Spring into Summer Newsletter
Dear Friends,
The Church of the Holy Rude’s visitor season is truly in full swing and we are delighted to be welcoming guests from around the world. Open daily for the summer months ahead, recent highlights include the Walking of the Marches event, another sold-out cemetery tour led by Dr. Murray Cook, and exciting updates from Legends at Cowane’s Coffee Hatch, offering sandwiches and toasties! Starting May 27th, discover Stirling on the new Sight-Seeing hop-on hop-off bus tour, commemorating the Royal Burgh’s 900th anniversary. Mark your calendars for upcoming events such as a guided cemetery walk focused on World War features on June 9th and Chapterhouse Theatre Company presenting “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on July 20th. Volunteer opportunities within the Church are available, and further details can be found on our website.
Visit the Church of the Holy Rude
Our visitor season is underway, and we’ve had the pleasure of welcoming guests from Spain, Switzerland, Poland, and Australia! All were pleasantly surprised by the number of translations we have. As we step into the summer months, we are pleased to announce that the Church will remain open to visitors Monday to Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM. Please note every other Sunday is our Sunday Monday Worship Service where we are closed to the public. For more information regarding the Worship Service, please visit https://holyrude.org/home.html . Thanks to our amazing volunteers and guides, we’ve been able to share this wonderful space with our visitors.
On Saturday, 25th May, Stirling celebrated the Walking of the Marches. Based on the tradition of inspecting the burgh boundaries, attendees had the opportunity to meet the Birlawmen who led the procession and enjoy the excitement of the pipe bands as they passed through the city! It was great to see the top of the town buzzing with locals and visitors, an event that brought the community spirit to life.
We were pleased to see another sell-out event led by Dr Murray Cook touring the Old Town Cemetery! Keep an eye out on our website for future event details.
Upcoming Events
As Stirling celebrates 900 years as a Royal Burgh come along and experience part of Stirling’s history and heritage at our upcoming events!
Sunday 9th June 2-3:30pm: Guided Walk, Stirling Old Town Cemetery
Join Murray Cook on his monthly exploration of the Kirk Yard besides the Church of the Holy Rude. He will focus on a World War themed guided walk exploring the military graves within the Cemetery 80 years after D-Day. After two successful walks make sure you’re quick to book your spot for this one.
Tickets are available by donation (suggested £5pp): Guided Walk: Old Town Cemetery Tickets
Saturday 20th July 7:30: Chapterhouse Theatre Company presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Chapter house Theatre Company presents Shakespeare’s best-loved romantic comedy. Gates open at 6.30pm and the show starts at 7.30pm. Let yourself be whisked away on an enchanting journey to the most magical of forests and meet bewitched lovers, playful fairies, and hilarious travelling players. Beautifully designed Elizabethan costumes, a wonderful musical score and fine performances come together to make this 25th anniversary performance an evening of unmissable summer garden theatre.
All tickets are non-refundable. In the event of cancellation due to exceptionally bad weather or other extenuating circumstances alternative arrangements shall be made. For carer ticket enquiries please contact Chapterhouse Theatre Company. Accessibility varies, please enquire @holyrude@sdtourism.org
Tickets are available by following this link: Midsummer Night’s Dream Tickets
Legends at Cowanes Coffee Hatch
Exciting news for all our visitors! Cowane’s is serving delicious sandwiches and toasties as well as their home-made soups from 3rd June. Don’t forget to stop by Legends at Cowane’s Coffee Hatch, open daily from 10 AM to 4 PM, where you can enjoy a selection of hot and cold drinks, cakes, and sweet treats. Take a seat outside and soak in the historic ambiance of the medieval quarter at the church of the Holy Rude, or take a stroll through Cowane’s Hospital (free entry) to learn about John Cowane, Stirling’s most generous benefactor.
Updates in Stirling
Starting from May 27th, explore the city like never before on the new Stirling Sight Seeing open-top hop-on hop-off bus tour. In celebration of the Royal Burgh’s 900th anniversary year, the bus will operate every hour, every day, from May 27th to September 1st, 2024. The tour begins on Goosecroft Road, opposite Stirling rail station, and offers full commentary on board. Tickets are available on board or via the Midland Bluebird app. The tour includes stops at the Wallace Monument and near the Church of the Holy Rude and Legends at Cowane’s Coffee Hatch!
Additionally, the Stirling District Tourism has released a new ‘Stories in Stone’ leaflet to guide you through Stirling’s Old Town Cemetery. Discover the hidden stories etched within the stones and follow the map to explore the sites of interest. We have dedicated volunteers that are on site to help you with any questions!
Volunteer Opportunities
If you are local to the area and wish to be involved with the church, there are volunteer opportunities as a guide of the church, or guide at the graveyard. Please email holyrude@sdtourism.org for further information and your availability. Additionally, if you would like to volunteer with Cowane’s Hospital and help preserve the legacy of John Cowane, please contact hello@cowanes.org.uk
A Charity with a Mission
Stirling District Tourism, an independent charity, helps to preserve and promote Stirling’s rich history by managing The Church of the Holy Rude and Legends at Cowane’s Coffee Hatch, as well as Legends at the Monument and runs heritage events throughout the year in the greater Stirling area. Your support by visiting the church and supporting via donations allows us to keep the doors open and to celebrate the vast history within these walls.
Thank you for your continued support.
