A HOTEL built in the late 1700s which the iconic poet Robert Burns etched a poem into one of the windows has been put up for sale.
The Golden Lion in Stirling, which had a verse from “Stirling Lines” engraved in one of its glass panes by the famous Scottish poet, has hit the market for more than £3 million.
Burns stayed at the hotel, built around 1786, after visiting Stirling Castle where he was inspired by the ancient building's run-down state.
After a dinner at the Golden Lion with a local businessman, Christopher Bell, Burns decided to write the verse on the window of a second-story bedroom.
The etched writing on the glass read:
“Here Stuarts once in glory reign’d,
"And laws for Scotland’s weal ordain’d;
"But now unroof ‘d their palace stands,
"Their sceptre’s sway’d by other hands.
"The injur’d Stuart line is gone,
"A race outlandish fills their throne
"An idiot race, to honour lost:
"Who know them best despise them most.”
The hotel itself is located in the heart of the city and has 66 en-suite bedrooms, a grand ballroom and five meeting rooms.
It also comes with a bar and restaurant and is located just two minutes from the train station.
It is also within easy reach of Stirling Castle, the Wallace Monument, the Bannockburn Experience and adjacent to Thistles Shopping Centre.
The business has been known as the Golden Lion since 1820 and established as a hotel for more than 200 years.
The front of the building comprises the original stone and slate construction dating from the late 1700s and is a category B listed structure.
There is also a car park located to the rear of the hotel which offers 30 car parking spaces.
