Day Nine (On to Edinburgh)


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July 21st 2006
Published: March 2nd 2007
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The ever elusive Highland cattleThe ever elusive Highland cattleThe ever elusive Highland cattle

We must've passed thousands of hairy cows as we made our way South toward Pitlochry, but they must be extremely camera-shy. Everytime I got my camera in position to shoot them, they would migrate away from me. This is the best of a series of seven or eight lousy pictures.
I made the mistake of watching the morning TV news. The weather report promised more record high temperatures all over Europe. Luckily for us Scotland's record high temps would only reach the upper 80's instead of the near 100's further South. Oddly enough as we started loading up on to the bus it was actually a bit nippy outside.

Today's itinerary sounded like another winner to me: We would head to the touristy town of Pitlochry, then to Sterling and Sterling Castle, followed by a drive along the Firth of Forth on in to Edinburgh. I was aware of Sterling Castle's role in the whole Braveheart/William Wallace/Robert Bruce era and it was eager to see this area of Scotland which also hosted the battles of Sterling Bridge, Falkirk and Bannockburn.

Before the movie Braveheart came out I had also felt that Wallace was basically a madman who merely got the whole process started but it was Robert the Bruce that was the true hero of Scottish independence. Yet, after the movie became a big hit a few years ago it served as inspiration for the Scots to demand increased autonomy from the English. The movie portrayed Wallace as an
Pitlochry fish ladderPitlochry fish ladderPitlochry fish ladder

It didn't take long to reach the day's first stop: Pitlochry. While most of the group headed into town to check out the tourist shops, Gail and I along with a few others followed the signs to the fish ladder. This series of man-made pools allow the salmon to swim up river past the huge dam across the River Tummel.
educated comfortable aristocrat turned into a freedom fighter by the evil of King Edward Longshanks of Britain. I was hoping today's tour might seperate movie fact from fiction. I was also looking forward to finding some good books detailing the history of the Scots. Throughout English history it seemed the Scottish regiments were the heart and soul of the Imperial English army. Throughout the 18th and 19th Century it was Scottish troops that secured England's empire.

Our progress South out of the Highlands took us through further miles upon miles of open fields mostly inhabited by cattle. I tried and tried to get a good photo of one of the Highland cattle but they seemed to be hiding in the furthest reaches of each pasture we drove by.

Tonight's hotel would be in downtown Edinburgh at the Cairn Hotel.


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Pitlochry power station damPitlochry power station dam
Pitlochry power station dam

The reason for the fish ladder is so the salmon get past this impressive dam. It provides power to the town and surrounding community. The fish ladder itself is 310 meters long and consist of 34 separate pools. In the middle of the ladder there is an observation window that allows visitors to see the fish making their way up river. There were none when we looked in. In fact, this impressive fish ladder which cost millions of dollars to build hosted all of 7000 total fish in 2006.
Looking down on the Tummel and the fish laddersLooking down on the Tummel and the fish ladders
Looking down on the Tummel and the fish ladders

We only spent maybe 15 minutes looking around. The absence of actual fish kind of ruined the experience. This picture was taken as I was walking back along the top of the dam toward town. The ladder is to the right. Gail and I headed into Pitlochry where we spent the next 45 minutes or so browsing through the souvenir shops. By this time I was pretty sick of seeing miles and miles of tartan and tweed.
Caithness Glass Visitors' CentreCaithness Glass Visitors' Centre
Caithness Glass Visitors' Centre

Next stop along the way was the most touristy spot of the entire trip. We stopped at this rather huge warehouse which was just packed with all kinds of glass and crystal. Apparently this is some pretty good glass stuff but I knew nothing about it. Therefore I had no idea what I should be looking for. It looked like everything was on sale but nothing really caught my eye. It was a rather long 45 minutes waiting around while everyone did more shopping.
Braveheart statue in StirlingBraveheart statue in Stirling
Braveheart statue in Stirling

