Day Trips from Glasgow: A Visit to Stirling Castle & Callander

Scotland is full of significant historic structures. Our history stretches back thousands of years, and we are one of the only nations who have kept many of those structures and landmarks intact over generations. One of our most remarkable structures that can be visited on one of our day trips from Glasgow is Stirling castle.

Stirling Castle is an incredibly important site for Scotland as it was a favoured residence of the Stewart kings and queens who held spectacular celebrations at the castle.

Stirling is also known as “The Key to The Kingdom of Scotland” because it was once one of the most significant strategic areas in Scotland.

Those that occupied Stirling Castle controlled the main route between Highlands and Lowlands.

The infamous battle, the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, which achieved almost four centuries of independence from England, was fought close by, with Stirling castle up for grabs as a prize.

Also, part of our day trips from Glasgow is a visit to the lovely tourist town of Callandar, often referred to as the “Gateway to the Highlands”.

Let’s delve a little deeper into both as we give you some insight into what you can expect one of these tours from Glasgow.

Day trips from Glasgow – what to do at Stirling Castle

When visiting Stirling Castle, you’ll feel like royalty. By spending a few hours here, you can revel in its magnificence with its outstandingly fashioned sculptures and gorgeous gardens just as knights, nobles and foreign ambassadors once did.

You and your family can even meet and engage with costumed characters that have taken on the roles of bodyguards, court officials, maids of honour and servants from the16th-century.

The staff are highly knowledgeable folk, with much information to share about the castles glory days.

A guided tour with them is educational and super exciting – a transcendent way for your children to learn about Stirling’s rich history.

They bring this history to life in considerable detail, making you feel as if you’ve time travelled to the past.

Enjoy some time in the palace vaults one can try out activities such as dressing in attire from those times and even play medieval instruments from that era.

Included in a visit to Stirling Castle is a chance to see the following: 

• The Great Hall
• Chapel Royal
• Castle Exhibition
• Regimental Museum
• Great Kitchens
• Tapestry Studio
• ‘Argyll’s Lodging’ – a 300-year-old guest house

Other activities at Stirling Castle:

If you’re feeling peckish, why not enjoy an authentic Scottish meal freshly prepared for you as you take in the gorgeous highland views surrounding this majestic place. The Unicorn Cafe is idyllically located and offers some fantastic food!

If you’re looking to do some trinket shopping (a common interest for many tourists), there are a few gift shops which sell a wide selection of souvenirs, gifts and more.

Everything you find here is related to the area of Stirling and its surrounds.

It is worth a visit with the whole family as you indeed will be taken back in time – there are even lovely gardens to relax in.

Now, for the bustling little town of Callandar.

Day trips from Glasgow: A few hours in Callander

After we have taken time to experience Sterling and its glorious castle, we will be spending some time in the historic town of Callander.

Situated on the River Teith, near Stirling, the place is truly wonderful, in every sense of the word.

This picturesque town is directly south of the Highland Boundary Fault – a historically significant meeting point between the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands.

The place is a tourist hotspot, with people visiting here from all over the world for over 150 years now.

Explore nature

If you are a cycling or hiking enthusiast, then you will want to come back here as soon as possible due to its broad selection of trails through the dramatic, lush-green landscape.

There’s an abundance of creeks, tiny waterfalls and rolling hills; like something out of a novel.

Callandar is a great starting point for exploring the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park or stopping off on your way up into the Highlands.

When we tell you its setting is dramatic, we mean the town itself sits beneath extremely high, wooded cliffs.

When we talk about hiking trails, there is the exceptional Bracklinn Falls and the River Keltie. To the west, there are footpaths and cycle tracks which follow the old Callander to Oban railway, and from the top of the cliffs, there are jaw-dropping views over the town and beyond to Stirling and the Forth Estuary. This place is heaven.

So, to experience the castle and the regions unrivalled beauty, book one of our day trips from Glasgow and it’ll be a day you never forget. Or, if you’d like to find out more, get in touch with us.