Have no fear! You can enjoy this posting with or without a bonnie Scottish accent!
Stirling Castle is one of the older castles in Scotland, with a history dating back to the 1200’s, and with some buildings within the current castle as old as the early 1500’s. It was a seat of power in Scotland, and had strategic value as late as the 1890’s as the southern-most crossing point of the River Forth. Several monarchs were crowned at Stirling including Mary, Queen of Scots.
The castle is very “tourist friendly”. You can explore on your own with an audio guide, and in what looked like some former prison cells there were a number of interactive sections which allow you to explore castle life during those times, including music and fashion. The girls really got a kick out of dressing up in the renaissance styled dresses.
There were several known sieges of the castle, and it changed hands several times between the English and the Scots. Probably the most well-known was the Battle of Stirling Bridge, which was led by Mel Gibson…er…William Wallace!
Fun Fact!
Any time I asked a Scot what they thought of “Braveheart”, I almost always got the same answer…something like this:
“It was all garbage [or other similar phrasing, some more colourful than others]…Battle of Stirling Bridge? There wasn’t even a bridge in the movie!”
Despite the historical inaccuracies of the movie, Wallace is considered a national hero of Scotland, and a spectacular monument was built in his name. “Spectacular” really is the only way to describe The National Wallace Monument.
The monument is made up of for separate levels as you walk up to the top of the monument. Here you can explore the life and times of Wallace and learn how the monument came to be. You are rewarded at the top with a breathtaking view of the surrounding countryside for 10’s of miles around. It was hard for me to pick a favourite part of the monument. Between the view from the top and standing next to the enormous Wallace Sword, it was quite an experience.
Both Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument were a big hit with all of us. As I was climbing the Wallace monument I couldn’t help myself but to suddenly burst out in Braveheart quotes using my bonnie Scottish accent…though I think the girls will all be glad when we get to France!
Comments
8 responses to “A place with a “Stirling” reputation”
You all look well rested Oliver. Great picture of you and Kat.
Thanks for all the information about Stirling Castle, something else to add to my list.
Doreen
Hi Doreen,
My goal is to inform and entertain, so i’m glad that you’re enjoying the posts. After visiting both, I also discovered a similarity between Stirling and Edinburgh Castles. They are both surrounded by cliffs on 3 sides so there is only a single side with a “reasonable” approach to the castles. Any people approaching – be they friend or foe – could not do so undetected, making these castles more easily defensible. Another fun fact for you!
All the best,
Oliver
Happy B-day to Kat xoxOx
Aye, she had a wee happy birthday, lass. 🙂
Hi, Oliver, I enjoyed your post and especially all the pictures. I just knew that you would bring out your Scottish accent. All the photos are wonderful and amazing. It’s great that the girls were able to become Ladies in Waiting. They fit right in with their surroundings and their “royal bearing” gets better as they get more practice. To see you beside the sword is totally amazing, I wonder how tall Wallace was and how strong, to wield such a weapon. Lots of Unicorns for sure. Love the picture of you and Katina. XOXOXO”s have a great Sunday
Hi Mom,
If you believe “Braveheart”, then William Wallace was 5′ 9…oh, no that’s how tall Mel Gibson is! 🙂
Google has him at the same height as me, 6′ 4″, but how do you actually verify that fact?!
The girls had a blast dressing up and acting like royalty!
Oliver,
Stirling Castle was the first Castle we went to when we arrived in Scotland. It was my favourite, though I admit, I simply love castles!! Wallace Monument was amazing but I could not do the climb to the top. I found the staircase a bit claustophobic! Didn’t know up to that point that I had than issue! My daughter, Marlo, made it all the way up and then bought the t-shirt as a memento!!!
Really great memories that your posts and photos are bringing back to me!!
Ginny
Hi Ginny,
We had a great time at Stirling – including the castle, a walk about the town, and the monument. It was a bit of a hike up the monument, and fortunately they had the different floors you could stop at…I can appreciate the claustrophobia concern!