Following the footsteps of Braveheart

Trip Start Sep 12, 2006
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Trip End Sep 08, 2008


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Flag of United Kingdom  , Scotland,
Thursday, June 19, 2008

Stirling was a place I had wanted to visit since the previous summer, but due to missed opportunities I never got around to it. I was determined not to make the same mistake this time, and with a few days to kill in Glasgow before a road trip and the start of my summer camp I decided to make the 45 minute bus journey out to one of Scotland's most historic sites.

I rose early to give myself plenty of time to explore the two main sites I wanted to see, Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument. Stirling was somewhat comparable to Edinburgh, albeit on a smaller scale, with its magnificent castle perched high on a rocky outcrop overlooking the city. I didn't take the most direct route there, instead going out of my way to find some information at the tourist office before making my way up the 'Back walk,' following the line of the town walls. As I rose, I made my way back into the old town where I took time to admire the 500 year old Church of the Holyrood and 'Mar's Wark,' the ornate façade of what was once a Renaissance-style town house commissioned in the 16th century. The area had a nice ambience to it, with barely a soul or automobile in sight, and the morning sunshine upon me.

It was just a little further on to the castle, but before I went in I took some time out to admire the statue of one of Scotland's most famous rulers, Robert the Bruce. It was just 2 miles from Stirling, in Bannockburn, where his army brought about the greatest victory in Scotland's struggle to remain independent from England, overcoming their superior forces in 1314. About three miles away the impressive monument to Sir William Wallace rose above the trees on a rocky crag.

Stirling Castle was quite impressive, particularly the Great Hall with its magnificent wooden ceiling (also the location of the banquet in Monty Python and the Holy Grail I believe), the Chapel Royal with its tapestries and carved wooden heads, and the old bowling green. I explored for a while on my own before joining a free tour where a very knowledgeable guide told us all the things the signs didn't. I thought his stories how of King James IV used to dress as a commoner and escape out of the lower gate in order to mingle with the townsfolk were rather interesting.

Feeling a little hungry, I left the castle and made my way to the centre of town down Broad Street, a mini version of Edinburgh's Royal Mile with its Tolbooth and Mercat Cross, topped by a unicorn. There seemed to be little to see in the centre of town, so soon after I'd had my fill I jumped on a bus for the 3 mile journey out to the Wallace Monument. Built in the 1860s, the famous landmark overlooked the scene of Scotland's victory at The Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. The monument contained some interesting displays, retelling the drama of Wallace's life, somewhat falsely portrayed by Mel Gibson in the 1995 film Braveheart. Wallace's mighty two-handed sword was on display, but nothing inside could quite match the breathtaking views from atop the 67m monument. Looking out over Stirling and the Trossachs, I really did feel like I was in the heart of Scotland.

Once the wind got the better of me, I made my way down and back to the centre of town on foot, passing the 'new' old Stirling Bridge, constructed many centuries ago to replace that which Wallace led Scotland to victory on. The city certainly lived up to expectations, and I was glad I'd finally made my way out to see a place so central to Scotland's history.
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