is in Scotland. It has a population of around 90,000 and covers approximately 218,000 hectares. Here is a list of nearby or neighbouring counties: Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, Perth and Kinross, West Dunbartonshire
Stirling (called Sruighlea in Scottish Gaelic) is a council area in central Scotland and has its main council offices in the city of Stirling. Sited on a rocky hill and with steep cliffs on three sides, Stirling Castle was for centuries a strategically important castle and home to Scottish kings and queens. Outside there are picturesque gardens, whilst the interior rooms are finely decorated and furnished in a Renaissance style in keeping with the Renaissance architecture of the castle. Visitors can appreciate the beautiful tapestries, statues, carvings and paintings, while people dressed in period costumes help to create a sense of courtly life during the 15th and 16th centuries. Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum has many exhibits from Scottish cultural heritage as well as further afield, with collections ranging across social history, natural history and fine arts, including watercolours and oil paintings. Other attractions in Stirling include Macrobert arts centre, Argylls Lodging, Cambuskenneth Abbey, the Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre, the Wallace Monument and the Falls of Falloch.
