Stirling Castle is the obvious headline — a strategic stronghold turned royal residence, with the most ambitious restoration project of any historic building in Scotland. Allow half a day. The Wallace Monument on Abbey Craig and the Bannockburn Heritage Centre two miles to the south fill in the two great battles of Scottish independence and can comfortably be done in a single day.
Within the old town the Church of the Holy Rude is where the infant James VI was crowned in 1567 — one of only two churches in Britain still in use that have hosted a coronation. Cowane's Hospital, Mar's Wark, Argyll's Lodging and the ruined Mar's Wark facade trace four centuries of grand townhouse architecture along a single street.
The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum holds the world's oldest surviving football and a strong collection of paintings, with no admission charge. The Old Town Jail is more touristy but the rooftop platform offers the best panorama in town. The Stirling Old Bridge over the Forth is the medieval successor to the wooden bridge of Wallace's battle.
A short walk or bus ride takes you to Cambuskenneth Abbey, the burial place of James III, set in farmland across the river. The University of Stirling campus, built around the grounds of Airthrey Castle, is one of the most scenic in Britain. North of the city, Bridge of Allan is an elegant Victorian spa village worth half an afternoon.