Best Places to Visit Near Stirling
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best places to visit near Stirling are Sheriffmuir Paradise Pools, Downie's Loup, Auchinlinnylinn Spout, Kennetpans Distillery, Loup of Fintry Waterfall, Avon Lagoon, Melville Monument and Jupiter Artland.
Stirling stands where the Highlands meet the Lowlands, a historic town of castle and crag with wonderful country on every side. To the north, out on the moorland near Dunblane, the Wharry Burn tumbles into the Paradise Pools, a fine spot for a wild swim.
West and south the burns fall from the hills at Downie's Loup near Gargunnock, Auchinlinnylinn Spout in the Carron valley and the tall Loup of Fintry, while the Firth of Forth to the south-east holds the atmospheric ruin of Kennetpans Distillery. Further afield, the green waters of Avon Lagoon lie near Linlithgow, and a longer drive north into Perthshire climbs to the Melville Monument above Comrie.
South-east towards Edinburgh, the sculpture park at Jupiter Artland scatters art through meadow and wood. Waterfalls, wild swimming, ruins and open views all lie within reach of the town.
Here are eight places to visit near Stirling.
Sheriffmuir Paradise Pools
Photo: Euan Nelson via Geograph.org.uk
Swim at Sheriffmuir Paradise Pools North of Stirling on the moorland of Sheriffmuir near Dunblane, these pools and rapids fill a short, tree-shaded gorge on the Wharry Burn. The burn runs through a dark, wooded cleft, dropping over rapids into pools that are popular for wild swimming and paddling.
A walk of about a mile from a parking spot on the Sheriffmuir road leads through a gate and along a grassy track to the gorge, where a scramble down brings you to the water. It is a quiet, out-of-the-way place with no facilities, so come prepared.
Downie's Loup
Photo: Andrew Smith via Geograph.org.uk
Find Downie's Loup West of Stirling, this waterfall sits on the Gargunnock Burn about a mile south of Gargunnock village, where the water drops off the edge of the Gargunnock Hills. A walk of a couple of miles from near the village leads to it, on a path that grows faint and boggy as you approach the falls.
A small, fern-lined cave sits beside the drop, adding to the sense of a hidden corner. It is a quiet spot in open hill country south of the Forth valley, well worth the effort for anyone who likes wilder walks.
Auchinlinnylinn Spout
Photo: hugh mcleish via Geograph.org.uk
Seek out Auchinlinnylinn Spout South of the town, this small waterfall drops over rock on the River Carron, in a wooded valley just below the Carron Valley Reservoir. It lies in an out-of-the-way stretch between the Campsie Fells to the south and the Fintry hills to the north.
Very little has been written about it and there is no signposted path, so it stays wonderfully quiet. The setting is rough moorland and scattered trees, with the young Carron running through, making it a place for those who enjoy tracking down a genuine tucked-away rather than a ready-made attraction.
Kennetpans Distillery
Photo: Chris Allen via Geograph.org.uk
Explore Kennetpans Distillery South-east on the shore of the Firth of Forth, near Kincardine, stand the ruins of this eighteenth-century distillery. In its day it was one of the largest distilleries in Scotland, run by the Stein family, and the remains of its stone buildings and an old pier still stand at the water's edge.
Roofless walls and that pier are all that survive now, on remote, undeveloped ground looking out over the firth. A local trust has worked to save and mark the site, and it is free to visit for anyone drawn to Scotland's whisky heritage.
Loup of Fintry Waterfall
Photo: Robert Murray via Geograph.org.uk
Visit the Loup of Fintry South-west, a couple of miles east of Fintry village, the River Endrick drops in a cascade of around twenty-nine metres at the Loup of Fintry, loup being the Scots word for a leap. A lay-by on the nearby road holds a few cars, with a short, often boggy path leading to a view of the falls and a trail climbing towards the top of the drop.
It is a quiet roadside spot in the hills between the Campsie Fells and the Fintry Hills, with picnic places set out to look over the tumbling water.
Avon Lagoon
Photo: Eileen Henderson via Geograph.org.uk
Discover Avon Lagoon About twenty-five kilometres south-east, a couple of miles west of Linlithgow, Avon Lagoon is a quiet pool in the wooded valley of the River Avon. The water sits still and green between reedy, muddy banks, deep enough in the middle for a swim, with swans usually about and weed thickening through the summer.
A grassy embankment juts into the pool partway along, a natural place to sit or slip in. You reach it on foot from the edge of Linlithgow, close to where the tall Avon Aqueduct carries the Union Canal high over the river on stone arches, on the West Lothian and Falkirk boundary.
Melville Monument
Photo: Richard Webb via Geograph.org.uk
Climb to the Melville Monument A longer drive north into Perthshire, around thirty kilometres from Stirling, brings you to Comrie, where this tall stone obelisk crowns the wooded summit of Dun More above the village. It was put up in 1812 in honour of Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville, a powerful Scottish politician whose role in delaying the abolition of slavery makes him a controversial figure today.
Waymarked woodland paths climb to it, often combined with the walk to the nearby Deil's Cauldron gorge, though the final pull to the top is short but steep. From the summit, a view indicator picks out the Ochil Hills, Loch Earn and peaks such as Ben Vorlich.
Jupiter Artland
Photo: Jim Smillie via Geograph.org.uk
Wander Jupiter Artland The furthest trip runs south-east towards Edinburgh, some forty kilometres away, to a sculpture park set in the meadows and woods of an estate at Bonnington House. Dozens of works stand about the grounds, each made for its spot among the trees and fields, the best-known being Charles Jencks's Cells of Life, a set of grass mounds and pools shaped like dividing cells that greets you at the entrance.
Paths wind between the sculptures, with indoor galleries added later on. It opens through the warmer months and is ticketed, a garden of art to wander at your own pace.
FAQs
Where can I go wild swimming near Stirling?
The Paradise Pools on the Wharry Burn at Sheriffmuir, north of Stirling, are a popular spot, and Avon Lagoon near Linlithgow offers a deeper green pool for swimmers further south-east.
Which waterfalls are worth visiting around Stirling?
Downie's Loup near Gargunnock, the hidden Auchinlinnylinn Spout in the Carron valley, and the Loup of Fintry, which drops around twenty-nine metres, are all within a short drive of Stirling.
Are any of these places free to visit?
Yes. The ruined Kennetpans Distillery on the Firth of Forth is free, as are the waterfalls and wild swimming spots in the hills around Stirling, though Jupiter Artland near Edinburgh is ticketed.
Conclusion
Sitting between the Highlands and the Lowlands, Stirling opens onto a rich mix of water, hills and history. Close to town you can swim in the Paradise Pools at Sheriffmuir or seek out the falls at Downie's Loup, Auchinlinnylinn Spout and the tall Loup of Fintry in the surrounding hills.
Down on the Firth of Forth, the ruins of Kennetpans Distillery recall Scotland's whisky trade, while the green pool of Avon Lagoon near Linlithgow tempts wild swimmers. Further out, the Melville Monument rewards a climb above Comrie in Perthshire, and Jupiter Artland scatters sculpture through meadow and wood on the way to Edinburgh.
Whether you want a bracing swim, a hidden waterfall or a walk with a view, these are the places to visit near Stirling.
