Stirling

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LOVED LOVED the castle here. It has only recently reopened and WOW they have done a magnificent job.

Before heading to the castle, we stopped at the Bannockburn battlefield and met one of the more colourful locals walking his dog who filled us in about some of the history (what a clever dog). The heritage centre at the site, although closed for the offseason, had just had a school group through and the manager invited us in for a private viewing at no cost. He played a short film showing the history and events around the battle fought there in 1314 during the Wars of Independence between Scotland and England. Other than providing the opportunity to educate and entertain some tourists, his motive was also to rescue us from the talkative local. Yet another example of the Scots hospitality.

Near the heritage centre is a monument to the Battle of Bannockburn, which was a significant victory for the Scottish army, lead by Robert the Bruce. 700 years later and two of Scotland's most famous songs are still sung in rememberance; "Scots Wha Hae" is the title of a patriotic poem written by Robert the Bruce and "Flower of Scotland" refers to Scotland's victory over the English at Bannockburn. Stirling was strategically important, being the gateway between the Lowlands and the Highlands, the lowest crossing point of the River Forth, and the naturally defensible hill where Stirling Castle stands.

Stirling Castle itself is amazing. There was so much to see and learn. All seven of us kids loved it. We were also fortunate to be one of the first to see the Renaissance Palace, only restored a couple of months earlier to its 16th century glory. Stirling was the historical capital of Scotland, and you could see that the castle, in its time, would have rivalled any building in Europe. Sitting atop a hill, you can see for miles and miles and can easily point out landmarks such as the Stirling Bridge and the William Wallace monument. The castle grounds themselves were incredible. Here we were walking in the footsteps of the Kings and Queens of Scotland and standing behind the walls that defended many sieges throughout the ages. In addition to the architecture, the historical displays and exhibitions were also well presented, including the story behind the King James Bible.

On our way to Stirling from Inverness we went through the Cairngorms, including a brief stop in the town of Aviemore. During our drive we had one of those Griswald moments where we got out of the car, stood beside a small loch in a beautiful natural setting, nodded our heads and went on our merry way. It wasn't quite that bad, but you get the idea. Again, we were the recipient of Scottish hospitality, when the national parks officer at the gate let us in without charge as we were only going to have a quick look. (the officer at the car park at Stirling Castle also let us in without charging for parking - he had just received news he had been offered a pemanent position)

Stirling was not even considered during our planning of this trip, and it wasn't until we were in Dornie that we decided to visit this wonderful place. We had two nights accomodation to book between Dornie and Edinburgh. Initialy we were going to try to get to the east to Aberdeen and Balmoral, but, in the end, Inverness and Stirling won. We are so glad we made our way to this historical living city and it is a must see for anyone touring Scotland.



Alex

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Comments

[libby]

Alex think your trip is sounding fantastic and the children are absorbing, and enjoying so much. Makes me want to go do the same things - take care and keep having fun