| Stirling's 'Back
Walk' is a scenic pathway around the Castle and Old Town that
rivals the attractions of the city walls of York or Chester. The
heritage hillside takes in the medieval Church of the Holy Rude,
where James VI was crowned in 1567, when he was one year old.
The grandeur of a leading 17th century nobleman and his family
is on display in Argyll's Lodging, a magnificent 1630s townhouse
which is furnished as it was in the 1680s. Built in 1632 by
William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling, the Lodging was
enlarged by the 9th Earl of Argyll in the 1670s to become one of
Scotland's finest renaissance townhouses. Specialist furniture
makers, upholsterers. silversmiths and glass blowers reproduced
the many items described in an inventory of the mansion dated
1680.
Stirling's Old Town Jail has been transformed from a grim
Victorian reform prison into a vibrant visitor attraction. In
the narrow, dingy cells of the restored 19th century jail, live
actors - as prisoners, warders and governors - realistically
portray the horrors of the noose, the birch and the branding
iron. On show is a punishment machine from which warders got
their nickname of "screws". Prisoners had to turn a cranking
machine handle 14,000 times a day before they got their dinner.
By tightening a number of screws, warders could increase the
power needed to turn the handle and the name "screw" stuck.
There is also a modern exhibition where visitors can experience
Jail life in Scotland today.
The Tolbooth opposite was the previous town jail where up to
25 prisoners were housed in one cell, up until it was closed
amid cries for prison reform in the Victorian era. March 2002
saw The Tolbooth transformed into a new music and arts venue,
where new architectural ideas are blended with original
features. The venue will feature live performances and act as a
vibrant new base for street theatre and other arts based events.
Rare objects and paintings from Stirling's past, including the
world's oldest curling stone and the ancient Stirling jug, are
on display at the Smith Art Gallery and Museum. Open free of
charge, the 'Smith' has changing exhibitions, children's
activities, a gift shop and cafe.
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