Stories of the people and historic businesses at the heart of Stirling are to be brought to life as part of an exciting new collaboration.
Go Forth Stirling BID and Historic Environment Scotland (HES), with the support of Stirling Council, are joining forces to celebrate the role that local businesses play in local life.
Over the next few months, they will be gathering photographs and stories from throughout the years, supported by HES’ new Trove platform, which features an extensive archive of historic photographs.
They will then be used to showcase the personalities who have shaped - and remain at the centre of - business life in the city.
The start of work was marked at Stirling Castle ahead of Scotland Loves Local Week, which begins on Saturday (August 23), with the appropriate theme of People Make Places. Go Forth Stirling is among the week’s supporters.
Danielle McRorie-Smith, the business improvement district’s director, said: “Local businesses - and the people behind them - are part of the story of everyone’s lives.
“We have fantastic businesses in Stirling, many of which are family-run and have been with us for a good number of years, thanks to the dedication of their staff and support from local people. This is a nice way to see how they’ve evolved and celebrate their part in our city.
“Collaborating with Historic Environment Scotland is a great way not only to reflect on the personalities who have helped make the city what it is, but to look forward at how support for our local people and place is shaping a positive future too.”
As well as collaborating with Go Forth Stirling on this project, HES is also a strategic partner of Scotland's Towns Partnership, the organisation which spearheads Scotland Loves Local.
Its Trove platform is a new digital portal for the historic environment which brings together millions of HES’s unique and diverse collections of information, images, video, spatial data and archival material in one convenient place for the first time.
From standing stones to skate parks, trove.scot contains more than 5,000 years of Scotland’s history, from combining designation records of Scotland’s most important historic sites and buildings, to educational and archival images.
Chris Jones, Head of Central Region for Historic Environment Scotland, said: “It’s great to have been part of the launch activities for this year’s Scotland Loves Local Week. This is a really important initiative which puts the spotlight on local businesses which form a key part of the make-up of Stirling, a long tradition which goes back many years, as demonstrated in many wonderful assets seen today.
“It’s fitting that this took place at the castle, as not only a key symbol of the city, but also part of Stirling’s retail offer, with the castle shops helping to highlight a number of Scottish businesses to the many thousands of visitors who visit each year. We very much wish everyone involved with this year’s initiative well.”
To support the project, Stirling Council is delving into rich archives which contains recor and materials dating from the 14 th century to the present day
Stirling Council Leader, Cllr Gerry McGarvey, said: “The creativity, innovation and resilience of Stirling’s business community have shaped the history of the city and Scotland.
“This exciting project is a wonderful way to celebrate that legacy by bringing their stories to life and shining a light on the incredible people behind them.
“We’re delighted to support it and champion our amazing businesses and communities. I know what’s uncovered will be of huge interest to many people.
“It’s also an opportunity to show how the Stirling region, powered by its enduring entrepreneurial spirit, is looking to the future with confidence and optimism, ready to create more history.”