World War 1 Practice Trenches

On 4th August 1914, headlines appeared in the Stirling Observer highlighting the need to mobilise the troops for the Great War. In October that year there was considerable excitement locally when 4,000 troops, including army reservists and territorials, arrived in Stirling. A temporary training camp was set up in Kings Park, one objective being to "instill discipline and training" among recruits.

Two City of Glasgow Argyll Brigades were among the troops arriving in October 1914. A dry canteen tent was set up, then a "fine" wooden building erected, to provide eating and social facilities. Local people were asked to provide some food for the men and to help with musical entertainment.

Temporary stables were also constructed in the park for the large number of horses used for artillery purposes. The presence of the troops created difficulties for both soldiers and golfers — the latter limiting themselves to an occasional round, and the troops risking being hit by novices' stray golf balls.

Soldiers bound for the Western Front were taught trench warfare here before they went. Practice trenches were dug across this part of the park, and their traces are still visible on the ground in places, showing as shallow linear hollows in the grass.

Aerial and satellite imagery suggests the system was considerably more extensive than the surviving surface traces alone would suggest, with further earthworks inside the main gates and across the playing field area.

The camp did not last the winter. In December the park flooded, and the troops were moved out to an old mill at Tillicoultry, with the artillery horses redistributed to stables around the town.