Stirlin

Stirlin (Inglis: Stirling, Gaelic: Sruighlea) is a ceitie an umwhyl auntient burgh in Scotland, an is at the hert o the wyder Stirlin cooncil aurie. The ceitie is gethert aboot a mukkil fortress (Stirlin Castil) an medieval auld-toun beside the River Forth. Historicalie it wis strategically important as the "Gatewey til the Hielands", wi its steid naur the mairch atwein the Scots Lawlands an Hielands, an its crossin o the Forth, the naurest til the river mooth.

As it wis the caipital o Scotland, Stirlin inhauds the Gret Haw (restored 1999) an the Renaissance Palace (restoration compleitit 2011) athin the Castil that rivalled onie biggin in Europe at the tym. Stirlin haes its medieval parish kirk an aw, The Kirk o the Haly Ruid, whar King James VI wis crounit King o Scots on 29 Julie 1567. The Haly Ruid is yit a wirkin kirk wi a serviss ilka Sunday.

Stirlin is a centre for local govrenment, heicher skuil-lair, retail, an licht industrie. Its population in 2008 wis 33,710, for Stirlin itsel, the wyder urban aurie inhaudin Brig Allan an Bannockburn haes 45,750 indwallers. This maks it the smawest ceitie in Scotland: it is e'en smawer than monie o Scotland's mukkiler touns.

Ane o the main ryal stranghauds o the Kinrick o Scotland, Stirlin wis makkit a Ryal burgh bi Keeng David I in 1130, whilk it remeened till 1975, whan the coontie o Stirlinshire wis absorb'd intae Central Region. In 2002, as pairt o Queen Elizabeth II's Gowden Jubilee, Stirlin wis grantit ceitie status.