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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Remembering WW1

LINES written to Private A. DRUMMOND as a token of esteem, from a chum in the Black Watch, being the combined thanks for the splendid sacrifice when giving some of his own blood to save a brother comrade, while in an American Hospital in France. JUST a line or twa,

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The Tomb of King Robert the Bruce

King Robert the Bruce died on 7 June 1329. His body was buried in Dunfermline Abbey and his heart was taken on crusade by Sir James Douglas. Douglas got as far as Teba in Spain, where he was killed in battle with the Moors. The heart was returned for burial

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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

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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

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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

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