www.visitstirling.org/

Information on Stirling

www.visitfife.com

Tourist board website for Fife

www.visitscottishheartlands.com

Tourist board site for Argyll, Loch Lomond, Stirling and the Trossachs

From the east to the west, this area has mountains and lochs, woodlands, fishing villages and castles and gardens – plenty to tempt you back again.

Across the Firth of Tay from Dundee is the Kingdom of Fife – think golf, fishing villages and historic castles! St. Andrews is the jewel in the crown, a delightful town with university colleges dating back hundreds of years – and the beach which featured in the opening scene of ‘Chariots of Fire’. It is also world-famous as the home of golf and the British Golf Museum is fascinating for golfers and non-golfers alike! Also in St. Andrews are the Cathedral and the Castle (with a gloomy bottle dungeon), both in the care of Historic Scotland.

South of St. Andrews are the former fishing villages of Pittenweem (attractive houses), Anstruther (Scottish Fisheries Museum) and Crail; take your time to explore them or head inland to Falkland Palace (NTS) or Loch Leven, with the RSPB’s visitor centre, a twitcher’s paradise, and Lochleven Castle where Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned before she fled to England.

Near the town of Stirling are tributes to two Scottish heroes. The Wallace Monument towers above Stirling and the view from the top rewards those who tackle the long climb; the NTS’s visitor centre at nearby Bannockburn tells the thrilling story of how the Scots, led by Robert the Bruce, vanquished the English in 1314. Stirling Castle is worth a visit – it is considered by many to be even grander than Edinburgh Castle, so plan on spending at least half a day here.

The Trossachs (hills, lochs and woods) are said to encompass Scotland in miniature. Be sure to enjoy a cruise on board the steamship Sir Walter Scott on beautiful Loch Katrine which lies in the heart of Rob Roy Country and perhaps visit Rob Roy’s grave at Balquhidder. In Aberfoyle you can watch sheepdogs at work at the Scottish Wool Centre and take time to buy some gifts to take home.

Loch Lomond in the Argyll National Park attracts visitors from all over the world; stroll down to the loch-side at the village of Luss or visit the Park’s visitor centre at Balloch before taking a walk through the woods. On Loch Fyne is the town of Helensburgh, where you can visit Hill House, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, now owned by the NTS.

Dunoon is the gateway to the Cowal peninsula, a short trip from Gourock on the Firth of Clyde. Head north from Dunoon through this beautiful countryside and you come to Auchindrain Crofting Museum and Inveraray – visit Inveraray Castle and Inveraray Jail to get a glimpse of the high life and the low life! Or from the Cowal peninsula, you can take the short ferry journey across to the island of Bute to visit Mount Stuart, one of the most imposing historic houses in Scotland.

Oban is the gateway to several of the islands; you can reach Mull in forty minutes. South of Oban are Arduaine Gardens and Kilmartin Glen, where there are more standing stones, burial cairns, and cup-and-ring marked stones than anywhere else in Europe, plus Dunadd, a mysterious-looking hill, once a stronghold of the Romans and crowning place for the kings of Dalriada – the legend says that if your foot exactly matches the footprint on the rock, then one day you will rule Scotland!
 

View the Thistle Holiday Parks in Fife, Stirlingshire & Argyll