Gartincaber Tower -The Heart of Scotland
‘Stirling, Scotland’s Heart’ was an advertising campaign of 2012, but the idea has been current for much longer. In 1799, Gartincaber Tower was built by William Murdoch of Gartincaber House on a hill to the east of Doune to mark the centre of Scotland. There are different ways of calculating
Coal Mining Heritage
Last week, Stirling Council launched a mining heritage website , which features information held in Stirling Libraries and Archives, and the information boards from the Stirling Smith’s Polmaise exhibition of last year. The collection is always growing. A recent gift to the Smith is a rope-suspended wooden swing of the
King Robert the Bruce
The story of King Robert the Bruce has been told and re-told ever since he captured England’s best poet, Robert Baston, at the battle of Bannockburn and made him write a poem on the great Scottish victory. Baston took 20 years to do it, and there have been many versions
A Stirling Cup of Tea
This delightful cup, saucer and plate set is a recent gift to the Stirling Smith collections by Mr William Fraser. The cup features the Old Bridge of Stirling, the saucer has a print of Stirling Castle and the plate has a composite view of Cambuskenneth. The views on these English
Stirling Castle from Raploch by Rushbury, 1946
This fine Stirling view is a recent addition to the Stirling Smith collections, secured thanks to funding from Stirling Common Good Fund and through the voluntary services of friend of the Smith Dr Robin Campbell. Sir Henry George “Harry” Rushbury (1889 –1968) was an eminent and accomplished painter and etcher
Thomson’s Carriage Works
Today’s object from the Stirling Smith collections is an advertising card for the firm of George Thomson, Carriage Builder, issued at the Edinburgh International Industrial Exhibition of 1886 and showing two of his carriages. It is a recent gift to the collections from Mrs Jane Millar. The firm of George
Forth Vineyards
Today’s objects from the Stirling Smith collections are a porcelain sugar bowl and cream jug, hand painted with “A Present from Stirling”. They were recently gifted by Anne Muirhead of Gargunnock, and they reference the Kippen Vine, planted 1891. By 1922, the Kippen Big Vine was acknowledged to be the
Happy Feet
The Stirling Albion exhibition has only another week to run at the Smith, but the good news is that some of the treasures loaned for the exhibition will be staying in the Smith collections – like this rare Albion shirt of 1948 and the clock ‘Presented by the Directors of
The Wallace of the Sikh People
Wallace, who liberated Scotland, is the very first national liberator. Others in search of freedom who came after him have always acknowledged that. The Scottish colliers in the 18th century who were serfs, organised themselves intoSir William Wallace Lodges of Free Colliersto establish their freedom. Garibaldi in the 19th century
Cowane’s Hospital
Here is an image of how Cowane’s Hospital should look – pristine, white and cared for, as shown in this model from the Stirling Smith collections, made by Aberdeen man George W Reid. As most people know, Cowane’s has long awaited refurbishment and improvements. The Heritage Lottery upgrade will soon