IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Arcade, STIRLING, FK8 1AX

The central square. The arcade was built 1879-1882 and is Category B listed http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB41204.

From Station Road.

The southwest arcade mall. The arcade was built 1879-1882 and is Category B listed http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB41204.

According to the Church Buildings Renewal Trust http://cbrt.org.uk/case_studies/stirling-baptist-church/ - "Following many years of being vacant and neglected with proposals for commercial use coming and going, Stirling South Church (J W H and J M Hay, Liverpool 1851-3) was acquired by Stirling Baptist Church (SBC). SBC was located close by on the south side of Murray Place and an opportunity arose for that building to be acquired by developers of what is now the Thistles Centre. A combination of sale proceeds and grants from the Scottish Development Agency and Historic Scotland facilitated the internal transformation of the former South Church. This now includes a new floor inserted at gallery level, new meeting and other facilities at what would originally have been the main entrance floor level, a lift from street level to all upper levels, a new build sports hall to the rear and a large space with catering kitchen for church and community use at street level." Canmore Record: https://canmore.org.uk/site/221288/stirling-67-69-murray-place-south-church Church website: http://www.stirlingbaptist.org/

Hotel in the centre of Stirling. Built by James Whingate and opened in May 1786.

Near the railway station.

A Category B Listed building http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB41204 with an interesting history, described by Historic Scotland as follows... "This shopping arcade, now known as the Stirling Arcade, is a fine example located between Stirling's principal shopping streets and the Castle. It is one of just five remaining in Scotland. Built for William Crawford, local councillor and china merchant, at a cost of about £30,000, it was also home to the Arcade Theatre. Crawford's Arcade, as it was known, links King Street and Murray Place. Narrow street facades at each end lead into the ramped shopping arcade. Entering at King Street on higher ground to the SW, the arcade runs down to the NE, it dog-legs to the left into a lofty rectangular-plan level centre court and back again to the right to slope down to Murray Place. The Arcade, together with the Alhambra Theatre and Douglas Hotel were sold by auction in 1920 after the death of William Crawford. The Arcade Theatre was situated within the arcade above the shops. Access was by the extant elegant cantilevered dog-leg staircase with decorative cast iron balusters and serpentine curved top landing on thin cast iron columns, with some fine decorative plasterwork. In 1964 the space was converted to a furniture showroom for Thomas Menzies Limited. The fine interior detail was removed owing to its poor condition but managing director, Mr Stirling Farquhar, had a pictorial record made. The auditorium 'had two U-shaped balconies, supported on iron columns, with a vaulted ceiling of painted panels. It seated 1,200 and had a chequered start with various short leases' (Peter). It was sold to William Crawford in 1912 and renamed the Alhambra Music Hall. It was then used for cine-variety and became a full-time cinema in 1930. The cinema closed in 1939 due to perceived fire risk owing to limited access. Scotland's other shopping arcades are at: Central Arcade, Ayr (1880), North Bridge Arcade, Edinburgh (1900), Argyle Arcade, Glasgow (1827), and Market Arcade, Inverness (1860)".

Looking towards the Thistle Centre and the bike hire point.

The Ordnance Survey don't give the church a spire. It is near the railway station. The River Forth can be seen just meandering into the grid-square. In the distance is Knock Hill near Dunfermline.