stirling and forth valley newsletter 2014

1

Good luck to us

all in the 2009

Tourist Season.

In the year of

The

Homecoming

Explore Scotland News

Would you believe that we have been producing

the Explore Stirling Guides since 1999, fifteen

years! In these fifteen years we have seen a lot

of change in how we access the tourist market,

how the visitors are looking and finding infor-

mation for their holidays.

The big change in this time has been how the

tourism industry has had to embrace the inter-

net. Back in 2000 many holiday makers arrived

in their destination and headed for the Tourist

Office to collect information. Today visitors do

much of their planning on line.

Our focus as Explore Scotland has been to pro-

vide information on specific areas of Scotland,

much of which does not have a web site or

championed by some business or enterprise. I

call these the gold nuggets, the special pieces of

information, that when you are on holiday make

your holiday a bit different.

Our new Explore web sites (new in 2012), have

made use of the latest technology. They are ac-

cessible through all types of devices from mobile

phones, tablets, net books to desk top comput-

ers. They use Google language translator (for all

those whose first language is not English),

Google Maps to show locations and a direction

planner through out the web site. There is also a

Trip Planner on each Explore web site, where

visitors can go round the web site collecting all

the things that catch their eye from Events to

attractions and those ‘gold nuggets’ that they do

not find on other sites. They can print this off

and bring it with them on holiday, to remind

them what caught their eye when they were do-

ing their holiday research.

We have also learnt that Events can make a big

Explore Stirling and Forth Valley Tourism News.

Written by the businesses themselves.

April 2014

Explore Scotland Ltd

01796 473335

The newsletter

Gives you the latest Stirling

tourist business news

Written by the businesses

themselves

Stirling

Newsletter 2014

Once upon a time, a

few years past,

tourism businesses

collected information

for their customers at

Start of the Season

Leaflet Days.

These events by and

large do not happen

any more!

This publication

brings you news

direct from other

tourism businesses in

the area.

2

Explore Scotland News (cont).

Explore Stirling Tourism Newsletter 2014

difference to people’s holidays. Events are

generally scattered across a whole host of

web sites, that most holiday makers will

never have the time nor the energy to trawl

through. So we have specialised in pulling

the events together in place and

made them highly usable (see the

article on page 3).

The big hitters on the Internet.

The big money generators on the

internet are the accommodation

booking engines, (see article on

page 11), which charge commis-

sion to the owners and the pur-

chaser, making millions in the pro-

cess.

None of us like to travel to a desti-

nation not knowing where we are

going to stay. It would be a real

lottery and highly stressful. So we

search, taking time to work out

where we can stay and our broad

travel itinerary, while we are still at

home. The hour by day plans are often left

for when we are on holiday, such as where

we are going to eat, and do.

Despite all this technology people still like

to have something they can read in their

hand, preferably with maps to help them

make these decisions. This is where our

Explore Guides fit, the Explore guides do not

sell accommodation, which we believe is for

the internet, but it does set out to promote

the area in a easy to use informative style

(no graffiti adverts, where businesses buy a

space and splash what ever they want on it,

trying to out compete the other spaces sold

in the publication). We control the infor-

mation format and style. Many visitors

tell us they collect the guides for the

different areas and take them home as

their holiday souvenir.

Accommodation providers are part of

the Explore Scotland team. The Explore

guides were developed back in 2000

with lots of excellent feedback and

constructive criticisms from accommo-

dation providers that have shaped to-

day’s Explore Guides. Our objective has

always been to give accommodation

providers a reasonable quality publica-

tion, that promotes their area to their

guests. Maps supported by good infor-

mation helps them learn the choices

they have and hopefully encourages

some of them to stay longer and others

to come back again, as there was so much

to do.

We would like to take this opportunity

to wish Destination Stirling the very

best of luck. We know a number of

local Stirling business people have

been working VERY hard behind the

scenes over the years to bring this

government funding in to Stirling to

help take Stirling’s Tourism offering to

a new level.

I ask that you all give Geoff Morrison

and the rest of the Destination Stirling

your full support and do not sit on the

side lines and whinge. Please join

them, give them your constructive

comments and ideas!! James Rattray

Explore Scotland Ltd.

Destination Stirling Ltd has an-

nounced the appointment of Geoff

Morrison as the new Destination Man-

ager for the Stirling area.

Funded by Scottish Enterprise; Desti-

nation Stirling is a newly established

industry-led destination organisation

aimed at bringing tourism businesses

together to drive forward the tourism

agenda for Stirling.

Destination Stirling will act as a voice for the

tourism industry, lobbying to a range of local

and national bodies on issues which impact

on the tourism infrastructure and future

tourism growth prospects of the area. As

well as marketing the area Destination Stir-

ling will also provide regular training oppor-

tunities and useful networking events for

local tourism businesses. There will also be

a series of customer service and product

development initiatives intro-

duced across Stirling.

Douglas Ross, owner of Al-

lanwater Brewhouse and Karene

Aitchison, Sales and Business

Manager at Stirling Management

Centre both co-chair Destination

Stirling.

“We are delighted to welcome

Geoff Morrison onto our team at

such a crucial time for Stirling.

Destination Stirling heralds a

new era for tourism in Stirling

and this new organisation aims

to command the attention of the

trade, visitors and all stakehold-

ers in the industry. I feel the

portfolio of experience that Geoff

brings to the role will greatly

enhance the success of this

project”.

Geoff Morrison studied at Stirling

University and has close to ten

years’ experience working in the

Scottish tourism industry, prior

to his appointment he held the position of

Marketing Manager at Crieff Hydro - Scot-

land’s Leading Leisure Resort. To find out

more visit www.DestinationStirling.com or

[email protected]

New Destination Manager Appointed for Stirling

3

Our wish list of things, that we feel,

Destination Stirling could do, to

make a difference to Stirling Tour-

ism?

