ABOUT DUNBLANE Sitting to the north of Stirling on the A9, Dunblane is one of Scotland’s smallest cities. Founded in 602 AD by Saint Blain, the city is rich in history and has been shaped by religion and politics since its inception. It was elected a city in 1500 by King James VI, and post-Reformation, became a weaving town of some repute. Its tartan is considered the most complicated of the district tartans. Dunblane has a historic charm in a sleepy setting; the River Allan runs through the city and architecture from the 17th and 18th centuries survives to this day. Its most famous building is Dunblane Cathedral, which was completed in the thirteenth century and restored in 1893 by Sir Robert Rowand Anderson. The building is now owned by Historic Scotland. Leighton Library, completed in 1688, is the oldest purpose built library in Scotland and visitors can examine some of Scotland’s rarest books. Dunblane is embroidered into Scotland’s history, but it is the future of tennis that it is becoming famous for, with Andrew and Jamie Murray hailing from the city. On the cusp of the Perthshire High-lands, Dunblane offers many scenic walks in unspoiled countryside and has plenty to enchant the visitor.
DUNBLANE - HOW TO GET THERE? Dunblane provides easy access to all the central belt cities and the Highlands, by road, railway and 3 international airports, making it popular with commuters to Stirling, Edinburgh and Glasgow, London and abroad and a great base for tourists, including green travelers. Dunblane has a compact walkable heritage center of High Street, Cathedral, Museum, Leighton Library and attractive riverside parks. It is surrounded by lovely countryside and hills for walks and cycle rides for all abilities.
BY AIR The three nearby airports offer domestic and international flights. Car hire and public transport may be included in the ticket price. Edinburgh Airport is 8 miles west of Edinburgh on the Glasgow A8, 38 miles from Dunblane via M9. Regular Airlink bus service go to Haymarket and Waverley in Edinburgh (30 mins) to link with the train (60 mins) to Dunblane. It is possible to get a bus from near Edinburgh Park station avoiding the city. Glasgow Airport is 8 miles west of the city centre off the M8, junction 28, and 44 miles from Dunblane. There is a Shuttle bus (25 mins) to Glasgow Queen St station and then train (40 mins) to Dunblane. Airport taxis go to Glasgow City Centre. Prestwick International Airport is near Ayr and 67 miles from Dunblane. This airport offers free/discounted train travel (50 min) to Glasgow Central station. From there it's a 6 min walk/free bus to Queen St station and then train (40 mins) to Dunblane.
BY ROAD Dunblane is just 6 miles north of Stirling at the end of the M9.
BY RAIL Dunblane is on the main railway through Scotland and has regular direct services to Stirling (7 mins), Edinburgh (1hr), Glasgow (40mins), Gleneagles (15mins), Perth (30mins), Dundee (1 hour), Aberdeen and Inverness and via Stirling for Alloa. It is only 5hr 40mins from central London, or the sleeper service enables a full 2 day relaxing weekend away. Cycles are carried free and usually need booking for long distance journeys. The train is also convenient for local walking and cycling excursions to Bridge of Allan, Stirling, Alloa, many other stops between Edinburgh and Glasgow, and north to Gleneagles and Perth. The station booking office is manned Mon - Sat mornings only. Dunblane railway station is now fully accessible with lifts on the new footbridge. National Rail Enquiries: 08457 48 49 50 National Rail website. National Rail Enquiries Textphone (for customers with hearing impairments): 0845 60 50 600.
GEOGRAPHICAL & DEMOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION The city of Dunblane is part of the United Kingdom. Approximately 8,056 people live in Dunblane. Dunblane coordinates: 56°11′18″ N, 3°57′51″ W.
PASSPORT AND VISAS Citizens of EU and EEA countries, most of North and South America, Japan, Israel, Australia and New Zealand do not require a visa to visit Scotland. Visitors to Scotland must comply with travel documentation requirements as stipulated by the United Kingdom Home Office. As an agency of the Home Office, the UK Border Agency is responsible for protecting the border of the United Kingdom and has more than 250 visa application centers around the world to assist travelers in meeting border entry requirements. For the latest travel document requirements and details on your nearest visa application center, please visit the UK Visas and Immigration Page on the UK Homeland Website.
LANGUAGE Most of the Dunblane people speak English. They also use English for writing system and they use at schools and education institution. Dunblane people use English language for communication. LOCAL TIME Dunblane time zone is UTC+00:00 or GMT.
CURRENCY The currency of Scotland is the GBP Pound (£). One pound is comprised of 100 pence and coins can be obtained in 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2 denominations. Bank notes are commonly divided into £5, £10, £20 and £50 amounts. Scottish banks also issue a £1 notes which can be used as legal tender anywhere in the United Kingdom.
TIPPING There are no hard and fast rules for tipping in Scotland. If you are happy with the service, a 10-15% tip is customary, particularly in a restaurant or cafe with table service. Tipping in bars is not expected. For taxi fares it is usual to round up to the nearest pound.
EXCHANGE Money can be exchanged in banks, at foreign exchange bureaus and hotels. The exchange bureaus are generally open for longer than banks are but charge higher commission rates. Banks are usually open from 9:30am to 4:30pm from Monday to Friday. Some banks are also open on Saturdays. If you plan to use American Express, MasterCard or Visa Cards, you will find that credit cards and debits cards are widely accepted. The same is true of Travelers checks which should be in GBP to avoid extra exchange rate charges. There are also a ATMs available throughout Scotland so you will have easy access to cash.
