Bosses at Stirling Castle have defended the organising of a ‘low-noise’ fireworks display on Saturday night following residents’ anger.
The display took place around 10.45pm on Saturday evening as part of a ‘private event’ organised at the famous landmark, with mitigations put in place to reduce the noise and disruption for locals in the nearby streets.
But despite the efforts to use lower noise fireworks, residents complained over the impact of the fireworks on their pets – and one commenter online likened the sound to “heavy artillery”.
Residents' complaints
A post from the Stirling Castle Facebook page ahead of the display read: “On Saturday at 10.45pm there will be a planned low-noise fireworks display at Stirling Castle as part of a private event. It will last around five minutes.
“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. The fireworks are designed to be 50 per cent quieter than traditional displays.
“We are committed to ensuring that there is as minimal noise impact as possible to local residents.”
Among those to raise concerns on the post was Sarah MacFadyen, who wrote: “That was low noise? We got surprised by the ‘low noise’ fireworks in Bannockburn.
“Just home from walking the dogs.
“The fireworks went off early. They were both petrified. I couldn’t tell anything different about them compared to normal fireworks.”
Lyndsay McRobbie said: “Really sounds like a war zone going off, definitely not quiet.”
Whitney Lionel Dick added: “As if the animals will thank you for that being 50 per cent quieter. They’re still going to be scared out of their wits.”
Support for the display
But others were keen to defend the event.
Mhairi Heather Nisbet wrote: “Brilliant display! Definitely quieter than normal. Love the colours and choice of fireworks. Thank you for the notice, was lovely to watch.”
Jackie Anderson added: “It’s pretty diabolical that you can’t set fireworks off without having to give said days notice and apologies in advance for any noise.”
Louise Cannon replied: “I hope the private party have a good time. Good to know. Means I can watch from where I live and my pet will be all fine too.”
Organisers' response
Historic Environment Scotland, which runs the site, said the display had lasted around five minutes and stated the holding of private events at the castle was a crucial part of the local tourism economy.
The organisation introduced the rule of only ‘low-noise’ fireworks during events at the castle following a series of complaints after a previous function in 2023.
On the latest complaints, a HES spokeswoman said: “On Saturday August 22, there was a planned fireworks display at Stirling Castle as part of a private event that lasted for around five minutes.
“We work closely with our partners to keep the local community informed about events at Stirling Castle that may cause disruption, and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.
“We are committed to minimising the impact on local residents and are exploring ways to ensure this going forward.
“Private events at Stirling Castle help to generate income for the local economy, with guests often staying overnight in the local area and spending money in local businesses.”
A Stirling Council spokesman said: “Stirling Council can only place restrictions on the use of fireworks at licensed public events.
“As the event in question was privately organised and the firework display took place prior to 11pm, neither a licence nor a fireworks dispensation was required from the Council.
“Stirling Council will investigate complaints regarding the use of fireworks where residents are being frequently disturbed.”