1. Stirling Castle, a massive attraction,

the jewel in Stirling Tourism’s crown, bring-

ing in huge numbers of people to Stirling

each year. Alas many of these people ONLY

visit the castle when they are in Stirling!!

Historic Scotland’s web site dated June

2012 “Stirling Castle, in second place,

(after Edinburgh Castle) saw a massive 17%

more visitors year-on-year with 441,924

through the gates.”

I was told this year, that a survey was con-

ducted (not sure when), that came up with

the statistic that 83% of people who visit

Stirling Castle do NOT do anything else in

Stirling. So only 75,127 of these people will

have had a direct benefit to another busi-

nesses in Stirling.

I am not sure how true this figure is, but it is

a figure I know, reflects what many other

businesses in Stirling suspect.

Stirling Castle’s web site hails the fact that

“Stirling Castle named as one of top 40

experiences in Europe by Lonely Planet”

which should be brilliant news for Stirling.

But is it really?

See www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/lonely-planet

I have long argued that Stirling Castle is

owned by the people of Stirling and in turn

Scotland. It is managed on behalf of the

people of Stirling and Scotland by Historic

Scotland, an organisation that does a su-

perb job in so many ways, no doubt collect-

ing huge amounts of revenue for the Scot-

tish Government.

BUT in common with many of the attractions

that Historic Scotland manage, from their

head quarters in Edinburgh, there is VERY

POOR local accountability. There is next to

no monitoring on what the attraction does

to work directly with other local tourism

businesses.

Let me give you a local example to Stirling.

On the next page you will read about Stirling

Walking Tours a private initiative to have

something happening for tourists at the top

end of town, Historic Stirling. While this new

venture is trying to establish itself, it finds

last summer, Historic Scotland in August,

giving out free walking tours, with absolutely

no reference to this new venture that is on

their doorstep.

I am sure Historic Scotland will come out

with a lot of rhetoric, telling us what a su-

perb job they do in Stirling, which is true in

many ways. BUT until they address this is-

sue of people ONLY visiting Stirling Castle

and work out with other tourist businesses ,

they will be letting Stirling down. Maybe this

is an opportunity for Destination Stirling, to

show it can make a difference? Can Desti-

nation get this fabulous attraction working

in a meaningful way with the many other

businesses in Stirling? In my opinion, Stir-

ling is being let down by this jewel in its

tourism crown!

2. Accommodation, we distribute our

Explore guides to a number of areas across

Scotland. We have a spread sheet which

records all the hotels, B&B, Guest Houses,

Campsites we can find in each area. Stirling

has always been light in accommodation

compared to other areas of Scotland.

I know when I speak to businesses in the

town they tell me on occasions they find it

hard to identify where there are available

beds to send visitors.

So my next wish for Destination Stirling, to

make a difference, is to have a system, that

allows your members (which should be all

tourism businesses in the Stirling area), to

record their availability. It should be free of

charge and all accommodation providers

and businesses can direct visitors to availa-

ble rooms in the area.

One of the national accommodation lodges

in the Stirling area, told me their property is

one of the busiest in the UK and yet I am

told by other accommodation providers that

there is spare capacity.

I ask Destination Stirling to ask its accom-

modation providers what they think will

work, what they believe will help. This could

be done quite simply through Survey Mon-

key and then a pilot group to come up with

a possible solution to share with its mem-

bers, BEFORE any funds or construction

costs are committed.

3. One Day Destination. Stirling is

seen as a one day visit, by many people. I

suspect, if I read some of the travel guides,

they will recommending a one day visit. Why

do so many people travel to Stirling from

Edinburgh for the day?

So my next wish for Destination Stirling to

make a difference, is to stop and ask your-

self and your members what Stirling has to

do to be more than a day trip?

Stirling has so much going for it and many

has not established what Stirling is about.

What makes Stirling unique? What sets

Stirling apart from all these other great plac-

es in Scotland for visitors to visit?

Again I suggest Destination Stirling gets a

pilot group of its members to brainstorm

this subject and come up with what its

members think sets Stirling apart.

What do I think?

Stirling Castle, the NEW Bannockburn Cen-

tre and the Wallace Monument are three

MUST see destinations. BUT how do we

make visitors, who only come to Stirling for

a day, leave feeling they have missed out?

I am told there are seven battle sites

around Stirling. Is it possible to highlight

these sites? Is there anything there?

Stirling was at the heart of the Scottish

Wars of Independence,. Independence is a

term that resonates with nations and cul-

tures across the world. Is this 13th century

struggle worth make more of? Is there an

opportunity of putting a story together that

joins up the three great historic attractions

in away that tells a much bigger story?

One final thought, Stirling is a hard place to

beat, in terms of location , it is on the main

road and rail network. Now how about Desti-

nation Stirling getting the message out that

people should use Stirling as their base

when on holiday. Surely it is much easier to

travel from Stirling to Edinburgh by public

transport than the other way round.

4. Events Drive Tourism. I ask Desti-

nation Stirling to stop and think what events

can it deliver? Events bring people to an

area that would not have otherwise have

been there. I ask Destination Stirling to

come up with one new big event each year.

Events do not just happen they take time to

grow, you need to allow 3 to 5 years for

them to mature. We have been involved in

the Enchanted Forest, (1st yr 2,500 to

40,000+ people in 10th yr). Etape Caledo-

nia , (1,200 participants 1st yr, to 5,500

selling out in under 12 hrs in 8th yr).

