The Pavilion

Every walk in Kings Park starts and finishes here.

The Pavilion was built in 1923 for the tennis club, and still contains many of its original fixtures and fittings. It appears to be unique in Central Scotland in having spectator verandas along both sides — built so that people could watch play from either court while sheltered from the weather. Seating could be had from the Park attendant, either to watch a match or while waiting for a court, and tea and refreshments were served here to competitors and their friends.

What began as a changing room for tennis players has been carefully converted into a cafe. It serves breakfast, lunch, coffee and teas — and, by local reckoning, the best bacon rolls in Stirling. It also hosts evening pop-up events through the year, among them pizza evenings, barbecues and cocktail nights.

The cafe is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 4pm, with occasional evenings.

All three waymarked trails and the full walk begin at this door and return to it. Whichever route you take, you will end up back here — which makes the Pavilion a good place to start with a coffee, and a better one to finish with.