Yes, this is an aspect I really noticed when I went back. I lived in Stirling for 6 years in the early 2000s and it was a lovely small city with a thriving centre, a good mix of national chains and local suppliers and generally a nice place to live and go out. I've been back a few times in the last 5 years and the high street is half boarded up, and the shops have morphed from nice little boutique style places to about 12 bookies, a few pound shops and some discount travel agents. The decline is shocking.