There is a remarkable amount of Scottish sporting heritage in the centre of Stirling, if you know where to look for it. Within five minutes walk you can see the world's oldest football, oldest curling stone, and one of Scotland's oldest bowling greens.
Pictured above is the picturesque green outside Cowane's Hospital, just down from Stirling Castle and with the Old Town Jail in the background. It was laid out over 300 years ago, in 1712, by the Earl of Mar's gardener and seems to have remained intact despite the incursion of a couple of overlooking cannons and that fact that it doesn't seem to be used for active sport any more. It's not quite the oldest bowling green in Scotland - that's the one at the Sands in Haddington - but it comes close.
Walk down the hill to the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum (with free admission), you can see the oldest football, discovered in the rafters of Stirling Castle and believed to date from the 16th century, having been found behind panelling which was put up in 1540. Round the corner, in another display case, is an even older curling stone, helpfully with the date 1511 clearly carved on the top. For anyone interested in our sporting origins, it adds up to an interesting day out.
Pictured above is the picturesque green outside Cowane's Hospital, just down from Stirling Castle and with the Old Town Jail in the background. It was laid out over 300 years ago, in 1712, by the Earl of Mar's gardener and seems to have remained intact despite the incursion of a couple of overlooking cannons and that fact that it doesn't seem to be used for active sport any more. It's not quite the oldest bowling green in Scotland - that's the one at the Sands in Haddington - but it comes close.
Walk down the hill to the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum (with free admission), you can see the oldest football, discovered in the rafters of Stirling Castle and believed to date from the 16th century, having been found behind panelling which was put up in 1540. Round the corner, in another display case, is an even older curling stone, helpfully with the date 1511 clearly carved on the top. For anyone interested in our sporting origins, it adds up to an interesting day out.
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