Winter closure for Old Town Jail

The jail will be closed for the winter and reopened in 2009

Stirling's Old Town Jail is to close for the winter after visitor numbers to the Victorian prison fell by more than 10%.

Stirling District Tourism Limited said the costs associated with keeping the attraction open all year round could not be justified.

The move will not mean any redundancies with staff moved to other attractions, such as the Wallace Monument.

The jail, dating from 1847, will shut in November and reopen in the spring.

During its closure, maintenance and refurbishment work is set to take place.

The company said the nature and extent of the work was such that it would be difficult for the jail to remain open while it takes place.

More than 75% of The Old Town Jail's visitors come to see the attraction between April and September.

The jail was first used as a prison in the mid-1840s.

After a long period of dereliction it was reopened in 1996 as a visitor attraction and business centre.