5. Finally and probably most im-

portant of all. Remember Destination

Stirling, you have joined the rest of us who

have for years been marketing Stirling. It is

fantastic you have all this public money, but

do not get carried away with your own self

importance. Work with us, be open, be in-

clusive, you should be the catalyst for get-

ting us all to be part of a joined up strategy.

We all want Stirling to win!!

Stirling Tourism wish list for Destination Stirling!

April 2014

4

Old Town Tours a Hit with Tourists

New character-based guided tours of Stir-

ling’s old town are getting rave 5 star re-

views from visitors on Trip Advisor and are

already rated number 4 activity to do in

Stirling!

Launched last summer by new start-up com-

pany Stirling Walking Tours, the daytime

tours depart from the Cowan’s Hospital next

to the Church of the Holy Rude and offer an

entertaining mix of comedy, drama and

storytelling.

The tours for 2014 are running in May, June

& Sept at weekends and Wednesdays to

Sundays during July & August. Tours last 70

mins.

The popular tours are being operated by

well known local guide David Kinnaird, fa-

mous for his Stirling GhostWalk tours and

hangman prison tours at the Old Town Jail

until its recent closure. David commented:

‘’Our daytime tour highlights the history of

often overlooked characters, events and

locations from the Burgh's colourful past.

The Old Town Explorer tour is an exciting

opportunity for me to share my enthusiasm

with locals and visitors alike."

Visitors really enjoy the performance ele-

ment, as tours involve real histori-

cal characters from our past,

including costume changes!

No minimum numbers are re-

quired on tours and there are big

discounts for children and con-

cessions. Tickets can be pur-

chased on-line, from the Tourist

Information or the Guide 10 mins

before the tour.

FREE tours for local Tourism busi-

nesses

If you would like to come on a FREE tour or

take leaflet stock, simply get in touch. Con-

tact [email protected]

www.stirlingwalkingtours.com

Old Town Tour

Departs:

May, June & Sept Sat & Sundays

2pm, 4pm

July & August Wed –Sunday 2pm,

4pm

Meet: Cowan’s Hospital next to

the Church of the Holy Rude

Tickets Book On-line, from your

Guide or Tourist Information (Old

Town Jail)

Stirling Walking Tours

April 2014

“Meet:

Cowan’s

Hospital

next to the

Church of

the Holy

Rude.”

Opened in December 2013, the Maharaja’s

owners set out to produce curries that were

produced in the distinctive style of northern

India, curries full of special flavours.

Kamaljeet, or Ricky using his British name,

will often be found at the front of house

welcoming guests, tells us ‘We totally refur-

bished the restaurant when we took it over.

We also had a long hard look at the dishes

we put on our menu.’ He continued ‘we

have also introduced a number of dishes

from India that we felt would go down well.

We also produce a range of popular British

curries.’ The staff will help advise dishes to

suit your taste and new experience.

The Mararaja has a

private dining area

which can seat up

to 14 people that is

available at any

time if you want a

more secluded

celebration.

They can also cater

for special dietary

needs, such as

gluten free and nut

free dishes on re-

quest.

3 course lunches

from £6.95 is arguably the best deal in Stir-

ling. The Mararaj is very conveniently situat-

ed in King Street, a short walk from the Rail

& Bus Stations, the Thistle Centre or a trip

to the old town.

Special children’s menu includes western

food such as burgers, fish fingers, chicken

nuggets, etc.

Lots of good reviews on Trip Advisor.

Maharaja Authentic Indian Cuisine

“Maharaja

Authentic

Indian

Cuisine

Stirling’s

newest

Restaurant”

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.stirlingwalkingtours.com/

5

Jimmy Chungs

Located 2 minutes from Stirling’s main

shopping street is Jimmy Chung’s Chinese

Buffet Restaurant, an establishment that

has been running successfully

over the last decade.

Jimmy Chung’s Chinese Buffet

can boast we are Stirling’s flag-

ship Chinese restaurant. For

choice, there are ample selec-

tions, over 15 starters and 20

main courses at any one time on

a daily basis.

For authenticity, we have experi-

enced chefs from all over South

East Asia to create dishes that

taste to perfection. For service, our staffs

engage with locals and tourists alike and

make every customer feel like right at home,

and for price, we certainly will not make a

hole in your wallet!

Many of our customers are

locals who know exactly

where we are, but we are

also known to tourists who

are exploring Scotland and

also students from abroad.

Only a 5 minute walk from

the historic site of Stirling

Castle and Stirling Universi-

ty, there is nothing better

after a day of exploring but

to sit back, recharge and fill

up with all you can eat Chi-

nese buffet, and if you have any room left

there is a fine selection of fresh fruit des-

sert to finish off your day.

No wonder after all these years, we are still

Stirling’s finest Chinese restaurant


“2 minutes

from Stirling’s

main street,

Jimmy Chung’s

Chinese Buffet

Restaurant”

Corrieri’s Pizzeria and Fish & Chip Shop

When Corrieri’s opened in Causewayhead

50 years ago, the fish and chip shop was

the mainstay of our business. We have

grown over the years, developing into an

extremely popular pizzeria, fish and chip

shop, café and ice-cream parlour but still

retain the same traditional values.

Our latest refurbishment of the fish and

chip shop in January 2014, introduced a

state-of-the-art frying range, thereby main-

taining the freshness of the product by

cooking to order. Fish is supplied daily from

the Glasgow fish-market and potatoes from

a local potato merchant.

In addition to our well-loved fish and chips,

Corrieri’s is renowned for its delicious thin

crust pizzas, freshly prepared using

the finest pizza flour, home-made

tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella

cheese, and cooked in an authentic

Italian pizza oven.

