Most visitors meet Stirling on a day tour from Edinburgh or Glasgow, usually paired with Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. These are good value and solve the problem of reaching the Kelpies and the loch without a car, but they typically allow only an hour and a half or so at the castle — and entry is often not included in the price.
If you come independently by train, book a castle admission ticket ahead for the time slot you want, or take a guided tour that covers the Old Town as well. An e-bike tour is a neat way to link the castle, the Old Bridge and the Wallace Monument, which are too far apart to walk comfortably in half a day.
