Stirling

Trip Start Jun 28, 2008
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Trip End Aug 29, 2008


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Where I stayed
Aunt Suzanne and Uncle Andrew's
(Stirling hotels)

Flag of United Kingdom  , Scotland,
Tuesday, July 1, 2008

After a long sleep and lazy start to the day, Aunt Suzanne and I headed up to Stirling on the train.  We arrived and got on the "hop on; hop off" tourist bus.  These buses are in most cities and drive you around the city pointing out the hot spots.  It was my first double decker bus!!

Most of the buildings in town are quite old, nothing like Edmonton.  The streets are packed with buildings with shops on the bottom.  We saw the William Wallace Monument (Braveheart) and went over the bridge in which his battle was fought against the English.  In the movie I believe it was just a big field... not quite historically accurate!  The bus stopped there and you could get off and climb the 250+ steps to the top but I was more interested in seeing my first castle.

We stayed on the bus and headed up to the castle.  From the gates of the castle you can see the entire valley and the Wallace Monument.  It is unbelievable.  The castle was something I have never seen nor could have imagined.  Unfortunately the Palace was under restoration so it wasn't set up replicating life in the 12th century.  The great hall had been fully restored and was huge with large fire places along the walls lined with curtains and the king and queens' chairs at the front of the hall.  We had a guided tour through the main parts of the castle.  He was 100% Scottish and very dramatic!  On the walls of the castle there were statues that had been hit during various battles and were missing heads or legs but had never been replaced. 

Stirling was a very good first castle!
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