Famous too for our pasta, (gluten-free

pasta available), freshly prepared

lasagne and pasta sauces, prepared

with fresh ingredients – fruit, vegeta-

bles, meat and fish sourced locally or

freshly imported from Italy. To com-

plement our delicious food we offer a

carefully selected list of our favourite

Italian wines and a selection of beers,

soft drinks and legendary milkshakes,

made with our award winning ice-

cream which is freshly made on the

premises in a wide choice of flavours.

Or why not relax with a cup of our deli-

cious Italian roasted coffee.We strive

to maintain the highest standard at all

times with fresh home-made products

enjoyed by a regular following of local

customers and many tourists each

year.

We look forward to seeing you.

Robert and Peter Corrieri

6

Brea

Accessibly located at the entrance of Stir-

ling's Old Town, Brea prides itself in making

the regular comforts of dining out

that little bit different. An eclectic

menu which is appropriately suit-

ed for the season, every dish is

made to order by the staff of

trained and qualified chefs, to

ensure the highest quality re-

mains consistent.

With produce that have either

been locally or specially sourced,

each dish has been designed to

get the best flavours from their

ingredients. A selection of fish

courses, including mussels, scal-

lops and salmon, allow you to get

a flavour of what Scotland has to offer.

Alongside a range of traditionally prepared

steaks and vegetarian friendly meals, Brea

seeks to satisfy the most discerning of ap-

petites, understanding particular dietary

requirements and preferences.

However, what places Brea above the rest is

their selection of gourmet burgers. Prepared

using a secret recipe, their selection - in-

cluding steak, lamb and chicken – has

made the restaurant a success with the

local area. If their options are not to your

taste, then you can always go for something

a little more inventive and create your own

burger (challenge) from a variety toppings

and other accompaniments.

The quaint restaurant space itself allows for

a more welcoming atmosphere. The friendly

and approachable front of house team are

always accepting to any enquiries in regards

to the menu. The choice

of wine has been spe-

cially selected to compli-

ment all the dishes on

the menu and satisfy

the most picky of con-

noisseurs. On the beer

and ale side of things,

Brea proudly boasts

itself as being the only

establishment in Stirling

that offers a variety of

beers and I.P.As from

the popular Brew Dog

company. However, if

you are more partial to

a craft ale or cider, then you can choose

from the selection provided by the Loch

Fyne Brewery or the up-and-coming Thistly

Cross. Naturally, if you don't even know

where to begin with their vast selection, the

Brea team are fully clued up on what each

beverage offers, so they will have no prob-

lem helping choose one that's right for you.

While also offering lunch and breakfast

deals during the day, Brea warmly wel-

comes bookings and folk who are just pass-

ing by. For any more enquiries or to reserve

a table, why not call them on

01786446277.

Or to see a copy of the menu, just drop by or

email [email protected]. You won't

regret it for long.


The Stirling Arcade

Look for the entrances to The Stirling Ar-

cade in King Street and Murray Place and

inside you will find Stirling’s hidden treas-

ure… Steeped with history and stunning

architecture you will be able to discover the

true beauty of the Arcade which has recent-

ly benefited from an extensive renovation

and redecoration programme. The internal

refurbishment has encapsulated the origi-

nal history of the Grade B listed building but

with a stylish modern twist to give you an

unforgettable shopping experience.

What makes The Stirling Arcade truly

unique is our diverse range of specialist

independent retailers that you wouldn’t find

on the High Street. From contemporary

Scottish gifts to high fashion, you’ll definite-

ly find something special from our mix of 20

different outlets. We are also proud to have

Stirling’s only vegetarian café and one of

Scotland’s best Italian restaurants, for

those moments you would like to sit and

relax.

We are delighted to welcome our newest

editions to The Stirling Arcade – Amilou

Bridal and sister shop Everything but the

Bride, dedicated to making the most im-

portant day just the way you want it. Stock-

ing Enzoani exclusively along with other

sought after wedding dress designers as

well as Mother of the Bride and Bridesmaid

outfits. We also have the pleasure of wel-

coming The Oriental Centre- Specialist in

Oriental food and Sushi take out. Experi-

ence shopping as it should be – personal,

enjoyable and relaxing.

“A small and

independently

owned

restaurant,

Brea lives by its

motto of

'love food'.”

http://I.P.As


7

No 2 Baker Street

No. 2 Baker Street has a real history within

Stirling having operated over many dec-

ades. It offers much to both locals and tour-

ists alike and has a real new

oldie worldy feel to it with

wooden beams and a relaxed

and inviting atmosphere. It

attracts a wide clientele rang-

ing from locals, tourists and

local celebrities of all ages and

from all walks of life.

Throughout the year we offer a

wide variety of entertainment

with an eclectic array of music

played on a Wednesday

through to Saturday nights as

well as on the second and last

Sunday of each month. This

ranges from acoustic sets, soft

rock, a newly established jazz set and much

more. On a Wednesday evening we hold a

jam session with one of Stirling’s legendary

musicians- Ted Christopher.

We have recently introduced BT Sport which

although only new has started to bring in a

new clientele as well as offering something

new to existing customers who previously

would go elsewhere to watch football, tennis

etc. We provide an excellent venue for those

who wish to watch the football without the

hooliganism that other venues can some-

times present.

Although not within the old part of Stirling

we get a lot of passing tourist trade being

on the main street down from the castle, old

town jail and Church of the Hollyrood. Add-

ing to our attraction we offer a versatile

menu with a wide variety of food that will

suit most peoples needs as well as an array

of cask ales which change regularly and

consist of both local, for example ales from

the Harviestoun brewery and

Williams Brothers brewery as

well some from further afield; for

example Orkney brewery, Wells

and Young brewery and Timothy

Taylor’s. With being the only real

venue within Stirling that offers

ales to a high standard and with

a wide variety many tourists will

come in after seeing us in the

good beer guide (as well as the

good pub guide) to sample some

of the local ales and we see a

definite increase in sales of ale

through the months of April and

September as a result of the

increased footfall of tourists. In

addition to this we host a bi-annual real ale

festival.

