A VISIT to a Scottish city has been crowned the "best thing to do in the UK" – and it isn't Edinburgh or Glasgow.
Experts at Time Out magazine have put together a list of the 25 "best things to do in the UK right now", with five places in Scotland making the list.
But the city topping the list is Stirling, which was described as a "fantastic history-focused trip" which has a number of experiences and events taking place in the coming weeks and months, as reported by the Daily Record.
Stirling, Scotland's eighth largest city with a population of 37,910 people, was previously declared by Time Out as the best place to visit in the UK at the beginning of the year.
In crowning its winner, Time Out pointed towards a number of events taking place in Stirling in the coming weeks and months, including the Stirling Highland Games and Stirling Cocktail Week, alongside the launch of Stirling Distillery's first batch of whisky.
The magazine wrote: "Stirling has witnessed many of the nation’s most significant events – from William Wallace’s defeat over the English to the crowning of Mary Queen of Scots at just nine months old – making for a fantastic history-focused trip.
"In 2026, Stirling Distillery will release its first batch of Stirling whisky and independent venues will celebrate Stirling Cocktail Week with serious food and drinks deals all over the city (dates still to be announced).
"And every August there are the rollicking Highland Games featuring Highland dancing, the Stirling Stones competition and battle reenactments."
Stirling Council leader Susan McGill praised the accolade, commenting: "This latest recognition from Time Out is another fantastic achievement for Stirling and reaffirms the area’s reputation as a must-visit destination.
"We have world-class attractions, rich history and heritage, a packed programme of exciting events, a thriving cultural scene and stunning scenery. From our vibrant city centre to our beautiful rural communities, there is so much to explore, enjoy and experience across Stirling."
McGill also pointed towards the new Lumo train service linking Stirling with London, which she said meant "there has never been a better time to visit Stirling and enjoy everything we've got to offer".
She added: "We look forward to welcoming more visitors from across the world to Stirling during the rest of the summer and this year.
"We are also committed to working with our tourism businesses and other partners to support further growth in this key part of the economy."
Stirling Council said that the number of people visiting the city has seen a huge increase compared to pre-pandemic levels, with the Scottish Tourism Economic Activity Monitor recording 4.6 million tourists to Stirling in 2024, more than 10% up from the previous year and higher than the previous peak in 2017.
