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Find Scotland Tours that feature Stirling Jail.
| Address: | St John Street, Stirling FK8 1EA, 01786 450050 |
| Operated by: | Independent |
| Opening Hours: | May to October: 10am to 5pm (last entrance at 4pm) |
| Admission: | Tour with actor: Adult £6.65, Child £4.10, Senior £5.10, Family £17.40 |
| Parking: | Free parking for visitors - Go through the arched entrance and the car park is signposted as you approach the prison. |
| Languages: | Multilingual audio-tour, live tour with actors in English |
| Accessibility: | Limited disabled access to upper floors of the Jail, but there is a lift so most areas can be visited. |
| Toilets: | Yes |
| Shop: | Yes, a small shop selling an odd assortment of items including plastic ball & chains! |
| Cafe/Restaurant: | No |
Stirling Old Town Jail was built in 1847 when the old Tolbooth Jail became too overcrowded and was rated as the worst prison in Britain. Although living conditions undoubtedly improved with the new jail, the strict regime of solitude, labour, coarse food and discomfort would still have been a deterrent. The building was still in use as a military prison until 1935.
The tour of the jail starts with you being greeted by the rather fearsome character of Jock Rankin, chief executioner from the Old Tolbooth jail. The role of Jock, and all the other prison characters, are played by actors who stay in character throughout and they seem to enjoy what they do.
Jock is "replaced" by Mr Hislop, the Victorian warden of the jail. Mr Hislop is a no nonsense character who introduces you to your life as an inmate. You are then free to explore the prison cells, but watch out! One of the prisoners escapes! We won't tell you anymore as we don't want to spoil the surprises.
Stirling Old Town Jail was refurbished in the 1990s and some of the exhibits deal with conditions in Scotland's modern jails, but this is the less interesting aspect of the tour.
One of the advantages of visiting the Jail is the roof top observation area where you get excellent 360 degree views over Stirling town. You can easily see across to Wallace Tower, the Ochil Hills and the more distant mountains of the Trossachs National Park. The castle is also visible from the rooftop, but the view is partially obscured by other buildings.
Something worth noting is the free car parking available for visitors. The fact that the museum has a car park is not cleary indicated and the archway entance does not look like you should be driving through it, but you can.
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