On our way into Stirling we made a brief stop to see this very modern statue of Mel Gibson, err... I mean William Wallace. Actually the movie Braveheart was the inspiration not only for this statue but also for the entire rebirth of Scottish nationalism.
Lunchtime in StirlingLunchtime in Stirling
Lunchtime in Stirling

After our brief stop at the Braveheart statue Mark took us along the cobbled, hilly and bumpy streets of Stirling into the downtown shopping district. I had about enough of Shepherd's Pie and after three consecutive week's away from American junk food Gail and I both agreed on poisoning ourselves at Burger King. We both ordered Whopper's and giant-sized Cokes. We spent so much time waiting in line then sitting down to fully enjoy our shots of cholesterol that we had no time to explore this fascinating area of town. All too quickly we met up with the rest of our group and headed-up this street (King Street) to meet up with Mark and the bus.
Stirling CastleStirling Castle
Stirling Castle

The best part of this very busy day was about to come next. We drove to the very top of the hill overlooking Stirling where one of the most history-laden castles in the world stands. Stirling Castle sits high above the flat farmland in this part of Scotland and commands the surrounding country for miles and miles. The castle sits on an easily defended hill with sheer drops on three sides. Stirling Castle was the site of 8 sieges over the nearly 1000 years of its existence.
What a viewWhat a view
What a view

This is what I meant by the castle having a commanding view of the surrounding area. Even on this overcast day we could see for miles. Most of the buildings that currently stand date from the 14th and 15th Century.
Just a shot awayJust a shot away
Just a shot away

Stirling Castle is a great playground for military buffs like myself. Too bad Tyler wasn't here with me. They would have had to drag us back onto the bus.
The French SpurThe French Spur
The French Spur

The Grand Battery sports rows of cannon facing in two directions (East and South)> The guns were protected by thick sloping walls called a "talus" which deflected incoming shot.
The Forework GatehouseThe Forework Gatehouse
The Forework Gatehouse

Once inside the castle we joined a tour given by a very animated and entertaining tourguide. Unfortunately the group was way too big and I kept ending up on the outer peripherary of it. I heard very little of the commentary and once the group headed inside this gatehouse I ended-up losing contact with the group. I spent the next 45 minutes exploring the castle on my own. The current gatehouse pales in comparison with that of the 16th Century. It was twice as high and featured six towers. The Forework Gatehouse was considered the most strategically important point of the defenses because it faces the Southern side of the castle which is the only direction where an invader could climb toward the castle. The reason this rocky hill sits towering over the countryside is because it was once a volcano.
The Great Hall of Stirling CastleThe Great Hall of Stirling Castle
The Great Hall of Stirling Castle

Ok, so why is this building such an ugly color? That's because this building which served as the heart of the castle complex has been painstakingly recently restored to its past glory. When it was first built during the reign of James IV of Scotland it was covered in this same kind of limewash.
The Great Hall's unique roof as seen from the Inner CloseThe Great Hall's unique roof as seen from the Inner Close
The Great Hall's unique roof as seen from the Inner Close

As I wandered around I totally forgot what time we were supposed to return to the bus. I began to get a little nervous when I couldn't find anyone from our group walking around. That didn't stop me from checking out a very intriguing museum located within the castle grounds.
The regimental Museum of the Argyll and Sutherland HighlandersThe regimental Museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
The regimental Museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

I was lured through the doors of the tallest building in the castle, the King's Old Buildings. It was in this very spot that the infamous murder of the Earl of Douglas on 21 February 1452 by Scotland's James II took place. On two floors of this building I explored the history of this storied English army regiment. These troops were the first to earn the nickname "The Thin Red Line" when they held off much larger forces of Russian soldiers in the Crimea. Later they fought in every major and many of the minor engagements that England found herself involved in up to and including the war in Iraq. Since I was really worrying about being late for the bus I hurried much too quickly through here.
Robert the BruceRobert the Bruce
Robert the Bruce

