The Stirling council area (Scots: Stirlin; Scottish Gaelic: Sruighlea) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and has a population of about 93,470 (2021 estimate).^[1] It was created in 1975 as a lower-tier district within the Central region. The district covered parts of the historic counties of Stirlingshire and Perthshire, which were abolished for local government purposes. In 1996 the Central region was abolished and Stirling Council took over all local government functions within the area.

The administrative centre of the area is the city of Stirling, with the headquarters at Old Viewforth.

The area borders the council areas of Clackmannanshire (to the east), North Lanarkshire (to the south), Falkirk (to the south east), Perth and Kinross (to the north and north east), Argyll and Bute (to the north and north west), and both East and West Dunbartonshire to Stirling's southwest.

The majority of the population of the area is located in its southeast corner, in the city of Stirling and in the surrounding lowland communities: Bridge of Allan and Dunblane to the north, Bannockburn to the immediate south, and the three former coal mining communities of Cowie, Fallin, and Plean, known collectively as the "Eastern Villages".

The rest of the council area's population is sparsely distributed across the rural, mainly highland, expanse in the north and west of the area. The southern half of this rural area comprises the flat western floodplain of the River Forth, bounded on the south by the Touch Hills and the Campsie Fells. North of the glen lie the Trossachs mountains, and the northern half of the council area is generally mountainous in character.

Stirling district was created in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which abolished Scotland's counties, burghs and landward districts and replaced them with upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Stirling was one of three districts within the Central region. As created in 1975 the Stirling district covered five districts from Stirlingshire and four districts from Perthshire, which were all abolished at the same time:^[2]

From Perthshire:

• Callander Burgh
• Doune Burgh
• Dunblane Burgh
• Western District, except Ardoch (which went to Perth and Kinross)

From Stirlingshire:

• Bridge of Allan Burgh
• Central No. 1 District
• Stirling Burgh
• Western No. 1 District
• Western No. 2 District

The new district and its neighbour Falkirk were together made a new Stirling and Falkirk lieutenancy area. The last Lord Lieutenant of Stirlingshire became the first Lord Lieutenant of Stirling and Falkirk.^[3]

Local government was reformed again in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, which abolished the regions and districts which had been created in 1975, replacing them with unitary council areas. Central Region was abolished and each of the area's three districts, including Stirling, became council areas. Stirling District Council was therefore replaced by the current Stirling Council.^[4]

Since 2007 elections have been held every five years under the single transferable vote system, introduced by the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004. Election results since 1995 have been as follows:^[7]

The wards are:^[19]

The area is divided into 42 community council areas, all of which have community councils as at 2023.^[20]

Stirling

Dunblane

Bannockburn

Bridge of Allan

Callander

Fallin

Cowie

Doune

Balfron

Strathblane

Argyll and Bute

Perth and Kinross

Clack.

Falkirk

N.Lanark.

E.Dunb.

W.Dunb.

The largest settlements in Stirling council area

As well as the city of Stirling itself, there are many towns, villages and hamlets spread across the council area, as well as dispersed settlements.

Largest settlements by population:

• Carse of Lecropt
• Culcreuch Castle
• Inchmahome Priory (a ruined Augustinian priory on an island in the Lake of Menteith, used as a refuge in 1547 by Mary, Queen of Scots)
• Breadalbane Folklore Centre
• Cambuskenneth Abbey (formerly the seat of the Scottish Parliament)
• Doune Castle
• Dunblane Cathedral
• Falls of Dochart
• Falls of Lochay
• Glen Dochart
• Glenfinlas
• Lake of Menteith
• Lecropt Kirk
• Loch Achray
• Loch Ard
• Loch Earn
• Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park
• Loch Katrine (The source of most of the drinking water for the city of Glasgow)
• Loch Rusky
• Loch Venachar
• Moirlannich Longhouse
• Queen Elizabeth Forest Park (run by Forestry and Land Scotland)
• Scottish Institute of Sport (on the grounds of Stirling University)
• Stirling Castle
• The University of Stirling
• The Trossachs
• Wallace Monument
• West Highland Way