Stirling overtakes Dundee as Scotland’s fourth ‘most talked about city’
For the first time ever, Stirling has overtaken Dundee to become the fourth most talked about Scottish city, according to new research from communications specialists ING Media – with only Scotland’s three major cities placing higher.
ING Media’s annual Most Talked About UK Cities report tracks and ranks digital mentions of cities across the UK over the previous year. In the new 2025 report, Stirling retains its position as one the UK’s top 30 most talked about cities for the fifth year in a row – while Dundee slips to 33 on the list.
Cultural events
ING’s report notes the rising influence of TikTok and LinkedIn, as well as the importance of cultural events as the number one driver of online visibility. Throughout 2024, Stirling hosted a range of events to mark #Stirling900, a celebration of the city’s 900th anniversary.
This included one of the largest pipe band parades the city has ever seen and Stirling Summer Sessions, which attracted thousands of visitors with performances from music legends such as Shania Twain and Sir Tom Jones alongside fresh music talent. In the previous year, Stirling’s hosting of the UCI Cycling World Championships brought around £4.5 million of economic benefits to local businesses and communities.
Stirling Council Leader, Cllr Gerry McGarvey, said: “Stirling may be one of the most compact cities but our area punches well above its weight. ING’s report underscores the value of strengthening Stirling’s vibrant cultural offer to raise visibility and secure investment for the benefit of all of Stirling’s communities.”
A new annual cultural celebration has also recently been announced, which will showcase the best of Stirling’s music, dance, comedy, art, crafts, literature and more.
Strengthening assets
Stirling Council is progressing improvements to City Park, the city’s open air concert space beneath Stirling’s iconic castle, as well as examining options to increase capacity at its award-winning Albert Halls performance venue in the city centre.
Investment in cultural assets and events builds on Stirling’s rich history and heritage, bolstering the city’s offer for residents, visitors and businesses alike. The area attracts millions of tourists annually, and earlier this year Lonely Planet named Stirling as Scotland’s top tourism destination.
Inward investment
Analysis by ING has identified a strong correlation between digital visibility, GDP and investment. Indeed, Stirling’s rise online is reflected in investor engagement, with Ernest & Young recently forecasting Stirling to have Scotland’s fastest-growing economy over the next three years.
Cllr Gerry McGarvey, Leader of Stirling Council, added: “Stirling is rooted in the Heart of Scotland, and our thriving business community also ensures we are at the beating heart of the innovation economy.
“Across Stirling, innovative founder-led businesses are redefining their respective fields – from agritech, medtech and nanomaterials to contract manufacturing and animation.
“Just like us, the founders, leaders and teams who propel our local economy every day are ambitious for Stirling and our people.”
Alongside public investment – including £19 million from the UK Government to transform a former MOD site at Forthside in Stirling city centre into a vibrant, creative commercial quarter with one of Scotland’s largest film studio campuses as well as up to 250 new city centre homes – businesses across Stirling have secured significant investment to support growth, scale premises and create skilled jobs.
Business growth
Key growth sectors include: life sciences and medtech, sustainability and the built environment, food and drink, and creative industries and digital innovation. Stirling has the highest proportion of its local workforce employed in creative industries of any local authority in Scotland and the second highest proportion for digital tech.
Stirling’s thriving business environment is supported by the University of Stirling, Forth Valley College and local incubators, including the UK’s largest tech incubator at CodeBase Stirling, as well as collaborative networks such as the city centre Business Improvement District and Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce.