The Valley Cemetery
This photograph, taken by Stirling photographer Alexander Crowe, shows the cemetery in its early years. The layout was completed in 1857 and the first burial took place then. The scheme was devised by Charles Rogers, promoter of the Wallace Monument and financed by seedsman William Drummond. ‘The Valley’ was a
Stirling by Horatio MacCulloch
This is one of three works by the eminent Scottish landscape painter Horatio MacCulloch (1805 – 1867) in the Smith collections. The view looks towards the old town of Stirling and the castle on the rock from the hills at Bannockburn. The bottom half of the composition is seen in
Lunchtime, 1984
A feature of the Painting Stirling exhibition at the Stirling Smith is the work of the eminent American – British artist, Mary Louise Coulouris (1939 – 2011). She trained at the Chelsea and Slade Schools of Art in London, and in the Ecole des Beaux – Arts and Atelier 17
Old Coffee House, Bow Street
In 1902, the architect J S Fleming published a book, The Ancient Castles and Mansions of the Stirling Nobility. It had hundreds of drawings, mainly of the buildings in the Top of the Town which have long since been demolished. Another artist, Alexander Douglas Junior, visited some of the buildings
King Street in 1860
Here is a King Street that none of us have ever known. It is only a small section of the street, but it is tightly packed with businesses. On the left is Angus Ewing, Stabling, then Vance’s Boot and Shoe Warehouse, where a street level entry gives access to Alexander
Stirling Painted: capturing the beauty of the landscape on canvas
The current Stirling Smith exhibition, supported by the Friends of the Smith, sets out to show how Stirling was painted throughout the ages. Among many old friends are two new additions to the collection, gifted by Annabel Young of Dunblane and painted by the artist B Rounthwaite. Both show Stirling
Stirling “Carnegie” Library
I am ashamed to admit that it has been many years since I was inside this well-known and much loved local landmark Stirling’s Library has been open since 1904, the foundation stone of which was laid by Mrs Louise Carnegie, on 11th October 1902 Regular subscribers to this blog will
Butt Well, Stirling
A well- known landmark, to locals at least, the Butt Well is unfortunately not on the “Bucket List” of most Tourists visiting Stirling Until I came across the image, while volunteering at The Smith, I am ashamed to say that it was a local landmark of which I had
Old Stirling Bridge
11th September is the 716th anniversary of William Wallace’s famous victory of the Battle of Stirling Bridge and to mark it is a painting of Old Stirling Bridge, 1915 by James Bisset Crockart (1885 – 1974). This purchase was made possible with grants from the Stirling Common Good Fund and
Hay’s Music Store – Stirling
It would take a book to assess and appreciate the effect of Hay’s Music Store on the cultural life of Stirling over the generations. Before its closure in 1996, the Store was in Friar Street, but previous locations were in Barnton Street and Murray Place. The Hay family served and