Event organisers of the Stirling Highland Games and Summer Festival are looking forward to welcoming up to 8,000 visitors and locals alike to Stirling Sports Village over Saturday, August 18th.
With limited parking at the event and so much on over the same weekend Ceangail, the social enterprise that’s delivered the event since 2014 and provides practical learning opportunities at the event for young people, has been engaged in discussions with Stirling Council and the AA since early 2018 on how it can accommodate this year’s traffic congestion.
With new signage now being scheduled to be displayed on the motorways advising visitors driving to the festival to come off at Junction 9 only and follow the A91 around to the Stirling Sports Village, it is hoped to alleviate some of the congestion at junction 10.
To reduce congestion at Stirling Sports Village itself and dependant on which way drivers are travelling, there will be AA signage on the A91 advising drivers to either use Kerse Road as an alternative route to access Forthside Car Park or use Springkerse Park & Ride Car park if arriving from the opposite direction. It’s only a short walk from either of these additional car park locations to Sruighlea.
With so much on at Stirling’s Summer Festival, Ceangail Director Matt McGrandles hopes some of the 40,000 Runrig fans descending on Stirling might drop by. ‘The team has worked very hard this year on developing our event offering again and we, of course, are looking forward to seeing some of Runrig’s fans having a great day with us. There are not many festivals offering £8 entry and the chance to enjoy watching a Highland games or fringe performances, a foodie festival and traders village to browse for something nice to buy, a place to let the kids run free in the activities challenge area or even join one of the on-site walking tours during the day.’
Stirling Summer Festival day or evening tickets can be bought in advance or on the gates on the day. A discounted Festival Pass for £20 is available now online and includes both day and the live music sessions in the evening. Headliners Raintown and Wet Wet Wet’s Graeme Clark plus Scottish rock band Altered Sky are on the bill along with local Stirling favourites Railfan and Robbie Hutton.
The Stirling Summer Festival site is open from 10:30 until 22:00 on Saturday 18th August allowing everyone to enjoy a full day out in Stirling and plenty of time to get back to the station to catch the last train.
Stirling Council has organised a free shuttle bus from the Castleview park and ride facility to The Peak at Stirling Sports Village for any Runrig fans that have purchased tickets to Sruighlea or wish to head along and pay at the gates. This shuttle service will operate throughout the day and every 30mins from 10:00 until 17:45.
Last year’s event over the same weekend attracted 4200 visitors with 40% travelling from overseas including North America, Europe and Asia which provided a total economic impact of almost £380,000 for Stirling.
Since 2014, Ceangail events have delivered almost £1 million worth of economic impact for Stirling.