January 2019
Taking the train to Stirling, we plonked our bags at the Airbnb, went to the nearby pub, and chilled out. The next morning we were up bright and early for a hike to the nearby National Wallace Monument, starting with a walk across the river.
The lovely stone bridge we crossed dated from the 15th century, which I already thought was fantastic, but later learned an even older bridge had once spanned the river Forth. This original bridge had collapsed midway through the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, where the famous William Wallace fought off the dastardly English.
The lovely stone bridge we crossed dated from the 15th century, which I already thought was fantastic, but later learned an even older bridge had once spanned the river Forth. This original bridge had collapsed midway through the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, where the famous William Wallace fought off the dastardly English.
How the bridge was destroyed seems up to debate, whether from sabotage on the Scottish side to fend off the English, or the English purposefully destroying it as they retreated, to hinder the Scots. Or a more innocuous reason, simply overloaded from the battle, it collapsed all on its own.
The sun was shining, a rare moment in Scottish Winter, and we happily meandered our way along - the walk was an hour each way, and we were in no rush.
We could see the monument all the way from Stirling town, so we had no worries about getting lost. Built in the 19th century, it stands on a crag from which it is said William Wallace watched the English army gather, just before the aforementioned Battle of Stirling Bridge. The monument is in commemoration of this Scottish Hero.
The tower appeared to be closed, and half under scaffolding, so we just took an admiring walk around it, and then went for a little forest walk instead, which afforded beautiful views out across the landscape.
On the walk back we stopped for some snacks and coffee to keep us going, before heading into Stirling itself for an explore.
The thing I loved about Stirling was how much history it's steeped in, and how visible it all was. The little cobblestoned streets, the old walls. Stirling became a royal burgh (town) in 1130 AD, and by the 16th century, the Stuart Kings regularly took residence at Stirling Castle.
The Church of the Holy Rude (Yes I giggled at the name) was built in 1129, but rebuilt in the 15th century after a fire. The son of Mary Queen of Scots (King James) had his coronation here in 1567.
We had wandered our separate ways from our friends when exploring the town, and Ben and I made our way through the quiet graveyard just before sunset, at that hour when the light has turned golden, and everything looks beautiful and calm.
By this point however, we had been walking almost all day and were thoroughly tired and hungry. Meeting back up with the others, we decided to treat ourselves to dinner out. Stirling is a small town, so options were limited, however we ended up at 'Mediterranea' a very pleasant Greek/Lebanese restaurant, where we stuffed ourselves on dips and pita breads. What a perfect end to our Scottish adventure!
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