Stirling (council area)

Political control

The council has been under no overall control since 2007. Following the 2022 election a Labour minority administration formed to run the council. Efforts by the Scottish National Party as the largest party on the council to take over the leadership in February 2025 were unsuccessful, with the council narrowly voting for the Labour minority administration to continue.

The first election to Stirling District Council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 16 May 1975. A shadow authority was again elected in 1995 ahead of the change to council areas which came into force on 1 April 1996. Political control since 1975 has been as follows:

Stirling District Council

{| class="wikitable"

!colspan="2"|Party in control!!Years

| || 1975–1984

| || 1984–1988

| || 1988–1996

Stirling Council

{| class="wikitable"

!colspan="2"|Party in control!!Years

| || 1996–1999

| || 1999–2003

| || 2003–2007

| || 2007–present

Leadership

The role of provost is largely ceremonial in Stirling. They chair full council meetings and act as the council's civic figurehead. Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council. The first leader of the council, Corrie McChord, had been the last leader of the Central Regional Council. || || align=right|12 Mar 2008 || align=right|May 2012

| Corrie McChord || || align=right|28 Feb 2013 || align=right|May 2017

| Scott Farmer || || align=right|24 May 2017 || align=right|May 2022

| Chris Kane || || align=right|19 May 2022 || align=right|12 Sep 2024

| Margaret Brisley || || align=right|12 Sep 2024 || align=right|27 Oct 2024

| Gerry McGarvey || || align=right|6 Feb 2025 || align=right|10 Nov 2025

| Susan McGill || || align=right|10 Nov 2025

Composition

Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance, the composition of the council was:

{| class="wikitable"

! rowspan=2| Date

! class="unsortable" style="width:50px;" |SNP

! class="unsortable" style="width:50px;" |Con

! class="unsortable" style="width:50px;" |Lab

! class="unsortable" style="width:50px;" |Green

! class="unsortable" style="width:50px;" |Ind

! class="unsortable" style="width:50px;" |Vacant

! rowspan="2" | Reason

! rowspan="2" | Leader

! data-sort-type="number" style="background:;" |

|5 May 2022||8||7||6||1||1||||2022 Stirling Council election||rowspan=8|Chris Kane (Lab)

|19 October 2022||8||7||5||1||2||||Ewan Dillon (Lab) becomes Independent

|18 December 2022||7||7||5||1||2||1||Death of Graham Houston (SNP)

|16 March 2023||7||8||5||1||2||||Robin Kleinman (Con) elected in by-election

|10 November 2023||7||7||5||1||2||1||Resignation of Douglas Dodds (Con)

|25 January 2024||7||8||5||1||2||||Thomas Heald (Con) elected in by-election

|20 May 2024||7||8||5||1||1||1||Resignation of Ewan Dillon (Ind)

|15 August 2024||7||8||6||1||1||||David Wilson (Lab) elected in by-election

|12 September 2024||7||8||5||1||1||1||Resignation of Chris Kane (Lab)||Margaret Brisley (Lab)

|27 October 2024||7||8||4||1||1||2||Death of Margaret Brisley (Lab)||rowspan=4|Vacant

|5 December 2024||8||8||4||1||1||1||Willie Ferguson (SNP) elected in by-election

|23 January 2025||9||8||4||1||1||||Bob Buchanan (SNP) elected in by-election

|4 August 2025||9||7||4||1||1||1||Resignation of Bryan Flannagan (Con)

|30 October 2025||10||7||4||1||1||||Josh Fyvie (SNP) elected in by-election||Susan McGill (SNP)

A by-election was held on 15 August 2024 to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Ewan Dillon. Following Chris Kane being elected as MP for Stirling and Strathallan, Labour Councillor Margaret Brisley became leader of the Council, but died on 27 October 2024, and a by-election was held to fill the vacancy caused by her death. The next full council election is due in 2027.

