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Published: July 11th 2013
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Bad Name for a Bridge
I got lost finding Bannockburn, but it was pretty countryside nevertheless. Missed Harry's breakfast, mainly on purpose. Another Scottish breakfast and I might drop dead in the street. So grabbed a quick coffee en route to Waverly Station and the short hour or so ride up to Stirling, the true heart of Scotland. This little city was actually once the capital of Scotland, and I think contains far more Scottish history than Edinburgh. I went mainly because it's an extremely quaint, inviting place, and also because probably the two most important battles in Scottish history happened in the surrounding fields.
I first took a short bus ride to Bannockburn, where, in the early 1300s, the Scots once and for all defeated the English under Edward II. For Scots, this is like Waterloo, which I also visited a couple years ago, to the English, or like Gettysburg to Americans. It was the battle where everything was saved for one side, and everything lost for the other. It was also a battle of vindication, as it happened a couple of years after the death of William Wallace, the Braveheart, and the Scots were largely leaderless except for Robert the Bruce.
Then took the bus back into Stirling and caught another to the
Bannockburn Battlefield
Hard to envision now, but this once was the site of Scotland's greatest battle with the English. massive William Wallace Monument on the other side of town. This looks out on the Battle of Stirling Bridge, which happened in 1297, and was Wallace's first major victory over the English. The monument also holds Wallace's absolutely massive sword - think of the one in Braveheart. This was incredible - to be looking at the actual sword of William Wallace. Very cool. I'm always disturbed by Wallace, though, because of how he died - he was eventually captured, taken to England, was partially strangled, castrated, had his guts ripped out and burned in front of him, had his arms and legs cut off, and then finally his head. Nightmarish stuff.
Finally caught the 3 hour train ride North to Inverness. This was the most beautiful ride yet - the Scottish Highlands, full of giant green hills, forests, and rivers. Just like you imagine it to be. Tomorrow I stay here, going down to Loch Ness, and another battlefield. It's telling that the Scots are always fighting and there are so many battlefields worth going to - fighting the English is truly part of their rebellious spirit.
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