Manchester Stirling Train

Manchester is a city in the north west of England and is the sixth largest city in the United Kingdom. Manchester is surrounded by the Cheshire Plain to the south and the Pennines to the north and east. Manchester grew as a city as a result of the changes resulting from the boom in the textile industry spurred on by the Industrial Revolution. The city was the world's first industrialised city. To accommodate the increasing levels of trade the Bridgewater Canal was built in 1761 to transport coal. Manchester was also the site of the world's first railway station and is also where scientists first split the atom and developed the first stored program computer.

The city is notable for its architecture, culture, music, media, scientific and engineering output, sports clubs and transport connections. Two large squares contain many of the city's public monuments. Albert Square, outside Manchester Town Hall, has monuments to Prince Albert, Bishop James Fraser, Oliver Heywood, Ewart Gladstone and John Bright. Piccadilly Gardens has monuments to Queen Victoria, Robert Peel, James Watt and the Duke of Wellington.

The city is also home to two of the English Premier League's biggest football clubs: Manchester United Football Club, the most successful club in Premier League history, and Manchester City Football Club.

The Scottish city of Stirling is located in the centre of Scotland where Highland mountains and lochs meet Lowland cities and is the gateway to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, Scotland’s first national park. The Old Town is like a walk through history with the Castle, mansions, town walls, graveyards and ghosts. Once the capital of Scotland, Stirling contains the Great Hall and the Renaissance Palace within the Castle that rivaled any building in Europe at the time. Stirling also has its medieval parish church, The Church of the Holy Rude, where King James VI was crowned King of Scots on 29 July 1567. The Holy Rude still functions as a living church with a service every Sunday. The best way to explore Stirling is on foot. Walks range from history trails and countryside rambles to a children’s quiz walk and ghost tours. For example, the Back Walk runs along the 16th century Town Walls with glimpses into Old Town gardens and views over King’s Park to the distant mountains. The city is also an active city. Apart from its own football and rugby teams, visitors can play a round of golf, go for a swim or go horse riding.