The Stirling council area (Scots: Stirlin; Scottish Gaelic: Sruighlea) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and has an estimated population of 92,530 (2022). It was created in 1975 as a lower-tier district within the Central region. The district covered parts of the historic counties of Stirlingshire and Perthshire, which were abolished for local government purposes. In 1996 the Central region was abolished and Stirling Council took over all local government functions within the area.

The administrative centre of the area is the city of Stirling, with the headquarters at Old Viewforth.

The area borders the council areas of Clackmannanshire (to the east), North Lanarkshire (to the south), Falkirk (to the south east), Perth and Kinross (to the north and north east), Argyll and Bute (to the north and north west), and both East and West Dunbartonshire to Stirling's southwest.

The majority of the population of the area is located in its southeast corner, in the city of Stirling and in the surrounding lowland communities: Bridge of Allan and Dunblane to the north, Bannockburn to the immediate south, and the three former coal mining communities of Cowie, Fallin, and Plean, known collectively as the "Eastern Villages".

The rest of the council area's population is sparsely distributed across the rural, mainly highland, expanse in the north and west of the area. The southern half of this rural area comprises the flat western floodplain of the River Forth, bounded on the south by the Touch Hills and the Campsie Fells. North of the glen lie the Trossachs mountains, and the northern half of the council area is generally mountainous in character.

Stirling district was created in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which abolished Scotland's counties, burghs and landward districts and replaced them with upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Stirling was one of three districts within the Central region. As created in 1975 the Stirling district covered five districts from Stirlingshire and four districts from Perthshire, which were all abolished at the same time:

From Perthshire:

• Callander Burgh
• Doune Burgh
• Dunblane Burgh
• Western District, except Ardoch (which went to Perth and Kinross)

From Stirlingshire:

• Bridge of Allan Burgh
• Central No. 1 District
• Stirling Burgh
• Western No. 1 District
• Western No. 2 District

The new district and its neighbour Falkirk were together made a new Stirling and Falkirk lieutenancy area. The last Lord Lieutenant of Stirlingshire became the first Lord Lieutenant of Stirling and Falkirk.

Local government was reformed again in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, which abolished the regions and districts which had been created in 1975, replacing them with unitary council areas. Central Region was abolished and each of the area's three districts, including Stirling, became council areas. Stirling District Council was therefore replaced by the current Stirling Council.

Stirling
Leadership
Provost	Elaine Watterson, Conservative since 7 December 2023
Leader	Vacant since death of Margaret Bisley in October 2024
Chief Executive	Caroline Sinclair since 2024
Structure
Seats	23 councillors
Political groups	Administration (5)   Labour (4) Other parties (17)   Conservative (8)   SNP (7)   Independents (1)   Greens (1) Vacant (1)   Vacant (2)
Elections
Voting system	Single transferable vote
Last election	5 May 2022
Next election	6 May 2027
Meeting place
Old Viewforth, Pitt Terrace, Stirling, FK8 2ET
Website
www.stirling.gov.uk

The council has been under no overall control since 2007. Following the 2022 election a minority Labour administration formed to run the council.

The first election to Stirling District Council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 16 May 1975. A shadow authority was again elected in 1995 ahead of the change to council areas which came into force on 1 April 1996. Political control since 1975 has been as follows:

Stirling District Council

Party in control		Years
	No overall control	1975–1984
	Labour	1984–1988
	No overall control	1988–1996

Stirling Council

Party in control		Years
	Labour	1996–1999
	No overall control	1999–2003
	Labour	2003–2007
	No overall control	2007–present

The first leader of the council, Corrie McChord, had been the last leader of the Central Regional Council. The leaders since 1996 have been:

Councillor	Party		From	To
Corrie McChord		Labour	1 Apr 1996	12 Mar 2008
Graham Houston		SNP	12 Mar 2008	17 May 2012
Corrie McChord		Labour	17 May 2012	28 Feb 2013
Johanna Boyd		Labour	28 Feb 2013	4 May 2017
Scott Farmer		SNP	24 May 2017	19 May 2022
Chris Kane		Labour	19 May 2022	12 Sep 2024
Margaret Bisley		Labour	12 Sep 2024	27 Oct 2024

Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to July 2024, the composition of the council was:

Party		Councillors
	Conservative	8
	SNP	7
	Labour	5
	Scottish Green	1
	Independent	1
	Vacant	1
Total		23

A by-election was held in 15 August 2024 to fill a vacancy caused by Chris Kane being elected as MP for Stirling and Strathallan. Following his election, Labour Councillor Margaret Brisley became leader of the Council, but died on 27 October 2024, and a by-election will be held to fill the vacancy caused by her death. The next full council election is due in 2027.

The council is based at Old Viewforth on Pitt Terrace in Stirling. The oldest part of the building is a converted house called Viewforth, which had been built in 1855. The house was bought by Stirlingshire County Council in 1931 for £5,250 and converted to become its headquarters. A large art deco extension was added to the rear of the house, opening in 1937. A new building called New Viewforth was built alongside the older premises in 1972, shortly before Stirlingshire County Council was abolished.

Between 1975 and 1996 the premises at Viewforth served as the headquarters of Central Regional Council, whilst Stirling District Council was based at the Municipal Buildings at 8–10 Corn Exchange Road in Stirling, which had been completed in 1918 for the old Stirling Town Council. On local government reorganisation in 1996 Stirling Council took over Viewforth. The 1972 building known as New Viewforth was demolished in 2014.

Since 2007 elections have been held every five years under the single transferable vote system, introduced by the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004. Election results since 1995 have been as follows:

Year	Seats	SNP	Conservative	Labour	Green	Liberal Democrats	Independent / Other	Notes
1995	22	2	7	13	0	0	0
1999	22	2	9	11	0	0	0	New ward boundaries.
2003	22	0	10	12	0	0	0
2007	22	7	4	8	0	3	0	New ward boundaries.
2012	22	9	4	8	1	0	0
2017	23	9	9	4	1	0	0	New ward boundaries.
2022	23	8	7	6	1	0	1	Labour minority administration with Conservative support.

The wards are:

Ward Number	Ward Name	Location	Seats
1	Trossachs and Teith		3
2	Forth and Endrick		3
3	Dunblane and Bridge of Allan		4
4	Stirling North		4
5	Stirling West		3
6	Stirling East		3
7	Bannockburn		3

The area is divided into 42 community council areas, all of which have community councils as at 2023.