Stirling

---

---

We really feel like we haven't explored the UK to its fullest extent so whenever we have the same days off we try to get away from Inverness and see all that this small island has to offer. Our latest UK experience was in a road trip to Stirling. We began the morning by renting a car for maximum flexibility. We drove down the south end of Loch Ness toward Fort William, stopping at Foyers to see the Falls of Foyers. Even though we've seen so many waterfalls by now, they are still so breathtaking. We never pass up the opportunity to enjoy a nice waterfall. After walking to the fall we followed the path, "Squirrel Trail," that taught us all about red squirrels along the way. We ended up at a road and there was only one way to go, downhill. Which of course meant we had to walk all the way back up to get back to the car. After getting a tad turned around in Lower Foyers we found our way back to the car. Tip to us: whenever there's a map on the trail that we want to follow, take a picture of the map! That way, you can reference it whenever you need the map. Once we got back to the car we had our well-deserved lunch.

The general plan for the day was to head toward Stirling but stop at interesting and historical sights on the way. The next place we saw that was just to beautiful not to stop, was Loch Tarff. We both agree that it is far more beautiful than Loch Ness (just not as big, so not as famous). What's more, it's a public water supply so people can't spoil it with trash and pollution. The next stop was Inverlochy Castle which is a ruin on the River Lochy, just north of Fort William. It was raining and since the castle is a ruin there's no roof, so we ran through it really quickly. But it was interesting to imagine what it would've been like when the castle was in use. We imagined the atrium area as a bustling center of commerce in those days. We also saw Stalker Castle which is on an island in the middle of Loch Laich. Unlike Eilean Donan, Stalker Castle is only accessible by boat; and so as far as we could tell wasn't open to the public. Dan also wasn't sure how great a castle it was, being the the common folk might have trouble getting there in times of duress. Unbeknownst to us we were about to find another castle and abbey ruin, Dunstaffnage. What's interesting about this castle is how it's mounted high on top of rock to protect it from invasions. Most of the castles we've seen before have been built on cliffs or hills; Dunstaffnage is built on what seems to be a random rock formation in the middle of a grassy knole. That was our last stop other than grocery shopping in Oban before we got to Stirling. It was getting dark by the time we got to Oban and it was raining so we didn't stop there for long. However, it looks like a really nice town on the coast. We'll have to return some day to reap all its benefits. We don't recommend driving in Oban though. It took us 5 minutes to find the Tesco but 20 minutes to figure out how to get to the parking lot. Every time we thought we knew how to get there, we were hit by a dead end or a one way road. Once we got back on the road we booked it to Stirling. By this time it was dark so there was no point stopping at any historical sights.

Initially we thought we'd sleep in the car but we found a couple of hostels to check out the prices anyways. At 15 pounds per bed we thought it was a bit expensive. However, our idea of what is reasonable for a bed is amazingly skewed by the super cheap prices at the Inverness Tourist Hostel. Deciding not to spend money we didn't have on a hostel we slept in the car that night in a suburb called Cambuskenneth. This town was made up of houses and a pub; no grocery store or gas station. Just a pub. We went in for a drink and met a colorful group of older gentlement who were keen to ask us about Canada and tell us about their experiences in our home country. Ashley had a nasty cough at the time so the bartender gave her a rum and cordial to soothe her throat. Even though it didn't work she appreciated the thought. The bartender was the father of the bar owner and he regailed us with his stories of working the coastal oil rigs in Canada. We stayed in the bar until it closed (11pm more or less), headed back to the car and tucked in for the night. We woke up the next morning in front of the Cambuskenneth Abbey. Not a bad way to start the day.

The first stop of the day was Stirling Castle. Since we got there an hour before it opened we ate our breakfast and enjoyed the view from the hilltop space the castle occupies. When it actually opened and we got our tickets we took an audio guided tour. The tour gave a really concise history of the castle and its occupants. From the castle we visited Bannockburn, which is the sight of a memorial dedicated to Robert the Bruce. When we arrived it was pelting down rain and ridiculously windy. So we ran for it to at least see the memorial. By the time we ran to the statue it had stopped raining so we could take a bit more time to appreciate the it. There is a Visitor Centre too but it was closed for the winter. When we got back to the car Dan heard a hissing noise; yes, we had a flat tire. There was a spring in the tire; who knows where we picked that up. Lucky for us there was a full sized spare in the trunk and Dan knows how to change a tire. Ashley looked on and took notes. She could probably change a tire herself now if necesary. We had to take the car to a garage to have the tire change checked out to make sure we could drive back to Inverness on it. After only half an hour or so we were given the go ahead. By now it was about 2pm so we had time for a bit more siteseeing. To the Wallace Monument we went. The Wallace Monument sits atop a hill above Stirling as a memorial to the achievements William Wallace had in Scotland. We climbed all the stairs of the tower stopping at each floor to learn about the Scottish hero. Although we only saw the main sites in Stirling there is still loads to do and see. We may have to take a day trip out there from Edinburgh some time and see the rest, like the dungeons. The Wallace Monument marked the end of our trip to Stirling. All that was left was the drive back to Inverness which was mostly uneventful. Stirling is certainly a must-see for everyone visiting Scotland. It holds so much history so we felt we came away with so much more knowledge of the country we currently call home.

---

Photos

Foyer falls
This was the major fall. Apparently they used it's power to operate the aluminum mill nearby.

Inverlochey Castle
Amazing that this one is still standin. All four walls are mostly standing, and the towers are mostly just missing floors

Dunstaffnage
The Campbells' castle. It is very well maintained inside; just missing a few second floors.

Dunstaffnage
It's just an extension of the rock.

Cambuskenneth Abbey
Much of the Abbey was dismantled during Henry the XIII reign. The building that was started with the stones was never finished.

Up to Stirling
Unfortunately the front isn't a very impressive view of Stirling.

Grand Hall
At Stirling Castle. This was mostly where the Scottish kings had ruled from. This place was huge and ornate.

FREEDOM!!!
Just outside the Wallace Monument, William is there watching you as you go in.

At the top
Being that the monument was on a hill and quite tall, it was really windy!! It was built in Stirling so that the constant rival between Edinburgh and Glasgow wouldn't be fuelled; that, and this was the site of one of his greatest victories.

Comments

[Claudia Mom]

Nice story
That was a pleasant little trip. Rain in Scotland, nah! Ashley, your hair blowing in the wind is so long! Blew Daniel's whiskers off!