Panorama taken from the banks of the River Forth. The picture shows both Stirling Bridge and Stirling New Bridge with reflections of clouds in the water.

River Forth and Stirling Bridge - Stirling visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'River Forth and Stirling Bridge' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Stirlingshire.

The River Forth flows 29 miles eastwards through central Scotland. The Forth begins Loch Ard in the Trossachs mountains some 19 miles west of Stirling. After meandering through Stirling, the Forth widens and continues east to Kincardine, where it becomes the Forth Estuary. Edinburgh is built on the souther side of the Forth Estuary. The River Forth is tidal east of Stirling.

In past times, Stirling played a vital role on the River Forth, with Stirling Bridge providing the easternmost crossing of the river, and Stirling Old Harbour being one of the most important ports in Scotland in the middle ages. Combined with the defensive position of Stirling Castle these helped secure the place of Stirling in history.

Being the lowest crossing of the Forth, Stirling Bridge has played a vital role in shaping the history of Scotland. All the armies marching north would cross the river here. It was here, on a wooden bridge, that William Wallace defeated the English in the 1297 Battle of Stirling Bridge. The National Wallace Monument nearby remembers him. The current stone bridge dates from 1500.

In 1525, Stirling Old Harbour was listed with the likes of Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh as one of the prime Scottish ports. However, the river was too shallow for larger, new ships and the harbour fell into decline, finally shutting during WWII.

Bus: Stirling New Bridge
Rad: Stirling Bridge stands next to Stirling New Bridge (A9) north of the town center at the junction with the A84.