Window seat for history

Municipal Buildings

Places change their focus through time.

For most of the 20th century Corn Exchange Road was the commercial, literary, ceremonial and municipal centre of Stirling.

The Municipal Buildings were opened 99 years ago in 1918, joining the Corn Exchange Hotel with its hiring market, the Carnegie Library (opened 1904), the Campbell Bannerman statue (1913) and the Burns statue (1914). The War Memorial completed the grouping in 1922.

One of the most important businesses in the area was McArees, who owned property facing the Municipal Buildings as well as their large store in King Street.

In 1937 they built the red sandstone building opposite Municipal Buildings and for a century had a grandstand view of the historic visits taking place.

This photograph shows a royal visit at the Municipal Buildings in 1929 from a collection presented to the Stirling Smith by Elizabeth Young of McArees.

The entrance to Municipal Buildings where the Duke and Duchess of York – the present Queen’s parents – are emerging has an outdoor seating area for the ceremony.

The windows of the council chamber above are wide open and three halberdiers dressed in their distinctive red uniforms are on the front steps.

Today both Stirling Council and McArees have moved on.