King James VIth of Scotland and the Witch
By 1597, King James VI of Scotland was something of an expert on witches and the occult. Since 1590, James had lived in fear of murderous attacks from those using […]
Great Fire of Glasgow, 1652
The Great Fire of Glasgow happened on the 17th June 1652, 14 years before the perhaps more famous conflagration in London but was no less devastating. The blaze began in […]
Doors Open Day Event
A big thank you to everyone who came along to visit the Stirling Council Archives stall at the Engine Shed Saturday for Doors Open Day. Our aim to was provide […]
Schoolmaster’s Commonplace Book c.1679 – c.1707
There is a mystery surrounding this small volume, deposited with the Council Archives as part of the collection of records from Dunblane Cathedral. It is not at all clear who […]
The Vagabond Book, 1752 – 1787: Crime, punishment and genealogy?
There are many unique and special records held within Stirling Council Archives. One such record is a Burgh Court Act Book known as the ‘Vagabond Book’. Dating from 1752-1787, the […]
Who killed Red Fox? The Appin Murder, 1752
Who killed Red Fox? The Appin Murder remains one of Scotland’s greatest unsolved mysteries. Colin Roy Campbell of Glenure, Argyllshire, also known as The Red Fox, was shot on 14 […]
Plan of the Estate of Robert Cunningham Graham, Gartmore and Buchlyvie, 1853
This huge, printed plan was commissioned by the Cunningham Graham family of Gartmore and shows the extent of their estate in the mid 19th century. Before the Ordnance Survey undertook […]
An Account of the Raising of the Siege of Sevastopol in the Murray Family Papers, 9th September 1855
John Murray, of the Murray family of Polmaise Estate near Stirling, was just 23 when he left for The Crimea on 24th November 1854. Murray received his commission as Lieutenant […]
Lease of Adam Erskine, Commendator of the Abbey of Cambuskenneth to Duncan Nairn January 1562
This deed recording a transaction relating to property in Torbrex near Stirling is unusual for a number of reasons. First, it relates to a time of great change in Scottish […]
The Dumyat Indicator & the Scouts
In 1935, as part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations for King George V, the Boy Scout Movement created a great chain of 1,775 bonfires and beacons running from one end […]