A few years ago we featured in a television

advert for visit Scotland featuring Scotland’s

own Neil Oliver from Coast who provided the

voice over. Secondly, we featured in a BBC

Alba program back in 2011 featuring live

Scottish music.


“No. 2 Baker

Street has a

real history

within Stirling

having

operated over

many

decades. ”

8

Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum 2014 is a really special year for Stirling, with

the Ryder Cup, Commonwealth Games, Year

of Homecoming and 700th anniversary of

the Battle of Bannockburn.

It is also an important year for the Stirling

Smith, which celebrates its 140th birthday.

At the beginning of the year came four im-

portant birthday presents. The Public Cata-

logue Foundation published the Central

Scotland and

Fife volume

with photo-

graphs of paint-

ings in public

collections, and

the cover im-

age features

‘The Cuban

Cigarette’ a

painting by the

galleries found-

er, Thomas

Stuart Smith

(1815-1869).

All of the Smith’s 820 paintings are fea-

tured; six of them are given a full page each.

Present 2 is the novel

‘The Shadow in the Gal-

lery’ a crime thriller by

Dr. Thomas Christie, who

is a former Smith Admin-

istrator. The action is

placed in the early years

of the Smith and fea-

tures the fictional story

of a missing emerald.

Present 3 is the Stirling 2014 banner, a gift

from the Stirling Embroiderer’s Guild, sewn

by 20 members and featuring the land-

scape, built and natural heritage of Stirling-

shire. The banner is a portable, travelling

advertisement for Stirling and the Smith, as

well as a useful backdrop for TV and Film

Interviews.

‘A Heavenly Gift’ came from Stirling- based

artist June Carey in the form of a mural

which graces the space above the doorway

of Gallery II. Two angels share a shower of

stardust and carry the Guildry Ring (1360)

and the town key (1746) over their arms,

referencing the original gift of Thomas Stu-

art Smith in 1874, and the importance of

Stirling’s history.

As always, the Stirling Story is a permanent

feature at the Smith. We like to tell visitors

that they haven’t seen Stirling until they’ve

seen the Smith.

The exhibition programmes commemorates

significant events. On 11 April 1914, the

famous film maker Norman McLaren (1914-

1987) was born at 21 Albert Place, opposite

the Smith.

The exhibition ‘A Dream of Stirling – Nor-

man McLaren’s Scottish Dawn’ runs 11

April – 22 June at the Smith, and is present-

ed from the University of Stirling Archives

and McLaren 2014.

From 16 April – 12 October, the Bannock-

burn 700 exhibition ‘Remember Bannock-

burn’ looks at the 699 years and 363 days

since the battle was fought.

From 24 June – 17 August, the Dunedin

Through Time Exhibition celebrates the 50th

Anniversary of the twinning between the

cities of Stirling and Dunedin, Florida.

23 August – 26 September sees Hugh

Green’s Stirlingshire featured in a retrospec-

tive exhibition of the work of water colour

artist Hugh Green (1891-1972).

For further information, contact

Dr. Elspeth King

Director, Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Mu-

seum

Dumbarton Road

Stirling

FK8 2RQ Tel 01786 471 917

www.smithartgalleryandmuseum.co.uk


http://www.smithartgalleryandmuseum.co.uk

9

Explore Scotland Social Media and What’s On.

I would like to introduce myself as part of

the Explore Scotland Team. My name is

Fionna and I co-ordinate the social media

sites Facebook, Twitter & Google+ for Ex-

plore Scotland and look out for events to

add to the events (What’s On) section of the

Explore Scotland web sites.

Events – What’s On.

We coordinate the events in the area on the

What’s On section of the web site, by high-

lighting the events in the area. If you are on

holiday, how much time do you spend trying

to find out where all the events are? Surely

better to have them all in one place!

What makes the Explore What’s On so spe-

cial?

Well you and your guests can:-

Sort events by category; family, mu-

sic, outdoors, markets, talks etc.

Sort events by date of arrival and

departure for your guests.

Print the sorted events off – to pre-

sent to your guests on arrival, so

they have all the events dur-

ing their stay.

Monthly What’s On brochure.

Each months events are

compiled in to an on line

brochure which you can print

off for your guests. We know

hotels, Guest hous-

es, that print off the

months events bro-

chure and leave it in

the reception for

their guests, reprint-

ing if guests take it

away with them.

Adding events FREE of charge – if

you are running a tourist event (it

can be of interest to locals too), and

would like it to be included in the

above, all you have to do is:-

Go to the Explore What’s On

web site section.

Top left, just under the logo,

click on ‘Submit your event’

link

Fill in your event details.

This will come to us at Ex-

plore Scotland and we will

double check all the con-

tent before publishing it.

We try and do this process

as quickly as possible, usu-

ally with in 24 hours, your

event will be live.

Social Media.

I manage the day to day

Explore FaceBook, Twitter and

Google+ channels, talking

about and championing

the area, promoting many

of the events that are on

during each month in the

What’s On.

If you would like me to help pro-

mote an event coming up, please

make sure the details are in our

What’s On page. You can send a

photo too and I will add it to the

entry to help enhance it. I will then

post and talk about your event on

our social media sites and help you

get your message out.

Also let me know when you have

something to say and you would like our

support in helping to get the word out, we

will be delighted to support you, if at all

possible.