POST OFFICE Most post offices are open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with stamps available from most stationery shops and Tourist Information Centers. Comprehensive details on British postal services are available from the Royal Mail. In addition, if you're looking for the exact address of a house or business in Scotland or Great Britain, the Royal Mail Web site also lets you look up post codes and confirm addresses.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS Most phone numbers in the U.K. now follow the format -- 01 plus 8 or 9 digits, which is easy enough to dial if you are already in the country. However, if you have to call from the U.S., first dial the international dialing code (011) and country code (44), omit the lead zero, then dial the rest of the number. For example, if the phone number is 0131 555 5555 and you are not in the U.K., this is how you dial: 011 44 131 555 5555. A phone number beginning with 07 is probably a mobile phone (cell phone) and cannot be called from the U.S. Most public telephones accept coins (10p, 20p, 50p, £1), with a minimum connection charge 20p. An increasing number of kiosks also accept credit cards and offer e-mail and Internet access.
MEDICAL CARE Vacationers who become ill while in Scotland are eligible for free emergency treatment at National Health Service Accident and Emergency hospital departments. If, however, you are admitted to hospital as a patient, or referred to an outpatient clinic, you will be asked to pay unless you are a citizen of a European country or a resident of a country which has a reciprocal health care agreement with the U.K. As with all travel, it is advised to take out insurance coverage before traveling. Contact your insurance agent for guidance. CSA Travel Protection offers a variety of travel insurance plans to fit your specific needs, including coverage for emergency medical and dental expenses, trip cancellation, travel interruptions and delays, damage to your rental car, lost baggage and more.
ELECTRICITY The standard voltage in Scotland is 240V AC, 50Hz. North American appliances need a transformer and an adapter.
SHOPS Road and railway line follow similar paths to the river helping to make the town center DunblAne’s focal point. Most of Dunblane’s shops and businesses are also sited here. Most shops are open Mondays – Saturdays 9am to 5:30pm, although supermarkets stay open until 10; some larger supermarkets stay open 24×7. Sunday shopping is typically 10-11am to 4-5pm.
SALES TAX The sales tax - or value added tax (VAT) - is currently applied at 20% to most goods and services except food, books and children's clothing.
DRIVING The vehicle driving side in Dunblane is the right, all vehicles should take left side during driving.
DINING There are a wide variety of restaurants, cafes and bars in Dunblane ranging through the elegant and sophisticated to the casual and inexpensive. Take-away and fast food is also available from many outlets.
ENTERTAINMENT AND ATTRACTONS Dunblane is one of the country's smallest cities, with a colorful history and a magnificent cathedral which dates back in part to the 12th century. Doune Castle, near Dunblane. Doune Castle is an imposing Medieval castle. About 3 miles west of Dunblane. Blair Drummond Safari & Leisure Park. Drive amongst wild animals. About 4 miles west of Dunblane.
RECREATION Enjoy a quiet walk by the river, where you might catch the blue flash of a kingfisher, or visit the ancient cathedral with its soaring stone arches. The Leighton library, which opened around 1687-88 and is the oldest private library in Scotland, sits nearby. There are books dating back many centuries, once having pride of place in the the homes of their famous owners who often wrote inside. Indoors or out, there is much to do in Dunblane. Get a hot pie from one of our local prize-winning butchers, wander round our many churches, visit our parks and open spaces, or try skateboarding on our fantastic skatepark which took 10 years of hard work to complete, or just relax by the river and watch the wildlife. And when you want larger places then visit Stirling or hop on a train to Edinburgh or Glasgow, the shopping capital of Scotland.
RELIGIOUS SERVICES
*The Orthodox Church services are irregular see http://www.orthodoxchurchdunblane.org.uk/ for information. Some churches also hold services on other days of the week. The nearest Mosque to Dunblane is at the Central Scotland Islamic Centre, Burghmuir Road, Stirling (near Waitrose). For more information, see www.stirlingislamiccentre.co.uk or phone 01786 474324.
CLIMATE Stirling's climate is basically the same as the rest of central Scotland - cool, cloudy and damp. However, warm air courtesy of the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic keeps the temperature here fairly moderate throughout most of the year. This factor causes much less snow to fall in the winter than in neighbouring towns such as Dunblane. Stirling, like much of eastern Scotland, sees more sunshine than the western side of the country, although winters are colder.
BUS Citylink M8: Glasgow-Stirling-Dunblane-Perth-Dundee: use bus stop on Perth Road by/opposite police station. Bikes are carried free provided they are in an approved box or bag and that there is sufficient space in the luggage hold. See the Scottish Citylink website for further details. Local buses: link Dunblane with towns and villages off the railway network – including Crieff, Doune, Callander, Stirling University, the Hillfoots and Fife. Many don’t run on Sundays and/or are infrequent so need planning. The Trossachs: There are demand responsive taxis at bus prices which need to be booked 24hrs in advance. Stirling Council website - Demand Responsive Transport Within Dunblane: Local bus C66 and C67 do a circuit from Argyle and Whitecross estates to the town centre shops and health centre 3 or 4 times a day. Local Bus timetables: Travel search website - bus list