Premises

thumb|Old Viewforth: The 1937 wing behind the original house

The council is based at Old Viewforth on Pitt Terrace in Stirling. The oldest part of the building is a converted house called Viewforth, which had been built in 1855. The house was bought by Stirlingshire County Council in 1931 for £5,250 and converted to become its headquarters. A large art deco extension was added to the rear of the house, opening in 1937. A new building called New Viewforth was built alongside the older premises in 1972, shortly before Stirlingshire County Council was abolished.

Between 1975 and 1996 the premises at Viewforth served as the headquarters of Central Regional Council, whilst Stirling District Council was based at the Municipal Buildings at 8–10 Corn Exchange Road in Stirling, which had been completed in 1918 for the old Stirling Town Council. On local government reorganisation in 1996 Stirling Council took over Viewforth. The 1972 building known as New Viewforth was demolished in 2014.

Elections

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:

| 2003 || 22 || 0 || 10 || 12 || 0 || 0 || 0 || align=left|

| 2007 || 22 || 7 || 4 || 8 || 0 || 3 || 0 || align=left|New ward boundaries.

| 2012 || 22 || 9 || 4 || 8 || 1 || 0 || 0 || align=left|

| 2017 || 23 || 9 || 9 || 4 || 1 || 0 || 0 || align=left|New ward boundaries.

| 2022 || 23 || 8 || 7 || 6 || 1 || 0 || 1 || align=left|Labour minority administration with Conservative support.

!style="background-color: ; width: 3px;" |

Wards

thumb|Map of the area's wards (2017 configuration)

The wards are:

Arnprior
Balfron
Balquhidder, Lochearnhead and Strathyre
Bannockburn
Braehead and Broomridge
Bridge of Allan
Buchanan
Buchlyvie
Callander
Cambusbarron
Cambuskenneth
Carron Valley and District
Causewayhead
Cornton
Cowie
Croftamie
Drymen
Dunblane
Fintry
Gargunnock
Gartmore
Hillpark and Milton
Killearn
Killin
Kilmadock
King's Park
Kippen
Logie
Mercat Cross
Plean
Polmaise
Port of Menteith
Raploch
Riverside
St Ninians
Strathard
Strathblane
Strathfillan
Thornhill and Blairdrummond
Throsk
Torbrex
Trossachs

Settlements

thumb|upright=2|Topographic map of Stirling and East and West Dunbartonshire

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:

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Settlement

!Population ()

|Stirling

|Dunblane

|Bannockburn

|Bridge of Allan

|Callander

|Fallin

|Cowie

|Doune

|Balfron

|Strathblane

Towns

Bannockburn
Bridge of Allan
Callander
Doune
Dunblane

Villages

Aberfoyle
Ashfield
Balfron
Balmaha
Balquhidder
Blairlogie
Blanefield
Buchlyvie
Cambusbarron
Cambuskenneth
Cowie
Crianlarich
Croftamie
Deanston
Drymen
Fallin
Fintry
Gargunnock
Gartmore
Killearn
Killin
Kinlochard
Kippen
Milton of Buchanan
Lochearnhead
Plean
Port of Menteith
Strathblane
Strathyre
Thornhill
Throsk
Tyndrum

Hamlets

Ardchullarie More
Ardeonaig
Arnprior
Auchlyne
Balfron Station
Boquhan
Buchanan Smithy
Carbeth
Dumgoyne
Gartness
Inverarnan
Kilmahog
Kinbuck
Milton
Mugdock
Stronachlachar

Dispersed settlements

Ardchyle
Auchtubh
Blair Drummond
Brig o' Turk
Dalmary
Dalrigh
Inversnaid
Rowardennan
Ruskie

Accidents and disasters

In 1996, the Dunblane massacre occurred at Dunblane Primary School in Dunblane. 16 five-six-year-old pupils and one teacher were killed in a mass shooting, in which the perpetrator also killed himself. It remains the deadliest mass shooting in British history. Dunblane Cemetery contains a memorial garden, where a number of the victims are buried and a fountain with a plaque of the names of those killed.

Places of interest

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

References

External links

Stirling Council official website