The Reclaim the Night march will return to Stirling on Monday, September 28. The march will muster at Stirling Castle Esplanade at 7 pm before proceeding through town at 7.30, ending at Stirling County Rugby Football Club at 8.30 pm.
The march is part of a global movement centring the safety of women and marginalised genders in public spaces at night.
The event is organised by Stirling Students’ Union in conjunction with Forth Valley Rape Crisis Centre.
As well as the march, there will be speakers, charity stalls, and a moment of silence at SCRFC.
The movement shines a light on a crisis of women’s safety. Recorded crimes of rape and attempted rape in Scotland are at a record high since 1971, with a 72% increase over the ten-year period from 1,878 in 2016-2017 to 3,229 in 2025-2026. 95% of victims are female.
The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey has found that a significant majority of sexual offences go unreported, making the actual number of rapes and attempted rapes much higher.
A 2025 study by the Office for Students found that 25% of survey respondents had experienced sexual harassment at university, and 14% had experienced sexual violence or assault.
Brig asked Ellie Hammond, Stirling Union President and organiser of both this year and last year’s march, about her plans for the 2026 event.
“While the event will follow widely the same format as last year, this year I hope to place particular emphasis on the sense of togetherness which lies at the heart of Reclaim the Night.
“Reflecting the National theme for 16 Days of Activism this year, togetherness embodies the collective action and societal change which is needed to tackle the rise of misogyny and gender-based violence.
“Reclaim The Night is a place for everyone, as everybody holds a responsibility in making our society safer and free from hate and discrimination.”
We also spoke to some of last year’s attendees. Alice Pollard, fourth-year student and Brig’s editor-in-chief, said:
“The atmosphere at Reclaim the Night last year was vibrant thanks to the amazing turnout and passion behind the cause.
“It feels incredibly empowering to march for the right to safety after dark with like-minded and similarly impacted people, especially with a rise in violence against gender minorities.
“There has never been a more important time to advocate for our safety than right now, and I am really looking forward to joining the cause again this year.”
Stirling community member Matthew Addison said:
“The march last year was really powerful. I wish we didn’t have to keep marching on this issue, but we’ll have to keep doing it until everyone is safe to walk home at night.”
For more information, including a map to the muster point, check out the event on the Student Union’s website.
Featured image credit: The Kilted Photographer
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