Historian of Spanish art and embelmata book collector; first art historian to use photo-reproduction in an art history book. Stirling was the son of Archibald Stirling of Keir and Cawder (1769-1847) and Elizabeth Maxwell (Stirling) (1793-1822), both among Scotland's oldest families. He was born in Kirkintilloch, Scotland, UK, near Glasgow. He was educated privately at Pilton Rectory, Northamptonshire, and Cossington Rectory, Leicestershire, before attending Trinity College, Cambridge.