Stirling (council area)

Stirling (Scots: Stirlin, Scottish Gaelic: Sruighlea) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and has a population of about 91,000 (2012 estimate). It was created under the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994 with the boundaries of the Stirling district of the former Central local government region, and it covers most of the former county of Stirling (except Falkirk) and the south-western portion of the former county of Perth. Both counties were abolished for local government purposes under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

The administrative centre of the area is the city of Stirling.

The area borders the council areas of Clackmannanshire (to the east), North Lanarkshire (to the south), Falkirk (to the south east), Perth and Kinross (to the north and north east), Argyll and Bute (to the north and north west), and both East and West Dunbartonshire to Stirling's southwest.

The majority of the population of the area is located in its southeast corner, in the city of Stirling and in the surrounding lowland communities: Bridge of Allan and Dunblane to the north, Bannockburn to the immediate south, and the three former coal mining communities of Cowie, Fallin, and Plean, known collectively as the "Eastern Villages".

Stirling

Coordinates: 56°07′02″N 3°56′23″W / 56.117222°N 3.939722°W / 56.117222; -3.939722

Stirling (/ˈstɜːrlɪŋ/; Scots: Stirlin; Scottish Gaelic: Sruighlea [ˈs̪t̪ruʝlə]) is a city in central Scotland. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old town. Stirling is the administrative centre for the Stirling council area, and is traditionally the county town of Stirlingshire. The city is located several miles to the west of the mouth of the River Forth. Historically it was strategically important as the "Gateway to the Highlands", with its position near the Highland Boundary Fault between the Scottish Lowlands and Highlands and has been described as the brooch which clasps the Highlands and the Lowlands together.

Its historical position as the nearest crossing of the Forth to the river mouth meant that it attracted invaders. The beast of Stirling is the wolf, which it shares with Rome. According to legend, when Stirling was under attack from Viking invaders, a wolf howled, alerting the townspeople in time to save the town.

Stirling (Reading, Pennsylvania)

Stirling is a historic mansion located at Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania. It was built between 1890 and 1892, and is a three-story, 24-room, Châteauesque style dwelling. It was designed by noted Philadelphia architect Theophilus Parsons Chandler, Jr. (1845-1928) and built for industrialist James Hervey Sternbergh. It is constructed of squared granite ashlar and features a number of eclectic decorative elements including tall chimneys with decorated caps, a balustraded verandah, steeply pitched gable roofs, and roof dormers. It is now occupied by a bed and breakfast.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

References

Stirling (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 56°07′08″N 4°04′55″W / 56.119°N 4.082°W / 56.119; -4.082

Stirling is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Boundaries

1983-1997: Stirling District except the electoral division of Carseland.

1997-2005: The Stirling District electoral divisions of Bannockburn, Castle, Dounebraes, Menteith, Queensland, St Ninians, Strathendrick, Viewforth, and Wallace.

2005–present: The Stirling council area.

The constituency covers the whole of the Stirling council area. Most of the area is rural, which has tended to vote Conservative, but there are some large towns in the East, most notably Stirling itself, which used to vote Labour, but has now moved towards SNP. A similar constituency, also called Stirling, is used by the Scottish Parliament.

History

The area covered by the modern constituency was first represented in the British House of Commons in consequence of the Act of Union 1707 in 1708. The county town of Stirling was represented as part of Stirling Burghs and the county was represented by Stirlingshire, each returning one member.