Stirling's Historic Jails

The Old Town Jail

The Old Town Jail, originally called the New County Jail, was designed by notable prison architect Thomas Brown in 1847. It replaced the jail in the Tolbooth which had become shockingly dilapidated by the 19^th century, in fact in 1842 it was described as Britain’s worst prison. The new imposing and crenelated Jail building was constructed from whinstone and was a marked improvement on the conditions in the Tolbooth. It contained 57 individual ventilated cells, a debtors dayroom, washing areas, a roof walkway, and a central panopticon from which every single cell was visible. Initially, under the ‘Separate System’ prisoners had their own cells were also taught how to read and write, as well as a trade, an attempt to rehabilitate prisoners whose crimes were often a result of poverty. This V-plan prison was the height of modernity when it was constructed. However, the prison became overcrowded, and the rehabilitation system eventually broke down.

The Jail was then used as a military prison and called the Detention Barracks from 1888-1935, when Stirling was still a barracks town. During the First World War, the building also housed a venereal disease hospital. During the Second World War, it was used to store gas masks and was home to Stirling’s Civil Detention Volunteers. In stark contrast to this, in the 1950s the building was used to store ingredients by the Caledonian Confectionary Company.

The Jail today

However, the Jail never found a permanent new use, the building became rundown and it was derelict by the 1960s. You can see footage of the Old Town Jail before it’s redevelopment here in this fascinating video about the potential future of Stirling: FutureWorld Stirling 1984

Thankfully, the Old Town Jail was purchased by Stirling Council and was restored and converted into a visitor attraction in the 1990s, re-opening in 1996. It closed again for a short while in 2015, but reopened as an independent visitor attraction. Last year, the Gate House Tourist information Centre opened, replacing the iCentre: Gate House Tourist Information - Stirling Old Town Jail

To find out more about the history of the Jail, you can check out their website: Stirling Old Town Jail or you could go on one of their Crime & Punishment Prison Tours.

The Tolbooth

The Tolbooth is one of the oldest buildings in Stirling, and is A Listed. The first Tolbooth was built on this site in 1473 and was Stirling’s court and jail. In 1689, the previous Tolbooth building was declared ruinous by the town council, so it was rebuilt in 1705 to the plans of architect Sir William Bruce, who also designed The Royal Palace of Holyrood house in the 1670s in Edinburgh. Bruce was the Surveyor General of the King’s Works in Scotland, as well as a member of parliament. The new Tolbooth contained the courtroom, prison and burgh offices. It was constructed by Master Mason Harry Livingstone, and the iconic clock was made by Duncan Kerr of Falkirk. The building was extended by Gidoen Grey in 1785, who may have also deigned the Golden Lion on King Street, and a further courthouse and prison block was added in 1811.

The Tolbooth sits beside the Mercat Cross on Broad Street. The Mercat Cross was the location of a bustling weekly market from 1226, but it was also where public executions took place, and where people were put in the stocks.

The Tolbooth today

In 2000, the building was re-opened after being converted into an event space for music and the arts by Richard Murphy Architects. Owned and operated by Stirling Council, there’s always something happening at the Tolbooth. To keep up to date on all the events you can check out what’s on here: Stirling Events

Broad Street with Tolbooth on the left hand side. Courtesy of Stirling Archives.

Photograph of the Tolbooth circa 1960 by A.D.S.MacPherson. Courtesy of Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum.