The loch

Airthrey Loch is the heart of our idyllic campus and forms a beautiful setting with the Ochil Hills as an impressive back-drop.

The loch is an important part of community life at the university. It’s 2.5km path is perfect for strolls, jogging or just sitting down to enjoy the peaceful views. In the spring and summer, the banks of the loch are perfect for socialising.

Two graduates eating an ice-cream whilst sitting on a small jetty on a loch

The loch is home to an abundance of wildlife. You’ll see swans and ducks enjoying a morning swim as you make your way to class. In spring, you’ll share the loch’s paths with the chicks and cygnets. The views are spectacular and different every day with the ever-changing weather and the passing of the seasons.

Loch Airthrey was created in the late 18^th century as part of the landscape designed around the Airthrey Castle estate. The loch was once popular with curlers and ice skaters until an accident in 1901 saw three people die after falling through the ice. Sadly, the Airthrey Castle Curling Club (founded 1878) have only used the loch once, in the cold winter of 1979, since this tragic event.

The footbridge was built across the loch in 1970 and is now Category-C listed.

View of Airthrey Loch with flowers in foreground

Airthrey Castle

Underscoring the uniqueness of our beautiful campus, the five-star facilities at Stirling come bundled with an 18th century castle. Overlooking the University loch, Airthrey Castle was built in 1791 to a design by influential architect Robert Adam, and has served as everything from a grand residence to a maternity hospital in the years since.