Motorhomes For Sale Near Me
Looking to buy a motorhome in your local area? We are the local specialists and offer a wide range of motorhomes across a range of sizes and prices. We have motorhomes for sale in Callander and Dumbarton. We offer campervans in Dunblane, Stirling and Falkirk. Check out our range of motorhomes in Cumbernauld, Bathgate and Livingston.
Stirling (/ˈstɜːrlɪŋ/; Scots: Stirlin; Scottish Gaelic: Sruighlea [ˈs̪t̪ɾuʝlə]) is a city in central Scotland, 26 miles (42 km) northeast of Glasgow and 37 miles (60 km) north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its merchants and tradesmen,[3] the Old Bridge and the port. Located on the River Forth, Stirling is the administrative centre for the Stirling council area, and is traditionally the county town of Stirlingshire. Proverbially it is the strategically important "Gateway to the Highlands".
It has been said that "Stirling, like a huge brooch clasps Highlands and Lowlands together".[4][5] Similarly "he who holds Stirling, holds Scotland" is often quoted. Stirling's key position as the lowest bridging point of the River Forth before it broadens towards the Firth of Forth made it a focal point[6] for travel north or south.[7]
When Stirling was temporarily under Anglo-Saxon sway, according to a 9th-century legend,[8] it was attacked by Danish invaders. The sound of a wolf roused a sentry, however, who alerted his garrison, which forced a Viking retreat.[9] This led to the wolf being adopted as a symbol of the town[10] as is shown on the 1511 Stirling Jug.[11][12] The area is today known as Wolfcraig.[13] Even today the wolf appears with a goshawk on the council's coat of arms along with the recently chosen[14] motto: "Steadfast as the Rock".[15]
Once the capital of Scotland, Stirling is visually dominated by Stirling Castle. Stirling also has a medieval parish church, the Church of the Holy Rude, where, on 29 July 1567, the infant James VI was anointed King of Scots by Adam Bothwell, the Bishop of Orkney, with the service concluding after a sermon by John Knox.[16] The poet King was educated by George Buchanan and grew up in Stirling. He was later also crowned King of England and Ireland on 25 July 1603, bringing closer the countries of the United Kingdom. Modern Stirling is a centre for local government, higher education, tourism, retail, and industry. The mid-2012 census estimate for the population of the city is 36,440; the wider Stirling council area has a population of about 93,750.[17]
One of the principal royal strongholds of the Kingdom of Scotland, Stirling was created a royal burgh by King David I in 1130. In 2002, as part of Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee, Stirling was granted city status.
Callander is a bustling tourist town situated on the River Teith, near Stirling, and is often described as the gateway to the Highlands.
The pretty town of Callander lies immediately south of the Highland Boundary Fault which is historically a meeting point between the Highlands and the Lowlands.
This holiday town is a popular base for tourists exploring the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park and 'Rob Roy Country', or stopping off on their way up into the Highlands.
Set dramatically beneath high, wooded crags, the colourful town is crammed with teashops and souvenir shops. Callander gained fame as the location for the original Doctor Findlay's Casebook television series.
There are a number of popular walks in the area for visitors to explore. The beautiful Bracklinn Falls and the River Keltie have mesmerised people for generations, to the west footpaths and cycle tracks follow the old Callander to Oban railway, and from the summit of Callander Crags there are spectacular sweeping views over the town of Callander and beyond to Stirling and the Forth Estuary.
Dunblane is a small, attractive town which has been an important centre since the 7th century.
Situated a few miles north of Stirling, the town is believed to have been founded in 602 by the Celtic missionary, St Blane at a ford in the Allan Water. The town developed into a major stronghold of the pre-Reformation Church whose power was symbolised in the magnificent 13th century cathedral. Post-Reformation, the builidng fell into disrepair although restoration work carried out a century ago has now returned it to its Gothic splendour.
The cathedral stands serenely amid a clutch of old-world buildings, among them the 17th century Dean's House, which houses the tiny cathedral museum with exhibits on local history. Close by, the oldest private library in Scotland, Leighton Library houses 4,500 books in 90 languages printed between 1500 and 1840. Visitors can browse through some of the country's rarest books, including a first edition of Sir Walter Scott's Lady of the Lake.
The Allan Water is spanned by a 16th century single arch bridge as it flows through the town and there are a number of good riverside walks.
Accommodation, supermarket, shops and golf course are all available in Dunblane, making it an excellent place to take a short break. The town is easily accessible by train with services to all cities across Scotland, and by road. The city of Stirling lies only six miles south of the town.
Bathgate is West Lothian's second largest settlement.
With a history dating back to the 17th century, the town owed its growth to farming, weaving and, more recently, to car production and engineering. To learn more about Bathgate's history, be sure to visit the Bennie Museum whose the little cottage houses a permanent exhibition about the history of the town.
Nowadays, this bustling little town is well served with shops and eateries of all kinds. It also boasts a thriving night-life with plenty of popular pubs and entertainment on tap at the Regal Theatre or Chalmers entertainment venue.
For the more active, there's fishing and golf on offer while the town makes a good base for walking in the Bathgate Hills. Here you'll discover Cairnpapple Hill whose 4,000-year-old burial ground is one of Scotland's most significant prehistoric sites.