 2,187 km²
Water= ?
AdminHQ= Stirling
ISO= GB-STG
ONS= 00RG
PopulationRank= 26th
PopulationDate= 2004
Population= 86,370
PopulationDensity=39 / km²
CouncilDetails= Stirling Council
http://www.stirling.gov.uk/
Control=
MPs=

• Anne McGuire

MSPs=

• Sylvia Jackson
• George Reid

Stirling ("Sruighlea" in Gaelic) is one of the 32 unitary local government council areas of Scotland, and has a population of about 85,000. It was created under the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994 with the boundaries of the Stirling district of the former Central local government region, and it covers most of the former county of Stirling (except Falkirk) and the south-western portion of the former county of Perth. Both counties were abolished for local government purposes under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

The administrative centre of the area is the city of Stirling.

The area borders the council areas of Clackmannanshire (to the east), Falkirk (to the south east), Perth and Kinross (to the north and north east), Argyll and Bute (to the north and north west), and both East and West Dunbartonshire, both to Stirling's southwest.

The majority of the population of the area is located in its southeast corner, in the city of Stirling and in the surrounding lowland communities: Dunblane and Bridge of Allan to the north, Bannockburn to the immediate south, and the three former coal mining communities of Cowie, Fallin, and Plean (known collectively as "The Eastern Villages").

The remaining 30 percent of the region's population is sparsely distributed across the rural, mainly highland, expanse in the north of the region. The southern half of this rural area comprises the flat western floodplain of the River Forth, bounded on the south by the Touch Hills and the Campsie Fells. North of the glen lie the Trossachs mountains, and the northern half of the region is generally mountainous in character.

Towns and villages

*Aberfoyle
*Ardchyle
*Ardeonaig
*Arnprior
*Balmaha
*Bannockburn
*Blair Drummond
*Boreland
*Bridge of Allan
*Brig o' Turk
*Buchlyvie
*Callander
*Cambuskenneth
*Campsie
*Cowie
*Craigdownings
*Craigruie
*Crianlarich
*Croftamie
*Doune
*Drymen
*Dunblane
*Fallin
*Fintry
*Gargunnock
*Inversnaid
*Killearn
*Killin
*Kinbuck
*Kinlochard
*Kippen
*Lecropt
*Lochearnhead
*Mid Lecropt
*Mugdock
*Port of Menteith
*Plean
*Raploch
*Rowardennan
*Strathyre
*Stronachlachar
*Thornhill
*Torbrex
*Tyndrum
*St Ninians
*Stirling
*Strathblane

Places of interest

*Carse of Lecropt
*Culcreuch Castle
*Inchmahome Priory (a ruined Augustinian priory on an island in the Lake of Menteith, used as a refuge in 1547 by Mary, Queen of Scots)
*Breadalbane Folklore Centre
*Cambuskenneth Abbey (formerly the seat of the Scottish Parliament)
*Doune Castle
*Falls of Dochart
*Falls of Lochay
*Glen Dochart
*Lake of Menteith
*Lecropt Kirk
*Loch Achray
*Loch Ard
*Loch Earn
*Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park
*Loch Katrine (The source of most of the drinking water for the city of Glasgow)
*Loch Venachar
*Moirlannich Longhouse
*Queen Elizabeth Forest Park (run by the Forestry Commission)
*Scottish Institute of Sport (on the grounds of Stirling University)
*Stirling Castle
*The University of Stirling
*Wallace Monument
*West Highland Way

External links

* [http://www.stirling.gov.uk/stirling_at_a_glance.pdf Map and census information (PDF document)]
* [http://www.stirling.gov.uk/ Stirling Council website]
* [http://www.stirling.gov.uk/index/council_homepage/elections.htm Stirling Council's information on the Scottish local government elections on 3 May 2007]