The East and West Churches are here represented as seen from a spot behind the Ladies’ Hill, the spectator being supposed to look in a south-east direction.

These Churches, though anciently one, are now separate places of worship; but, being attached to each other in the way represented, they are only distinguished in modern times by the epithets here applied to them. The division took place in 1656.

The West Church was originally the place of worship connected with the Franciscan or Grey Friars’ Monastery, which was founded in Stirling by James IV., in 1494. It cannot, therefore, be of an older date. It appears to have had a projecting square building at each corner. One of these at the north-west corner was, according to tradition, the chapel of Margaret, daughter of Henry the Seventh, James the Fourth’s queen. The interior was of beautiful architecture; and on the arch (now converted into a window) which formed the entrance to it, may still be seen, from the outside of the church, the rose of England and thistle of Scotland. Another of these projections at the north-east corner, is now an aisle belonging to the family of Moir of Leckie. Another at the south-east corner, on the left hand of the present entrance to the church, became the burying-place of the Earls of Stirling; Sir William Alexander, the first Earl, having been brought from London and buried in it. The remaining projection, situated at the south-west corner, was at one time an entrance to the church. All these excrescences, with the exception of that now belonging to the family of Moir of Leckie, were lately taken away, when the West Church was repaired. On that occasion the church was very tastefully fitted up. In the West Church are the monuments of Lieutenant-Colonel Blackadder, of the Cameronian Regiment; and Dr David Doig, Rector of the Grammar School of Stirling. Blackadder was Deputy-Governor of the Castle in 1715, and wrote memoirs of himself, which possess considerable interest. Doig was one of the first scholars of his day, and wrote the articles, Philology and Mysteries, in the Encyclopædia Britannica, and some very learned letters on the savage state, addressed to Lord Kames.

The East Church, at least the chancel, was built by Cardinal Beatoun; but, though a later, and in external appearance a more magnificent structure, it is not, in reality, of such elegant architecture as its more aged neighbour. Its east window is tall and handsome, the mullions fortunately being still preserved. Around the exterior of the building are eleven buttresses, each having a vacant niche, which are supposed to have been filled, before the Reformation, with statues of the apostles, Judas of course excepted. In the chancel of the East Church was a tomb-stone bearing this inscription, in Latin:—‘In memory of Margaret Steuart, grand-daughter of James V., King of Scots; daughter to the Earl of Murray, regent, and Anne Keith, a lady of quality; wife to the Earl of Arrol. She died of a distemper upon Sabbath, the 2d April, in the year of our Lord 1586, in the 16th year of her age. The Lord, who alone united us, has parted us by death.’

The church of Stirling is remarkable in Scottish history, as the place where the regent Earl of Arran, in 1543, abjured the Catholic faith, and avowed the Protestant doctrines; which, however, he afterwards renounced. Here, also, on the 29th of July 1567, James VI. was crowned, at the age of thirteen months and ten days, John Knox preaching the coronation sermon, and Lords Lindsay and Ruthven, who extorted the resignation of the crown from the unfortunate Mary, being among the nobles who assisted at the ceremony. In 1651, Monk took possession of the tower, or steeple, from which he proceeded to batter the castle. The Highlanders, in 1746, assumed the same station, for the purpose of celebrating their victory at Falkirk, which they did by ringing of bells, and discharging fire-arms from the battlements. On both of these occasions, the steeple suffered from the shot of the castle; and hollows are still pointed out on its sides, which are said to have been occasioned by the bullets. The steeple is distinguished by a majestic simplicity, which, without elaborate ornament of any kind, renders it an object of no inconsiderable interest to the spectator.

The building seen to the right of the churches, in the annexed view, is Cowan’s Hospital, built in 1639. John Cowan, a merchant in Stirling, between the years 1633 and 1637, left forty thousand merks, to endow an hospital, or alms-house, for twelve decayed brethren of the guild or mercantile corporation of Stirling. The money was invested in the purchase of lands, which now yield a revenue of upwards of £3400 sterling per annum. From this fund about a hundred and forty persons, at present, receive relief. The front of the house exhibits a full-length statue of the founder, which will be looked upon with interest as a memorial of the costume of the better order of Scottish burghers, in the reign of Charles I.