You can contact me on

[email protected]



10

National Wallace Monument Referbishment

STRONG VISITOR NUMBERS IN 2013

SET THE SCENE FOR

NATIONAL WALLACE MONUMENT REFUR-

BISHMENT

A strong increase in visitor numbers has

been recorded for the 2013 visitor season

at Stirling’s National Wallace Monument,

allowing the operators of the famous attrac-

tion to look forward with confidence to

2014, when the building which has been

welcoming visitors since 1869 will undergo

a major refurbishment.

Between April and September this year the

Monument received almost 79,000 visitors,

an increase of over 6% on the same period

in 2012, and a strong indicator of how the

good weather helped to strengthen the ap-

peal of Stirling as Scotland’s heritage capi-

tal. Now the operators of the attraction are

planning to build on this growth in 2014,

with the opening of new exhibition galleries.

ONE OF STIRLING’S FIRST VISITOR ATTRAC-

TIONS

“When it opened in 1869, The Wallace Mon-

ument was one of the first purpose-built

visitor attractions in Stirling, and appropri-

ately it tells the story of one of the first char-

acters from Scottish history to be acclaimed

as a national hero”, remarked Zillah Ja-

mieson of Stirling District Tourism, which is

responsible for the management of the

historic building. “The story of Wallace is

central to the story of Scotland itself, so we

want to make sure that it is told in a way

which is every bit as captivating for today’s

visitors as it was when the Monument first

opened its doors. Stirling will be in the spot-

light in 2014, and the Monument

has an important role to play in

enabling visitors to gain a power-

ful impression of the historic city,

and an understanding of the part

Wallace played in shaping Scot-

land”

VICTORIAN INGENUITY MEETS

MODERN TECHNOLOGY

The refurbishment of the Monu-

ment will involve the installation

of new displays and exhibitions

in all three galleries within the

historic tower, and as visitors

enter the building they will first

hear the story of The Battle of

Stirling Bridge, re-told through an

exciting new initiative. David Campbell, of

specialist contractors Campbell & Co., ex-

plained how a 19th Century innovation will

be wrapped up in the latest digital technolo-

gy: “In 1862, whilst the National Wallace

Monument was being built, Professor John

Pepper developed an illusion technique

using mirrors and reflective glass, to make

characters appear and disappear. That

same principle will be used at the Monu-

ment to present a new film in which William

Wallace and Andrew de Moray discuss The

Battle of Stirling Bridge, reflecting on Scot-

land’s victory, and thinking about what lies

ahead”.

The story of the Battle of

Stirling Bridge, and of

William Wallace, sets the

scene for the Battle of

Bannockburn, which will

be the focus of the new

National Trust for Scotland

Visitor Centre, due to open

in 2014. The investment

in these two heritage des-

tinations, following the re-

opening in 2011 of the

Royal Palace at Stirling

Castle, will mean that

visitors to Stirling will be

able to trace the story of

Scotland through three

outstanding attractions.


“Strong Visitor

Numbers in

2013 set the

scene for

National Wallace

Monument

Refurbishment”

11

Mediterranea


THE COLD BEER COMPANY is Stirling's larg-

est pub, situated in the old post office on

Murray Place. The clue is in the name - we

specialise in beer! With over 30 draught

and bottled beers from more than 14 coun-

tries, our range includes cask, craft, draught

and bottled beers from around the world,

with a healthy selection of local beers from

Scotland. Whisky is also very important to

us and our whisky list has over 200 single

and blended malts.

If sport is your thing, you won't miss

a trick with us! We have three feeds

and 9 big screens so you won't miss

a minute of the action here! From

rugby to boxing, and football to golf,

2014 is going to be a great year for

sport!

We also serve great tasting, home-

made food every day from 12-9pm,

and there is something for every-

one, including our fantastic, award

winning fish and chips, and a great

range of specials which changes

weekly. We have a fully licenced

street cafe in the summer months,

and a covered, heated smoking terrace for

when it's a bit chillier out!

Come and join us at the Cold Beer

Co....Great beer, great food and great ser-

vice.

84-86 Murray Place, Stirling, FK8 2BX

Tel 01786 463524

www.coldbeercompany-stirling.co.uk

The Cold Beer Company

There have been plenty of exciting new

changes this past year at Mediterranea. In

addition to tweaking our menu a bit in offer-

ing more dishes from The Middle East and

Greece (our heritage) we’ve added an addi-

tional chef, born and raised in Lebanon who

has a wealth of experience with Levantine

cuisine. We have received plenty of positive

feedback by old and new customers alike

regarding dishes such as Shish Taouk; Leb-

anese grilled chicken skewers with mush-

rooms seasoned with garlic and served with

tabbouleh and pita, and baba ganoush; a

Levantine dish of smoked scented auber-

gine dip blended with lemon, tahini and a

hint of fresh garlic, served with vegetables.

Another popular dish we’ve been serving a

little over a year now is Greek Gyros, pro-

nounced ‘yeros’, which consists of crispy

pork shavings roasted on a vertical spit and

served with pita bread, tomatoes, onions,

tzatziki (yoghurt sauce) and home-made

chips. The dish comes as a main course or

as individual wraps, the most popular street

food of Greece and a big hit as a take away

option.

But we haven’t forgotten some of our fa-

vourite tapas dishes and we are now using

a new Spanish foods supplier, who is provid-

ing us with some of the finest quality chori-

zo and Serrano ham available to the UK.

In addition to the changes to our menu we

are proud of the fact that our restaurant,

with its amazing basement space has be-

come a hob for many live and international

events, hosted by local promoters, out of

town promoters, and students alike.

