Stirling Castle Reviews Summary

Castle Experience

Pros:

• "The Royal Palace, with its beautifully restored Renaissance façade and interiors, offers a glimpse into the opulent lifestyle of the Scottish monarchs."
• "A beautiful castle and certainly one of the best."
• "Great experience the castle and grounds are outstanding."
• "Fantastic castle, spent 2 1/2 hrs there, could easily have done with another hour +."
• "Brilliant place to visit. Lots to see."
• "The castle itself is amazing, we were there for nearly 3-4 hours and I couldn’t believe how many things were there to see inside the castle."
• "It is totally worth it."

Cons:

• "Not too much for the kids, so not ideal if they tired or get bored easily."
• "However, it's not an essential destination that one needs to go out of their way to see."
• "There are so many more original Castles to visit that have been better renovated."
• "Although October is really windy at the top."
• "However, the presentation on some points feels somewhat disorganized, lacking a clear overarching vision."
• "Overall a waste of time and money. I do not recommend."
• "We only viewed two thirds of the attractions due to the time limit."

Staff and Service

Pros:

• "Special thanks to all the staff."
• "All the staff were entertaining and helpful."
• "Amazing views !!! Staff are so welcoming and friendly full of knowledge."
• "The staff are genuinely friendly and very knowledgeable about the place they work - far more than 'just a job'."
• "The role playing actors inside had great add on tidbits and stories."
• "Each room had actors and historians in full costume and character explaining the rooms, their trades, the history, and more."
• "The tour guide was great! He taught us so much in a passionate, informative and fun way."

Cons:

• "The guys serving, overcharged for the purchase we made."
• "Our food wasn't very fresh. Not great experience."
• "The cafe had literally nothing for those of us with dietary needs."
• "The signs around the castle do not match."
• "The self guided tour route changed but the guide audio hadn't been updated so we got a bit lost."
• "Very busy, and with poor crowd control in places."
• "A bit disappointing. Nice from the outside but very little preserved from the inside."

Accessibility and Facilities

Pros:

• "Toilets are spotless picnic areas lots benches gift shop and cafes no dogs apart from guide dogs or assistance dogs -parts are wheelchair accessible some parts are not but wheelchair users will see lots of history and won’t miss out."
• "There are several restrooms 🚻 available. There are 2 Gift shops and a very good cafeteria with a variety of coffees, a nice tomato soup, sandwiches and cakes."
• "In costume and in character actors talk you through life in the castle in the 1500s, or take a guided tour."
• "The Cafe is a little pricey, but the portions are generally generous and tastes excellent."
• "The gift shops are well stocked with a good variety of items."
• "Also, there's a big car park right outside the castle so you don't need to climb the insane hill that leads to it."
• "It has plenty of parking spots (at a 4 pounds charge)."

Cons:

• "Don't come here with a small campervan if you have disabilities, the website said no motorhomes."
• "The only complaint is the 4 hour limit we had on the car park."
• "During weekends especially it is very crowded at the parking right in front of the castle."
• "The food was good but nothing special and as you would expect a bit pricey."
• "Upon arrival, there was a sign stating the parking was full. Even though there was cars coming out of it."
• "My only gripe when you have paid £35 for 2 tickets to get in I think asking another £4 for parking is a little bit off."
• "Parking is tricky, the parking lot having limited spaces."