Santa the Bruce – Stirling Christmas Cards

With three more posting days to Christmas, take a look at this Stirling card of 2004 which was in MP Anne McGuire’s annual Christmas Card Competition. Christmas cards have changed in the last ten years. The ecard market has grown; messaging on social media platforms is free and popular; schools

Continue reading

Stirling from the Castle, 1908, Watercolour by T Nichol

  This watercolour of 1908 is a new gift to the Stirling Smith collections by Susan Power. Nothing is known of the artist T. Nichol. He is absent from the usual exhibition lists and art dictionaries, but this work shows him to be an artist of considerable talent. The view

Continue reading

The Art of Ailsa Black

    The end of a significant year for Stirling, and the historic, 140th anniversary year for the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, will be brought to a colourful conclusion by an exhibition of the work of the Scottish artist Ailsa Black. Weather forecasters have promised a snow- free

Continue reading

St Fillan’s chain, from a healing pool at Killin

The six links of the chain of St. Fillan, Killin, in the Stirling Smith collections are not much to look at, but they can be counted among the treasures of the Smith. They caught the imagination of a group of students at the University of Western Australia who made a

Continue reading

Stirling Castle Quilters

The Stirling Castle Quilters were established twenty years ago, following a major exhibition on Scottish quilting at the Stirling Smith. They are celebrating their achievements in a Smith exhibition which runs until the end of the month. There are over 60 colourful quilts, with many hangings, cushions, bags and other

Continue reading

Lecropt Kirk, Remembrance Window, Bridge of Allan

Most stained glass windows are about remembrance. Today’s story concerns a detail of the magnificent four light chancel window, the gift of Lawrence Pullar in 1911, in the historic Lecropt Kirk, Bridge of Allan. The subject is taken from Psalm 150, ‘Praise God in his sanctuary…..Praise Him with the sound

Continue reading

Bluebird Buses, W Alexander & Sons Ltd, Raploch

Most of us have forgotten that Stirling was at one time a centre for the coach building industry, with the main coach works sited where Marks & Spencer now is, in Murray Place. The Raploch coach building works of W. Alexander and Son was set up in Drip Road in

Continue reading

McAree Brothers, Knitting Heaven

McAree Brothers, established in 1878, are described by current fans familiar with their shop in King Street as “knitting heaven in Stirling” on account of their yarn stock and knowledge of the world of knitting. As can be seen from this photograph of c1900, they have always had a close

Continue reading

Arts & Crafts Movment in Stirling

Today’s object from the Stirling Smith collections is an arts and crafts oak cabinet which has a door decorated with gesso. It was made by the furniture maker Henry T. Wyse and was part of the furnishings of No. 1 The Homesteads, Stirling. It was left to the Smith by

Continue reading

Sporting Excellence in Bridge of Allan

The University of Stirling is well–known as Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence, a designation by the Scottish Government in recognition of the contribution made to Scottish sport. From the start of the University, the Gannochy Sports Centre was open to the local community. In 1981, the now-famous golfer Colin Dalgleish

Continue reading