20 Attractions to Explore Near Menstrie Castle

Menstrie Glen is the glen which separates Dumyat from Myreton Hill and the main body of the Ochil Hills in Scotland. Once farmed but no longer inhabited, it is now used for sheep pasture, a public water supply and recreation in the form of fishing and walking. A plan is under consideration for commercial forestry on the eastern and northern flanks of the Glen.

Myreton Hill is the hill immediately behind the village of Menstrie in the Ochil Hills of Scotland. The hill is an outlier in the southern part of the Ochil Hills. It is not quite as high as its neighbour Dumyat, from which it is separated by the deep Menstrie Glen, but Dumyat is a more popular walking destination. It was one of the iconic attraction in this area and also a good trekking destination.

Dumyat is a hill at the western extremity of the Ochil Hills in central Scotland. The name is thought to originate from Dun of the Maeatae. Although relatively small, the characteristic shape of the hill forms an important part of the distinctive scenery of the Stirling area, and it is often depicted in combination with the nearby Abbey Craig. The hill is a popular climb with tourists and visitors to the Stirling and Trossachs area, due to the historical nature of Stirling and the proximity of t

Cambus Pools is a wetland reserve with reedbeds, grassland and open water attracting waders, warblers and wildfowl. The pools are on riverside flats and are a prime example of space for nature squeezed in between commerce and industry. This makes it particularly special for local wildlife-lovers and Trust members.

Alva Glen is a spectacular gorge situated above the village of Alva at the foot of the Ochil Hills. It is a gem of a walk, offering broadleaf woodlands, waterfalls, paths with dramatic drops, and wonderful history about the Woollen Industry. To the north of the gardens, the path runs into a more rugged area offering views down into a steep gorge, it then passes the remnants of an old dam that supplied the mills with water.

Macrobert Arts Centre is Central Scotland's leading Arts Centre, providing Stirling and the Forth Valley with a fantastic programme of theatre, comedy and so more. The Arts Centre offers a varied programme of events and experiences – cinema, comedy, dance, exhibitions, family, get involved, music, opera and theatre – catering for audiences from across Stirling, the Forth Valley and beyond

This is an outstanding landmark and one of Stirling’s most striking visits - commemorating the life of Sir William Wallace, the patriot and martyr who came to be saluted as Scotland’s National Hero. Inside the Monument you will find yourself transported back to the 13th Century as you discover the story of the warrior who led the Scottish army to victory at The Battle of Stirling Bridge.

Abbey Craig is an isolated rocky hill which rises abruptly for some 300 ft. from the Carse of Stirling a quarter of a mile E. of Causeway head. Here stands the Wallace Monument and the characteristic crag and tail shape of the crag reflects this glacial shaping. The woodland supports a rich ground flora and fauna . The 3 waymarked trails are wide.

Sauchie Tower was built between 1430 and 1440 by Sir James Schaw, who came from Greenock. The tower is built of pink sandstone ashlar blocks, pinned with oyster shells. Externally the tower is very plain but internally it is much more elaborate, with ornate fireplaces, window recesses with bench seating, smaller rooms for family privacy and domestic comfort. There are now four storeys but the ground floor was once split into two levels and there were probably attic chambers in the roof.

Cambuskenneth Abbey is one of Scotland's most important abbeys and is home to a fine collection of medieval grave slabs and architectural fragments. The abbey today is largely reduced to its foundations, however its bell tower remains. The neighbouring modern village of Cambuskenneth is named after it.

Alloa Inch is an island in the tidal reaches of the River Forth near Alloa, just before the river opens out into the Firth of Forth. There is a derelict farmhouse on the island, as the land was farmed in the past. Due to subsidence caused by nearby coal mining, flood defences were breached. The land now consists of reed beds and salt marshes. The Scottish Wildlife Trust has managed the island as a reserve since 1996. The smaller islet of Tullibody Inch lies just upstream.

Stirling Old Bridge is a stone bridge which crosses the River Forth. For over 300 years it provided the lowest crossing point of the Forth and so had strategic importance. The bridge originally had arches at either end and a defensive gate at the end nearer the burgh. Tolls were levied on goods being taken across the bridge.

One of the largest and finest towers of its type in Scotland, it was home to the distinguished Erskine family, Earls of Mar, from the later 14th century until 1800. By 1693 a mansion, kitchen tower, brew house and other buildings had been added. In 1702 John, 6th Earl of Mar, began to convert the tower into an elegant modern house and created an ambitious and extensive planned landscape around his home.

The Engine Shed is Scotland’s dedicated building conservation centre, based in Stirling, open to the public for fun, free family events and to conservation professionals. It serves as a central hub for the general public and building & conservation professionals. It enables us to encourage understanding of traditional building materials and skills among the public and professionals and raise standards in conservation for traditional buildings.

Argyll's Lodging is the most complete surviving example of a seventeenth century town house in Scotland. It can be found in the upper part of Stirling, just below Stirling Castle's Esplanade. The house sits behind a screen wall and comprises a collection of buildings built in two phases and in three ranges around an enclosed courtyard.

Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs, giving it a strong defensive position. Its strategic location, guarding what was, until the 1890s, the farthest downstream crossing of the River Forth, has made it an important fortification in the r

The statue of Robert the Bruce on the esplanade at Stirling Castle, Stirling, is a 1876 work sculpted by Andrew Currie and designed by illustrator George Cruikshank. As of 2020, the statue is featured on the Clydesdale Bank £20 note. The stone sculpture depicts Robert the Bruce in chain mail with his hand on the pommel of his sword. To the back side is his shield and axe. On the plinth is a shield with a lion rampant. The figure faces south, towards the location of the Battle of Bannockburn. The

Ben Cleuch is the highest of the rolling Ochil Hills which lie to the NE of Stirling. . It is the highest point in the range, Clackmannanshire and the Central Belt of Scotland; the summit is marked by a trig point within a stone windshelter and a viewpoint indicator.

One of Scotland’s most important medieval churches, dating from 1456. The church was founded in 1129 during the reign of David I, but the earliest part of the present church dates from the 15th century. As such it is the second oldest building in Stirling after Stirling Castle, parts of which date from the later 14th century. The chancel and tower were added in the 16th century.

Stirling Old Town Jail was built in 1847 when the old Tolbooth Jail became too overcrowded and was rated as the worst prison in Britain. Although living conditions undoubtedly improved with the new jail, the strict regime of solitude, labour, coarse food and discomfort would still have been a deterrent. The building was still in use as a military prison until 1935.