John Christie and the Decline of Pistol Making in Doune
If you look at the Doune Burgh coat of arms, a distinctive feature on it highlights an important object in history of the village: the pistol. Gunsmith Thomas Caddell moved […]
Document of the Month
The Clan MacGregor and the Royal Visit of 1822
Amongst the papers of the Clan MacGregor held at the Council Archives there are bundles of accounts relating to the attendance of Clan members at the visit of King George […]
Stephen Maltman and the Fairy Folk – an accusation of witchcraft, March – April 1628
This post, another in our series to celebrate Scotland’s Year of Stories, concerns a man accused of witchcraft in the 1620s. Stephen Maltman was brought in front of the Stirling […]
The Unknown Hawkers of Balfron
In the Parish of Balfron nearly 100 years ago, the Parish Council was faced with a rather mysterious couple when an out of work man and woman applied for poor […]
Grace Tasker and Catherine Turbull – Stirling’s first female Councillors
As we approach the local elections at the beginning of May, our Document of the Month focuses on two notable Stirling Councillors: Grace Tasker and Catherine Turnbull. Miss Tasker and […]
The Jacobites Advance Down the River Forth
On 23rd July 1745, Prince Charles Edward Stuart landed on Eriskay Island. His arrival would signal another chance for the Jacobites to restore the House of Stuart to the British […]
“A perpetual state of honeymoon” – snapshots from a Victorian marriage, Sir Malcolm Murray MacGregor and Lady Helen Murray MacGregor Née McDonnell
The Council Archives holds letters between Malcolm MacGregor and his wife Helen from the year of their marriage in 1864, to the year of his death, at the relatively young […]
Helen McFarlan and her Unborn Baby – Who is the Father?
All of the records we hold here at Stirling Council Archives tell a story. While some require a bit more digging and research in order to bring them to light, […]
Scotland’s Year of Stories – tales from Stirling Council Archives
The year 2022 has been designated Scotland’s ‘Year of Stories’ by Visit Scotland. This year, we at Stirling Council Archives are going to be delving into the records that we […]
The last ships to dock at Stirling Harbour
As we reach the climax of the ‘Year of Coast and Waters’ it seems fitting to end with an overview of the last ships to dock at Stirling Harbour. In […]