The Portcullis

Pub · Stirling

The Portcullis

Pub · Stirling
Castle Wynd, Stirling FK8 1EG, United Kingdom

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The Portcullis by null
The Portcullis by null
The Portcullis by null
The Portcullis by null
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The Portcullis by null
The Portcullis by null
The Portcullis by null
The Portcullis by null
The Portcullis by null
The Portcullis by null
The Portcullis by null
The Portcullis by null
The Portcullis by null
The Portcullis by null
The Portcullis by null
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The Portcullis by null
The Portcullis by null
The Portcullis by null
The Portcullis by null
The Portcullis by null
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The Portcullis by null
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Highlights

Nestled below Stirling Castle, this charming 1787 pub boasts colorful rooms, a cozy vibe, and hearty Scottish fare in a beautiful garden setting.  

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Castle Wynd, Stirling FK8 1EG, United Kingdom Get directions

theportcullishotel.com

$$

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Castle Wynd, Stirling FK8 1EG, United Kingdom Get directions

+44 1786 472290
theportcullishotel.com
PortcullisStirling

$$

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Last updated

Mar 9, 2025

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Reiss Adams

Google
Popped down here after seeing the prices of the cafe in Stirling castle’s cafe. This wee place is warm, welcoming and has a lovely fire place. The food is priced fairly, portions are great, macaroni & cheese was lovely. Service was spot on, i highly recommend this place!

Ryan B

Google
We visited when it was quite busy and couldn't get a table, so asked to sit at the bar. After we were served, we was told that a table came free and if we wanted it despite us both only wanting a snack. We went and ordered some typical pub grub, and it was excellent. Well presented and good portion sizes - staff were all lovely and ensured we were well looked after. Highly recommend and will definitely be back next time we're in Stirling.

Chris Walters

Google
Had a delicious ale here but we'll definitely be back for food. I questioned my vegetarianism when I saw how good the steaks looked and smelled. Gorgeous interior and exterior. Well worth a visit.

James Fairfoul

Google
Went for a meal with my wife today. Absolutely fantastic. Beautiful tasty food. Wonderful staff in pleasant surroundings. Reasonable price. Would highly recommend.

Maya M

Google
Reviewing the pub only. We made an impromptu decision to visit for lunch. It's just a lovely traditional pub. The atmosphere was great. The staff were welcoming and friendly. The menu is extensive with lots of choices. We went for the scampi with fries, fish and chips as well as highland chicken. Everything was delicious and freshly made. The prices are reasonable. For the 3 meals and 3 soft drinks we paid just under £50. Because it's a traditional pub, it's not overly spacious inside but there's an outdoor area. We didn't see a kids menu but our daughter was allowed to have a packed lunch which was amazing because a lot of places don't allow that. The location could not be better - right beside the Stirling Castle. We'd be happy to dine there again.

J W

Google
We did not stay in hotel. Just food.Lovely meal this evening as always. But the waiter was extremely unfriendly. And made us feel uncomfortable as if he could not be bothered . Tracksuit bottoms and trainers on staff is not what we expected when coming for a Christmas night out. Maybe some customer service training would be helpfull . Such a shame as we were having a lovely evening. But decided to leave earlier than we wanted.

Oisin Bourke

Google
Lovely spot but the fish and chips is this country’s lowest point. If I was to describe it. Imagine if m&s opened a restaurant and instead of cooking the fish it was served out of the freezer

Ed Montgomery

Google
What a great find. We were so happy with our stay at th Portcullis. The location was amazing. There are many walking trails near the hotel/castle to allow for beautiful early morning walks. Food was amazing and this was probably the best bed and bedding I found on our trip to Scotland.
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Amanda R.

Yelp
This place is a quaint little restaurant at the bottom of the ravine. The day was gorgeous. We chose to sit outside and share a glass of wine or two! It's located outside the Stirling Castle. Seating inside is limited. However, plenty of room outside. You have to go inside to order. I don't recall seeing any waitstaff outside. Food was not that good. I've had much better at various locations throughout Scotland. Easy come and go pub. Location is awesome. Service is just ok. September 2023

John H.

Yelp
After visiting Stirling Castle we decided to grab a quick bite before heading off to our next adventure. Very old building with such a cute old Scottish feel. We ordered the soup of the day which was vegetable lentil soup. It was very good! Perfect for a foggy cool day. We also had to try their sticky toffee pudding which was some of the best I have had. We saw what others around us ordered and everything looked wonderful. Cute, non-touristy place. I would definitely eat here again if we are back. The service was excellent.
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Sephora S.

Yelp
What a gem in Stirling. We went there to get a bite to say at the pub before touring the castle. Jaimie our server was fantastic and loved his dry sense of humour. You MUST order whatever the soup of the day is. It's all homemade and we had the chicken soup. It had chicken, peas, potatoes, carrots, totally made our belly's warm and full. The fish and chips is fresh, never frozen with a light batter and so tender. Thank you Jaimie and staff!
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Sandy B.

Yelp
Just outside of Stirling Castle. They have great staff. More seating on the outside, than in. Beautiful area. Huge angus beef cheeseburger, was amazing. The cauliflower casserole dish was very good. And enough for 3 people.

Scott D.

Yelp
Whilst the ambiance is welcoming, cosy and warm. The food does not live up to its description on the menu. Pretty disappointing
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Grahame G.

Yelp
This place should deserve more than three stars, but I just can't bring myself to give them. There's nothing wrong with it if you like traditional pub grub and atmosphere, but I had serious trouble ordering any main course from the menu that I could eat (due to my dietary restrictions) except for haddock and chips. To be fair, the haddock was enormous and was served with a lovely side order of salad - the sculpted spring onions were a wee work of art in themselves and deserve a special mention. I could REALLY have done without the cheese, though - please list this on the menu, some of us are lactose intolerant you know? Chips came in a cup separately as there was no room left on the plate! The beer selection was pretty average, nothing too outstanding - I settled on a pint of Timothy Taylors. Can't we have a better range of Scottish ales on tap? The service was hurried and lacklustre - it was busy and we were a group of 8, but even so, a little less sighing from the obviously harassed waitress would have gone a long way towards a better dining experience. Prices a little high for what it was, but I guess that's inevitable given the proximity to the castle.
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Yelitza C.

Yelp
Excellent food and drink. Went while a visiting American law student at Aberdeen. Took a day trip to Stirling to see the castle. Famished by so much walking. The pub food was comforting and revived me. The place was incredibly busy, however, due to tourists like myself so it was difficult to get a seat.
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Tanya L.

Yelp
The Portcullis is a fantastic, cosy pub that used to be a historic grammar school. It's conveniently located at the foot of the Stirling Castle and it makes for a lovely stop before or after a trip to the castle. After a trip to the castle today which was beautiful but very chilly, we were eager to find some lunch and hot drinks. We were lured in by our stomachs and our choice was confirmed when we saw the roaring fire! The warm tapestry-style decorations, the fire and our coffees and hot chocolates warmed us up as we admired the old stone walls and thought of the history behind this place. The food menu consisted of standard pub food and lots of paninis and sandwiches. My brie and cranberry sandwich was delicious and the staff were friendly. This pub was a great find!
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TomasnJenn G.

Yelp
The food was really good and our waiter was friendly. Would totally recommend to have the garlic chicken it was absolutely amazing! The restaurant has an old feeling but is cozy and welcoming. When we come back to Stirling this will be our go to place!
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Katie T.

Yelp
Best pub experience I have had in all of UK (in my three short months here) cozy and right next to Stirling Castle - service is incredible and the food fresh and high quality. Cousin had steak pie and I had the cheddar and haggis sandwich with salad. Salad is fresh and the house lager was fresh and refreshing - definitely a fan and highly recommend for anyone visiting Stirlig!
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Samantha E.

Yelp
My husband found The Portcullis by googling castle hotels, and this was a wild success. The Portcullis is quite literally built into the walls of Stirling Castle-- in its past lives, it's been a school for boys and a military store; now, it's a pub downstairs and hotel upstairs. The rooms aren't the fanciest rooms I've ever stayed in, but the beds were comfortable and the showers worked great. Most importantly, the views are great-- the window in our bathroom in room one looked directly at the castle, and the other windows gave us a look at the town. Our rate included breakfast-- we didn't end up taking them up on the hot breakfast, but they had quite a few options that looked great. The pub is great as well-- we stopped there for dinner, lunch and after-dinner drinks during our few nights in town. At dinner I had a delicious salmon and shrimp pasta special, and my husband had a steak stir fry special. At lunch, my husband enjoyed the fish and chips-- they were probably some of the best either of us tried in Scotland. I had a baked potato topped with smoked salmon-- how had I not thought of this before? Not fancy, but a delicious combo, for a very reasonable price. They had a great selection of beers on tap, both Scottish and otherwise, as well as a nice variety of whiskies and other drinks. Stirling is definitely worth a visit, and Portcullis is a great place to stay to do it!
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Vivien B.

Yelp
Went with my family (6yo). Decent for lunch if your hungry, otherwise wait, get a snack at the castle and eat a meal later..
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Nicola C.

Yelp
A pub in Stirling that I haven't been to?! This cannot be! And so, after a gin or two, we had our hearts set on new territory within Stirling town. Headed up to the castle, we caught sight of the Portcullis. Of course, I'd been past so many times before but now, I was venturing inside. It's cosy. - So, so cosy. A very traditional pub. It was just a one drink stop but it was a pleasant one nonetheless. The drinks were a little bit more expensive than the pubs down in the town centre, but it's quite a touristy little pub, being so close to the castle. I ordered a gin and tonic, which I asked for with a slice of lime. They had none behind the bar, so the lady serving me said she'd head to the kitchen. After a little wait, she came back down to say the kitchen staff were on a hunt for lime for me. It wasn't worth all the trouble, I was fine with the drink as it was so told them that it was really okay without. Though, I was grateful that they were on a mission to find some for me. It's strange that they didn't have some behind the bar. Perhaps they had run out. I may well be back for food!

Jared M.

Yelp
Good food and great service. Had a bellavens and a steak sandwich and the wife had wild mushroom soup she really enjoyed. Great atmosphere as well.

Michael B.

Yelp
I went here with a tour group of students. Now, I had been in Scotland for weeks and had a wonderful time. The landscape, the people, and the food in Scotland were amazing. Here though? Here at the Portcullis in Stirling, I had a horrible experience. A young man who was the waiter or member of the staff was passing out the food. Since we were a large group and talking amongst ourselves in one of our final nights in the beautiful nation of Scotland, the young waiter had to shout. He said loudly, "who ordered the crudites?" I raised my hand but he didn't notice. So I said, "over here, right here!" He looked at me angrily as he put down the plate in front of me and said, "I heard you the first time, you fucking idiot" Needless to say, our food was quite sour after that treatment. All the Scots I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking to were polite, warm, and welcoming. Sadly, this man was not. He ruined my time at the Portcullis. I had a great summer enjoying Scotland and the wonderful Scottish people. I regret going to Portcullis though and I must warn you from ever going there unless you want to be treated rudely. Just avoid it and go to another pub where the staff is happy to meet you and see you. Go someplace where you won't be called a "fucking idiot"