One Fantastic Day Trip to Stirling from Edinburgh

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Stirling, known as the gateway to the highlands, is a fantastic day trip option from Edinburgh. Less than an hour’s train ride from Edinburgh, you don’t even need to rent a car! Stirling is filled with rich history and you can spend the day exploring historic castles, battle sites, and Hollywood film locations. A day trip to Stirling should be on everyone’s Edinburgh itinerary!

An orange-yellow historic building inside stirling castle in scotland served as a dining hall while the castle was actively inhabited — Building inside Stirling Castle

What you need to know about Stirling

General:

Stirling is in Scotland, which is part of the United Kingdom (not the EU). It’s a smaller town, so if you are gluten free like me, definitely plan ahead on snacks and find places to eat ahead of time (or check out what I had below!).

Language:

Everyone speaks English here, and they are all so friendly!

Money Stuff:

The currency in the United Kingdom is the Pound Stirling (GBP).

Safety:

I felt very safe here, the locals were all very friendly and it was fairly empty of tourists in April.

A wet cobbled street lined with brown and gray stone townhomes in stirling scotland — Stirling, Scotland

How to get to Stirling from Edinburgh

For your day trip to Stirling, you can take the train from Edinburgh Waverly and arrive in about 50 minutes. If your main draw is Stirling Castle, it doesn’t open until 9:30 AM, but always check to see if it is open when you are planning on going. We ran into this issue several times with historical sites being closed for renovations!

You can also drive in about 75 minutes. And if you have a car it will be easier to visit some of the other places like the Wallace Monument and Doune Castle on your day trip to Stirling.

Stirling Day Trip Itinerary

a street lined with compact cards and down stone townhomes leads up to a historic home with round turrets in stirling scotland — Be prepared to walk some hills!

We spent about 5 hours in Stirling, which was more than enough time for what we wanted to see on our day trip (minus the things that were closed). If you want to see the Wallace Monument then you need to plan for a few more hours since it does take time to get there and back on public transport.

Leave from Edinburgh Waverly

Edinburgh Waverly is the main train station in Edinburgh. It is right next to Princes Street which makes it easily accessible from many hotels in the area. If you are staying outside of the city center, check Google Maps for the best route for you! In case you didn’t know, Google Maps will show you the public transport and departure times from your current location to your destination. It is so convenient if you like taking day trips (like to Stirling) while you travel! But if you’re like me and want to arrive at the station on time with tickets in hand, book them online in advance!

PS - Make sure to get a window seat so you can take in the beautiful Scottish countryside!

Stirling Castle

Stirling Castle opens at 9:30 in the morning, but it wasn’t crowded at all when we arrived just after opening (Edinburgh Castle, on the other hand, was nuts!). Stirling Castle was honestly my favorite castle we visited in Scotland. The exhibits are very interactive, the views are spectacular, and I loved learning all the history of it.

Plan to spend about 2.5 - 3 hours here exploring the sprawling groups, taking photos, and seeing all the exhibits. Don’t forget to get your photo on the throne!

a woman sits on a wooden throne behind a large long wooden dining table with rich red velvet tapestries hanging on the wall behind her — I was a Queen on her throne (unfortunately only for a moment!)

Lunch

We went to Brea in Stirling, a traditional Scottish restaurant. I recommend getting one of the delicious burgers with a gluten free bun! Afterwards, grab a drink at the Curly Coo and try some Scottish Whiksy!

Argyll's Lodging

a pinkish brown standstone townhome on a wet cobbled street in stirling scotland is the former home of the earls of stirling known as argylls lodging — Outside of Argyll’s Lodging

The former home of the Earl of Stirling and the Earl of Argyll, this historic home is worth a visit while on your day trip to Stirling! The admission is included in a ticket to Stirling Castle. Unfortunately, it was closed when we went, so we were only able to take photos from the outside. Check VisitScotland.com for the most up to date information about many historical sites around Scotland. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is open by the time you are reading this!

Old Town Jail

This tour is SO fun. There is even an escape room if that if that is your thing! Learn from an actor in character about the history of the jail, some of the people who were imprisoned there, and see some breathtaking views of Stirling from the rooftop!

Holy Rude

The Church of the Holy Rude is a medieval church that you should definitely check out on your day trip to Stirling! It is the second oldest building in Stirling after Stirling Castle. The church served as the coronation sites for many Scottish monarchs too. It is beautiful!

Double check what time they are open for visitors on the day you plan on going on your day trip to Stirling!

Other Options outside the City Center

a large stone pillar stands high above the hill it is perched on. in the distance the rolling hills of the scottish highlands are visible, and the town of stirling is in the foreground — The Wallace Monument from Stirling Castle

Some of these options are easier to get to than others via public transport. The Wallace Monument is probably the most difficult because there isn’t a bus that goes directly there and it takes a little over an hour to get there. If you have a lot of time, it is definitely do able on your day trip to Stirling from Edinburgh!

Battle of Bannockburn
Wallace Monument
Doune Castle

Final Thoughts on One Fantastic Day Trip to Stirling from Edinburgh

Have I convinced you to visit Stirling yet? It make a fantastic day trip from Edinburgh, and is a great add on to your Scotland itinerary!

I also have a full guide and itinerary in One Week Scotland Itinerary Without a Car!