Today we start a new venture on the website which we hope will build to become a diverse and interactive resource for Stirling's history. See the ON THIS DAY page under Stirling's History on the website.

Notices of events in Stirling's past - from the medieval to the very modern and filed under the main dates - will be easily located and searchable. We hope that, in future years, On This Day will become a key resource, with information about buildings, events, people and institutions - about every aspects of Stirling's past. Over the years this area will change and grow.

Key to the success of this venture is that anyone can contribute so long as they have something useful to say. Don't wait till the 'anniversary' - we are building a database of actual and potential articles and dates.

Most useful articles are going to include some references. You can use illustrations if they help. If your contribution is long or very complex, it might be a good idea to get in touch first. Please clear copyright issues before submittiing - if we have doubts about that, we may be unable to publish your item. You can sign your article if you wish but, in submitting it, you agree that if we publish it, you assign your copyright to SLHS. 

So, if you have a favorite event, get writing and send it along to [email protected]

The SLHF has a conference on the theme 'Travellers, Turnpikes & Tar - 1000 years of
  Scotland's Roads' at the Renfield Centre, 260 Bath Street, Glasgow on 4th November.
Further details and booking form are available via SLHF website;
http://www.slhf.org/index.php/conferences.html
Whilst the talks cover much of Scotland there are several speakers from Stirling and the area so there will be much of interest.

Stephen Digney writes:
There are a number of features around the Gowan Hills and in the Haining which we hope might be explained by members who have memories or knowledge of activities that may have created them during World War II or earlier.

In the Haining, adjacent to the King’s Knot, are the visible foundations for at least five army Nissen huts. I have heard that some Polish soldiers were billeted there during WWII. Does anyone know if this is true or have any information on the military camp here?

In 1995 the Archaeological Society cleared three strips of gorse on the Gowan Hills on the main ridge facing Mote Hill. At the time we were examining the hill for linear earthworks which we thought might be of great age. In doing so we discovered two pits and it was suggested that these could be WWII machine gun nests. If this is correct they were positioned to fire on the bridges or down Union Street in the event the invading Germans came that way. A metal detectorist found a pocket watch at one of the pits we uncovered which is in chime with an early 20th century date. Were these dug by the Home Guard?

Also an RAF photograph from 1946 shows a large open trench on the top of the Gowan Hill. Who dug this and for what purpose?

Does any member have any knowledge of military activities around the Gowan Hills or of the Home Guard in Stirling during the War? Would someone be interested in researching this subject? Any information would be a great contribution to our Stirling Castle Historic Environs Project.
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The latest edition of this local journal has now been published and is available through local outlets (http://www.fnh.stir.ac.uk/).

There are six historical/ archaeological papers, those most relevant to Stirling's history are;

Kate Dean, 'James Gray, Seed and Grain Merchant, Stirling (1833-1890)'.

John G Harrison, 'The Kirkyard and Cemeteries beside Stirling Castle'.

Further articles discuss the Gartmorn Lade System, Dunblane's response to World War I, the recent find of Iron Age gold at Blairdrummond and the Strathcashell Crannog, at Loch Lomond.
As it happens, two fo the wildlife papers also use historical information. Sexton et al compare reports on the 19th century population of junipers at Touch with modern findings. Peter Maitland describes the fluctuations in the population of sparling (aka spirling/ sperling) in the Forth, a fish which has varied from abundant and commercially important to near-extinction and which is now returning.

If you encounter other publications of local interest, do let us know.

Our new season started in October. As in previous years, our speakers will cover a wide range of topics.
However, this being the 450th anniversary of the Scottish reformation, there will be some concentration on topics related to religious issues, ranging from the pre-reformation, medieval period into more modern times. Whilst all talks will be of wide interest, these talks might be of particulary interest to people who are involved with the various congregations today.
On 28 October Michael Giannandrea gave in interesting talk about 'Stirling's Reformation'.
On 27 Jan 2011 Andrew Muirhead will talk about 'Stirling's Churches and the Life of the Burgh'.
On 24 Feb 2011 Prof. Richard Oram (Stirling University) will talk about 'Cambuskenneth Abbey and its Estates, 1140-1560.

But other areas of local interest are not neglected.
On 25 Nov 2010 Peter McNiven (Glasgow University) talked about the medieval place names of Menteith and Stirling. And on 31 March 2011, to bring us into the twentieth century, Sonya Linskaill of Stirling City Heritage Trust, will talk about the work of Sir Frank Mears and Walter Gillespie who created so much of the modern Top of the Town area of Stirling.
Finally, on 28 April, we end the season with another of our ever-popular Members' Nights with several shorter presentations.

All meetings are in the Smith Museum and Art Gallery at 7.30 pm.
Membership is £10 (free for students and people under 18); we ask non-members to make a small contribution to costs.
Further information; [email protected]

Stirling's Holy Rude church was the main focus of the reformation for local people - though Cambuskenneth Abbey was also directly affected.
The reformers, however, intended to create a single new church, not the great diversity which actually arose over the following centuries.
How to manage such diversity became a major issue in Stirling - and, indeed, throughout Scotland.