As tourist, it is hard for me to not compare Stirling Castle with Edinburgh Castle.

Both were royal residences, both sit on top of volcanic rock overlooking the city, they’re just an hour apart by train, and both were built in the 11th-12th centuries.

But the experience one gets when visiting both castles cannot be any more different.

Edinburgh Castle is in the second most populous city of Scotland, Edinburgh. Therefore, one should naturally expect crowds from all over the world, lots of it, most of whom are probably just ticking off a been-there-done-that, must-see, Instagrammable attraction.

Stirling Castle on the other hand is in a quieter city (but not without its shopping malls with major retail chains so if you’ve come to shop, too, then you’re in the right place) and the castle itself is more subdued and I’d say oriented more toward the more serious fan of history.

One can argue that Edinburgh Castle has more content. But in my experience, it was a bit of a confusing mix. I had come expecting to be immersed in life in the middle ages. But instead, equal amounts of modern artefacts used by the Scottish forces up to WWII were on display. They seemed to overshadow the castle’s history which are briefly encapsulated in seven banners posted outdoors that a passing tourist could easily miss (especially when it's raining as happens often in Scotland). I would have preferred short films that relive the drama in small auditoriums that played every fifteen minutes or so.

Stirling Castle takes a different approach. In the Palace Apartments are period-costumed actors who initiate a conversation with any passing tourist. (Not sure if they are just actors. They can act, surely, but they also know a lot about history. My impression of them is that they may also be historians.) For example, my wife, Vi, has read quite a bit about royal successions, palace intrigues, and whatnot in Scottish and UK history, and offered what she knew about Mary Queen of Scots to one costumed actor. The actor then added her insight and behind-the-scenes word-of-mouth on top of what my wife knew. The information that can be gleaned from these actors are priceless, IMO, and so one should never be shy when engaged in conversation by any of the palace actors.

In any case, I’d say Stirling should be part of anyone’s itinerary when visiting Edinburgh. It offers a wholly different, small-town experience in another, less-busy part of Scotland. One need not put Stirling last on the list of hotspots to visit, either. You could go there first. Then, armed with local lore and insight on what the rest of Scotland is truly like, you can plunge into Edinburgh’s must-sees for a richer and more immersive communion with Scottish history.

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