Events this past year included live Sunday

afternoon gigs by various bands such as

Wingin’It, Rusty Nail, and Mojo. DJ club

nights with professional sound and lighting

systems provided, Salsa and Latin night DJ

parties, Greek nights with a special all

Greek menu including music, charity fund

raisers with live music and other forms of

entertainment, Monday night jam sessions

at 10:00 pm every Monday, a second Thurs-

day of the month poetry evening, which

included a poetry slam this past March, and

even a Brazilian style Carnival party hosted

by a group of Brazilian students from Stirling

University.

We have even hosted art and jewellery exhi-

bitions and allow local theatre and film soci-

eties to use our space for putting on produc-

tions. If anyone is interested in putting on

an event

and we

have availa-

bility we

would be

glad to lis-

ten to you.

Follow us on

Facebook to

get the lat-

est updates

for future

events.

http://www.coldbeercompany-stirling.co.uk

12

The Allanwater Brewhouse


The Allanwater Brewhouse used to be

Bridge of Allan’s best kept secret; a sleepy

little microbrewery, located behind the

Queens Hotel, where one could try all kinds

of Real Ale and lose themselves in the warm

and homely atmosphere. The pub would

shut at five, and was frequented mostly by

loyal locals and curious tourists.

This year, however, the Brewhouse extend-

ed their opening hours, built a stage in the

corner of the pub, and embraced all those

eager to discover the authentic and welcom-

ing experience that only The Allanwater

Brewhouse can offer. And it hasn’t gone

unnoticed – in 2013 alone the Brewhouse

won ‘Best Business’ in the tourism category;

Tripadvisor’s ‘Certificate of Excellence’; and

featured in the ‘Good Beer Guide 2013’.

Websites such as

‘Yelp’ and Tripadvi-

sor are flooded

with glowing re-

views, and they

have even earned

the stamp of ap-

proval from Stirling

University’s student

newspaper.

Music nights are

diverse – expect to

see upcoming tal-

ent from every cor-

ner of the world, as

well as rising stars

such as Stevie Jackson from Belle & Sebas-

tian and local band Rail Fan – and busy;

more proof that the Brewhouse’s cozy, fun

atmosphere has tempted all sorts of people

through their doors.

Owner and master brewer Douglas Ross

attributes much of the Brewhouse’s recent

success to their adoption of social media.

“We’re connecting with our customers more

than ever now. One of the things people

value about us is the friendly, familial at-

mosphere about the place – and now we’ve

brought that personality online. We can

interact directly with our customer base and

plan new brews and events around what is

important to them.”

There is no doubt that the Brewhouse is

growing in popularity – and it won’t stop

there. Douglas plans on officially re-

branding the pub to reflect its new place in

the community.

Several local celebrities have already con-

firmed attendance at the VIP re-launch par-

ty, and the Brewhouse team are currently

working on an innovative way to unveil the

rebranded pub to the public. Expect great

things!

13

Drouthys Neebors

Drouthys Neebors, meaning Thirsty Friends,

takes its name from one of Scotland's most

famous poems Tam O'Shanter written by

one of Scotland favorite sons, Robert Burns.

Inside you will find a quirky and

quaint interior with nautical maps

covering the walls, and a small

fishing boat against the back wall.

Slate flooring, wood panelling and

hand made furniture combine to

give the pub a comfortable homely

feel.

The Scottish Theme is central to

this busy and well loved local pubs

food and drink offering as well. A large se-

lection of Malt Whiskies from all of Scot-

land's major distilleries and a few hidden

gems from some lesser known whisky hous-

es make it a must visit for whisky lovers.

Scottish Lagers and Beers, and

home cooked food will let you

soak up the experience of a

traditional Scottish pub. The

sausages are from the World

Famous Crombies of Edinburgh

and are worth stopping off for

on their own!

Drouthys, as it's known by the

locals, also has a busy sched-

ule for entertainment. Cocktail

making classes, and whiskey tasting eve-

nings mid week, then at the weekend, every

Friday and Saturday night, live local music

takes centre stage. Space is hard to come

by at these events so if you want a seat to

enjoy the entertainment and hospitality best

arrive early so you can relax and let the time

melt away.

For any further Information and bookings

you can contact Drouthy Neebors by.....

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 01786 450 858

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/

DrouthyNeebors (QR code to follow)


“Drouthys

Neebors,

meaning

Thirsty

Friends, ”

Hop on down to the Kilted Kangaroo

The Kilted Kangaroo is an Australian-

themed Bar & Grill House in Stirling City

Centre. If you’re looking for some tasty tuck-

er, a cold beer and some bonza entertain-

ment every night of the week then look no

further.

The guys at

the Kilted

K a n g a r o o

pride them-

selves in hav-

ing the some of the freshest and most af-

fordable pub food in the whole of Stirling.

They offer a great selection of dishes from

across the globe made from locally sourced

produce, with something to suit everyone.

There is a child-friendly section to the menu

and they also cater for Vegetarian and Glu-

ten-free diets.

Whichever night of the week you find your-

self at The Kilted Kangaroo, you’ll find en-

tertainment to enjoy and even get involved

in from 9pm.

They even stay open until 2am of Friday and

Saturday nights, the latest pub in the whole

of the city.

Mon: DJ Charlie’s Musical Bingo

Tue : Live Music Open Mic

Wed: Red Stag Pub Quiz

Thu: Kilted Karaoke

Fri: Tony’s 10p Jukebox

Sat: Live DJ Party Night

Sun: Sunday Chillout

When the sun hits Stirling, the Kilted Kanga-

roo really comes alive with its gigantic beer

garden. The BBQ is lit and the outdoor bar is

fully stocked for a fantastic day in the sun.

