Tourism and the Visitor Economy

Rated by Lonely Planet as Scotland’s top destination

and crowned by LNER as Scotland’s best city for culture

Record visitors numbers in 2024 generated £712.4m

attracted by Stirling’s landscapes, landmarks, festivals and events

A third of visitors attracted by outdoors activities

including Loch Lomond National Park and the UK’s best gravel riding

Situated in the Heart of Scotland and home to some of the nation’s finest and most iconic built and natural heritage, the city of Stirling and its surrounding communities have long attracted tourists.

Today, Stirling’s visitor economy is complemented by a range of cultural and sporting activities, a thriving food and drink scene and renewed interest generated by film and TV productions – from Braveheart, which marked its 30th anniversary in 2025, to Outlander and Game of Thrones:

Scotland’s top destination. In 2025, travel specialists Lonely Planet rated Stirling as Scotland’s top destination, while research commissioned by LNER crowned Stirling as Scotland’s capital for culture and analysis from ING Media found Stirling was one of Scotland’s most talked about cities online.

Millions of visitors. Visitor numbers surged by over 10% in 2024 compared to the previous year, generating a total economic impact of £712.4 million for the local area. The Scottish Tourism Economic Activity Monitor (STEAM) revealed that visitor numbers were higher than the pre-pandemic peak in 2017, with a total of 4.662 million people visiting Stirling in 2024.

Visitor experience. Working with local, regional and national partners, Stirling Council works to market Stirling as a visitor destination and to introduce innovative measures to enhance the visitor experience. For example, working partners, the council created Stirling XP, which allows visitors to explore Stirling’s story through an Augmented Reality app that is free to download.

Landscapes and landmarks. Stirling is home to some of Scotland’s finest natural and built heritage, and visitors are attracted by our stunning landscapes (such as the tranquil Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, just 20 minutes from Stirling city centre) and our wealth of national landmarks – including the National Wallace Monument and Stirling Castle, which was Scotland’s second most popular paid attraction last year.

Festivals and events. Visitors enjoy a packed programme of festivals and events; from the well-established Bloody Scotland, Scotland’s international crime writing festival which has attracted the likes of Stephen King, to Stirling Summer Sessions which featured music legends including Shania Twain and Tom Jones. In 2023, Stirling also played host to the UCI Cycling World Championships.

Active tourism. VisitScotland research indicates a third of visitors are attracted by Stirling’s outdoors activities. The nearby town of Aberfoyle is home to some of the UK’s best gravel riding and has been aptly renamed Gravelfoyle by cycling enthusiasts. Meanwhile, Stirling Council has worked with partners to deliver an £11m project creating world-class active travel and cycling routes across the city.

Award-winning venues and businesses. Stirling city centre boasts a thriving café culture and a vibrant contemporary arts scene – with award-winning performance venues such as the Tolbooth and Albert Halls. Meanwhile, Stirling’s tourism offering boasts some of the country’s finest establishments such as Cromlix Hotel, which is situated in Stirling’s picturesque countryside and owned by Wimbledon winner and tennis star Andy Murray. In 2024, Cromlix was crowned Scottish Hotel of the Year at the AA Hospitality Awards.

Stirling’s competitive location

Stirling is within an hour’s travel time of over 50% of Scotland’s population and two airports offering flights to over 120 markets. Our train station is one of the busiest in Scotland – linking Stirling to Edinburgh or Glasgow in just over 30 minutes and a new, regular train service announced from London – and our city region is connected to motorway networks that extend across the UK.

Stirling’s location and travel connections make it convenient for visitors and supply chains as well as recruitment. We work with local, regional and national partners (including our Employer Engagement Forum, Skills Development Scotland, the University of Stirling and Forth Valley College) to support recruitment from our strong local talent pool and across Scotland.

Opportunities to start, scale and locate in Stirling

CodeBase Stirling

Part of the UK’s largest tech incubator and at the heart of our dedicated Digital District in Stirling city centre, CodeBase provides the ideal base for creative and tech-driven start-ups with scale-up education, flexible workspace, mentoring and events.

STEP

Having marked its 40th anniversary in 2023, STEP is arguably Scotland’s oldest incubator and today offers full-service business support and affordable rents to help businesses grow. With over 200 businesses in various industries across five locations in Stirling, STEP offers mixed-use work, office, kitchen and storage space. As an incubator, STEP provides comprehensive business support, including HR assistance, and affordable rents to foster business growth.

In addition to the city centre locations, many local tourism businesses are located in Stirling’s towns and villages including Callander, Aberfoyle and Dunblane. Further options are available on Commercial Property Opportunities and Flexible Workspaces.