Thinking I was the only member of our group still in the castle I rushed out of the castle complex and headed for the parking lot. Our bus was nowhere to be seen nor was anyone in our group around. I knew they wouldn't leave me so I waited outside the castle hoping I'd spot someone I knew. The park in front of the castle was full of picnickers sitting just below this statue of Robert Bruce.
And on the next hilltop is the Wallace MonumentAnd on the next hilltop is the Wallace Monument
And on the next hilltop is the Wallace Monument

From Stirling Castle Hill it was a clear view toward the William Wallace Monument on Abbey Craig. It was from this hilltop that Wallace watched the English advance toward Stirling. It is quite a hike up to the top and fortunately for me we were not headed over that way. At this point I wasn't even totally certain that the group hadn't left me here at Stirling on my own.
Meanwhile, back in the castleMeanwhile, back in the castle
Meanwhile, back in the castle

While I was wandering around outside Stirling Castle unable to return inside because James never gave us our tickets, Gail and most of the rest of the group continued their escorted tour. The thing that most impressed her was seeing these artists working on this tapestry inside the Great Hall. They are working on recreating a series of seven Medieval tapestries that chronicled the hunt for a unicorn. They will be a recreation of tapestries already displayed at the Metropolitan Art Museum in New York. After waiting outside for what seemed like hours I finally went back inside the outer bailey of the castle. After about a 15 minute wait members of our group began to trickle out. Gail never noticed I was missing.
Bannockburn battlefieldBannockburn battlefield
Bannockburn battlefield

Once we were back on the bus we took another very short drive to the next point of interest. There isn't a whole lot to see anymore at the field where the Battle of Bannockburn took place. This was another battle the Scots won because of their own cleverness and the English king's stupidity. After the death of Wallace it was up to Robert Bruce to wage war against the invading English. Edward I (Longshanks) had also died leaving his ineffectual son, Edward II, in command. Under Edward II the English occupation of Scotland which took place after the execution of Wallace was kind of half-hearted. Bruce waged a guerilla warfare campaign that led to the English giving up almost all their claims in Scotland except for the impregnable Stirling Castle. While English troops were holed up there Edward II led a force of 20,000 soldiers Northward to relieve the garrison. He was opposed by Robert Bruce's army of only 7000. Bruce lured the English onto a boggy field that rendered the intimidating English calvary ineffectual while also slowing the more heavily armored English foot soldiers. The lightly armored Scots closed quickly on the English and in those close quarters the English longbow archers were unable to unleash effective volleys. At the peak of battle Bruce craftily released all his reserves. By spreading his inferior forces across the crest of a hill the English mistook them for a much larger force then fled the field in panic. Many English knights fell to Scottish spearman that day. Edward II escaped with his life but not much of his army remained.
Not much to seeNot much to see
Not much to see

Other than a huge parking lot and a small Heritage Center with some nice historical merchandise, the actual battlefield wasn't much to look at. This rotunda commemorates the battle even though some scholars maintain that the event took place elsewhere in the area.
Queensferry BridgeQueensferry Bridge
Queensferry Bridge

A half hour from Stirling we once again left the main road to Edinburgh so that James could show us the town of South Queensferry. We drove along the coast of the Firth of Forth and passed through what looked to be a recently gentrified port town. There were a number of freshly painted and newly decorated Victorian homes serving as B&B's. A good number of inviting looking pubs stretched along the coast road. We didn't have time to stop to explore but a short way down the road we pulled into a parking lot where we got some nice views of this huge bridge traversing the Firth. The bridge was built to replace an earlier span which was never completed because of a tremendous disaster at another Scottish railway bridge. Because of the large loss of life, the original construction plans were changed and this over-engineered design was the result. Many of the same steel engineering techniques that were used on the Eifel Tower were also employed here. Nearly 60 workers died in the construction of the Queensferry Bridge which opened in 1890.


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