Outdoor TVs show all the summer sport and

Live Music is played on the beer garden

stage. There really is no better place to be in

the sun!

All of their events such as Stand-Up Come-

dy, Sportsmen’s Dinners and Music Festi-

vals are listed on their website:

www.kiltedkangaroo.com

They can also be found on Facebook, Twit-

ter and TripAdvisor. Booking is recommend-

ed and can be done by calling them on

01786 451130 or by booking online for

your conven-

ience.

Hop in an say

G’Day!

The Kilted Kangaroo

http://www.kiltedkangaroo.com

14

The Big Hitters on the Internet!

The big hitters - accommo-

dation booking engines

dominate the Internet

I remember back in 2000, there was a web

site called Smooth Hound, that was the

leader in providing bookings for accommo-

dation providers. Almost every where we

went we would see their stickers on the

doors of hotels and guest houses.

I have just done a quick search and Smooth

Hound is still around, but I no longer see it

appearing in the accommodation searches

as it once did.

The current big players

that we hear many ac-

commodation providers

talk about are Book-

ings.com, Late Rooms,

and Trip Adviser.

Bookings.com

Wikipedia tells us

“Booking.com is a Dutch

online booking portal,

owned and operated by

Priceline. It was established in 1996, and

offers accommodation booking. It claims to

deal with more than 550,000 room nights

reservations per day, and in 2013 account-

ed for more than two thirds of Priceline's

revenue. It was acquired by Priceline in

2005. Booking.com is available in more

than 41 languages.”

Who are Priceline? Wikipedia tells us

“Priceline.com is

an American com-

pany and a com-

mercial website

that claims to

help users obtain

discount rates for

t r a v e l - r e l a t e d

purchases such

as airline tickets

and hotel stays.

The company is

not a direct sup-

plier of these

services; instead

it facilitates the

provision of

travel ser-

vices by its

suppliers to

its custom-

ers. It is

h e a d q u a r -

tered in Nor-

walk, Con-

necticut, United States.”

No registration fees, subscriptions or

fixed costs - Registration with Book-

ing.com is completely free. There are

no sign-up or subscription costs.

Commission-based model - Guests pay you

directly, so you don’t have to wait for pay-

ment. You will receive a monthly commis-

sion invoice from Bookings.com based on

the guests that stayed with you that month.

Trip Advisor.com

Wikipedia tells us “TripAdvisor

was an early adopter of user-

generated content. The web-

site services are free to users,

who provide most of the con-

tent, and the website is sup-

ported by an advertising busi-

ness model.”and “TripAdvisor

Media Group operates seven-

teen travel brands.”

The site that many business

owners hate, while many

agree at the same time using

it to help them make their

holiday choices.

The Guardian sums up the

situation quite well in an arti-

cle “Barely a week goes by

without the restaurant indus-

try and TripAdvisor falling out.

Last week, it was reported that mischievous

web-users had propelled a fictitious venue

to a top ranking in Brixham, reports fol-

lowed this week about how it was all a ruse

to prove you can game the system, while,

despite vociferous objections from its own-

er, a Yorkshire restaurant had numerous

positive reviews removed, after TA's filters

judged them suspicious. Claims and coun-

ter claims swirl around such stories, most

generating more heat than light.”

The article sums up the situation quite well

too “Me? I'm happy to go one better and

admit that in researching my "budget eats"

series for the Guardian, I find TripAdvisor

invaluable. As one of several research tools

(local contacts, trawling guides, blogs and

so on) it regularly points me towards excel-

lent cafes and restaurants that I would oth-

erwise have missed.

TripAdvisor is very quick, it's very democrat-

ic and so, particularly at that sub-£10 price-

point, it's useful. Of course, places crop up

in any town's top 20 that are there because

said venue does an enormous carvery/it's

Nando's/the chef spends more time drum-

ming up online support than cooking, but to

ignore TripAdvisor would be peculiarly arro-

gant, and self-defeating.”

So Trip Adviser is a necessary and important

part of a tourist businesses marketing,

whether you like it or not.

As one commentator said, “Love it or hate


“Barely a

week goes by

without the

restaurant

industry and

TripAdvisor

falling out.”

15

The Big Hitters on the Internet! (cont).

it, no one in our industry can afford to ig-

nore Trip Advisor.”

One restaurant owner of a very

good establishment in Highland

Perthshire told he that “The res-

taurant standards around here

are generally of a very good stand-

ard” adding “It was due in some

greater or lesser extent to Trip

Advisor, you just can not ignore

it.”

So what should you as a business

owner do about Trip Advisor?

Trip Adviser does have a

page with ‘Top Tips for Deal-

ing with Negative reviews on

Trip Advisor’ Our sugges-

tion is:-

Our suggestion is:-

Monitor your TripAdvisor

page. You can not expect all

feedback to be positive, do

NOT get upset when you are

criticised.

Respond to all reviews, both

positive and negative, diplo-

matically and with as much

objectivity as you can mus-

ter. Remember try as it

might, TripAdvisor cannot

ensure all reviews are from

genuine customers.

You can report reviews

to TripAdvisor you con-

sider are false and

TripAdvisor does claim

to investigate and

remove any that it be-

lieves are suspicious.

This process can be frustratingly inef-

fective as it is almost impossible

to prove that a review is not genuine.

Importantly, remember with TripAdvisor take

everything you read with a good pinch of

salt, enjoy the positive reviews, take heed of

the constructive criticism, and if you receive

false reviews be flattered as some one sees

you as a threat!

John McEnroe said, “Everybody loves suc-

cess, but they hate successful people.”


John McEnroe

said, “Everybody

loves success,

but they hate

successful

people.”

stirling and forth valley newsletter 2014

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