Isla Glen couldn’t be better suited to the role of Stirling reporter.
A former editor of the University of Stirling’s student newspaper, Brig, she spent four years getting to grips with and reporting on the issues that matter to those living in the city and across Stirlingshire.
Graduating in 2023 with a journalism degree, Isla was offered a reporter role with The Courier, following a hugely successful internship.
After a year of hands-on learning and skill-sharpening, guided by The Courier’s experienced staff of journalists and editors, Isla was more than ready for her next challenge – and it just so happened to be waiting for her back in her favourite city.
As a Stirling resident herself, you might well spot Isla out walking in Cambuskenneth or Aberfoyle, paddleboarding in the Trossachs, or grabbing her ‘usual’ with colleague Alex at HBW Coffee on Barnton Street – when she isn’t chasing leads, of course.
Though born and raised in the Borders, the Stirling area is where Isla says she feels most at home.
This is evident in her broad knowledge of the place and its people, in her enthusiasm for the future prosperity of Stirling and Stirlingshire, in her determination to hold local leaders to account for the good of the area.
Isla works alongside The Courier’s Stirling editor, Alex Watson.
After 10 years (in the blink of an eye, she says) working in Scottish journalism – most recently with The Press and Journal in the north – Alex is also experiencing a homecoming of sorts.
Growing up in Linlithgow, West Lothian, with beloved grandparents living in the Forth Valley, she spent much of her childhood in and around Stirling.
She has fond memories of visiting the castle, Bannockburn and – most exciting of all – the pot-bellied pigs at Blair Drummond Safari Park.
Alex’s grandad, a talented joiner, was one of the tradesmen responsible for fitting out Stirling University’s campus in its early years, during the late-1960s and early-1970s.
Despite knowing Stirlingshire well, she continues to be blown away by its natural beauty and rich heritage on a daily basis.
What have we been reporting on in and around Stirling?
While it is important to Isla and Alex to report on current events as they happen in the Stirling area, a vital part of The Courier’s local coverage is examining ongoing key issues that matter to residents.
That’s why, on the same weekend as sharing photos from the heart of Stirling’s first Pride celebration, we also published an in-depth explainer about the shock demolition of the Christie Clock, one year on.
That’s why we spend time thoroughly investigating claims from unhappy customers of Wolfcraig Distillers who had spent up to £6,000 each on whisky casks.
And that’s why we are committed to giving the public easy access to all the Stirling Council developments they should know about, whether that’s by-election vote counts or planning applications.
But there’s plenty of room for fun, adventure and curiosity, too.
We want to champion local businesses old and new, from cherished record shop Europa Music to the eagerly-awaited Piotsa Pizza restaurant.
We want to show our readers their hometown like they’ve never seen it before – for example, by giving them a peek at the medieval bastion hidden under the Thistles shopping centre.
We understand that the people who live, learn, work and play across Stirlingshire know it best, which is why we choose to showcase its city, towns and villages through the eyes of locals.
From Dunblane and Bridge of Allan to Buchlyvie and Balfron, every community is unique, and we strive to serve each one as best we can.
If you’re keen to help us do that, please don’t hesitate to get in touch – we would love to hear from you.
- Email us at alex.watson@dcthomson.co.uk or isla.glen@dcthomson.co.uk
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