May is Local and Community History Month, a month dedicated to promoting interest in local history. We have put together a book display in the library, which features some books about the history of the local area. There is also an online reading list.
You might have been wondering how the University came to occupy such a beautiful campus. Well, the campus is on the site of the former Airthrey Estate. The university campus began to take on the appearance it enjoys today in the late eighteenth century. In 1786 the Airthrey Estate was inherited by Robert Haldane, who built Airthrey Castle to a design by the famous architect, Robert Adam. He also transformed the estate, adding many trees and creating the loch which is at the centre of today’s campus.
Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the estate was further developed by the Abercrombie and Graham families. Extensions were added to the castle, further trees were planted and a bridge over the loch was built.
In 1939 Airthrey Castle became a maternity hospital and in 1946 the estate was purchased by Stirling County Council. The Airthrey Estate was granted to the new university in 1966 and construction work began on the Pathfoot Building. Airthrey Castle continued to function as a maternity hospital until 1969 when it was also transferred to the University of Stirling.
There are some books about the Airthrey Estate in the display and the reading list. The University Archives also hold some papers relating to the Airthey Estate – for more information see https://libguides.stir.ac.uk/archives/airthrey.
Stirling is a modern university and is often looking to the future, but it’s so important to remember our roots and history right under our feet. We should really make more of the follies and ruins around the far end of the campus near the golf course. We are lucky to have such a rich heritage -not all countries have access to things hundreds of years old on their door step. Let’s not take it for granted.