For one weekend every September, Stirling fills up with crime writers, and we could not be happier about it. Bloody Scotland, the International Crime Writing Festival, returns to the city from Friday 18 to Sunday 20 September 2026. It is one of the biggest dates in Stirling's calendar, and this year the novelist Denise Mina takes over as Guest Programmer.
We are a Stirling family firm working out of the Old Smiddy, a mile below the castle, so a festival that brings several thousand readers into town is one we look forward to all year. Here is what to expect, and how to build the rest of your weekend around it.
What is on at Bloody Scotland 2026
The full programme has been revealed and tickets are on sale. The 2026 line-up is a strong one, with names including:
- Richard Osman
- Val McDermid, with Queen Macbeth
- Liz Nugent and Andrea Mara
- Sarah Pinborough and Janice Hallett
- Steve Cavanagh and Nadine Matheson
- Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Gregg Hurwitz
- Robert Bryndza, and Cai Jun, China's bestselling crime writer
- Broadcasters Robert Peston, Jeremy Vine and Olly Smith
Events run across the city all weekend. Check the Bloody Scotland programme for times, venues and tickets, and book the headline sessions early, because they tend to go well before the weekend arrives.
How to fill the gaps between events
The trick to any festival weekend is the hour or two between sessions. Stirling is a small city and almost everything worth seeing is walkable, which is exactly why a weekend here works so well.
We sit a short walk down from the castle, so we are easy to slot between events. Have a look at how to plan your visit and how to find us before you set off. A walk-in tour is about the right size for a gap in a festival day, and it is a quieter hour if you have spent the morning in a packed venue.
A word of local advice. Stirling gets busy across the Bloody Scotland weekend, so book anything you are set on well ahead, leave more time than you think for parking in the old town, and bring a jacket. September here can do all four seasons before lunch.
Crime fiction and a decent dram
Crime writing and whisky have kept good company for a long time, and if the festival puts you in the mood for one, we can help. We are Scotland's smallest whisky distillery, and our whisky range runs from the Sons of Scotland single casks to 5cl minis if you would rather try before committing to a bottle.
Gin is where this distillery began, long before the whisky. Our flagship Stirling Gin is built around wild Stirlingshire nettles that June forages herself, made in small batches and hand wax-sealed here at the distillery. Browse the Stirling gin collection, or book one of our distillery experiences and make a proper weekend of it.
Bloody Scotland runs 18 to 20 September 2026. Come for the crime, stay for the dram, and plan your visit to the distillery while you are in town.
