Scotland Days 3 & 4: Stirling

Almost to the monument!

 I awoke to the first rainy morning since my trip started here. Anxious to get going, I quickly packed up the rest of my belongings, and headed down the street to a cafe where I now sit drinking a latte! Today I my travels will take me to the coastal town of Oban. I am excited to be by the sea again.

The first day I was here I trekked up to the William Wallace Monument. I think I took the longest route possible to get there, ignoring my map and following some vague road signs that led me through some random villages. It turned out to be quite the workout, it was a warm day, I was carrying my heavy backpack, and not wearing very good walking shoes. I eventually made it up the hill and the view was well worth it, plus the cool breeze was a welcome feeling. The monument itself is a very tall tower-like structure with a statue of William Wallace sticking out of one of the edges. You can take a tour up to the very top of the tower, but I decided to just marvel at it from the ground.

The William Wallace Monument

Cemetery and walls of Stirling Castle

 The next day, my feet were still a bit sore from all that walking so I decided I would stay close to town and maybe check out some of the shops and walk up to Stirling Castle later. However, after seeing that Bannockburn (where Robert the Bruce defeated England’s king Edward) was only 2 miles away, I chose to go for it. It took me about 40 minutes to get there and when I arrived, a jumbled mix of construction junk, fencing, excavators, and piles of dirt stood in place of where the visitor center should have been. I didn’t see any people around and the fences were blocking any route I could have taken to get into the area. I tried wandering down a side road for a bit, but I didn’t see anything promising. So, I just walked another two miles back to Stirling. Oh well, these things happen! Luckily later I was able to see a statue of King Robert at Stirling Castle so I wasn’t too disappointed.

Inside the Castle Walls

 The castle was very interesting. It is in a perfect location, perched up on this high hill with a wonderful 360 degree view of the land below. I learned that the castle was fought over quite a bit, alternating between English and Scottish powers. I was able to walk through the great hall, the king’s chambers, the queen’s chambers, the kitchens, and along the castle walls. I didn’t find it as intriguing as Dunnotar Castle in Stonehaven, probably because much of the castle has been renovated to allow for tourists and such.

King Robert the Bruce

Stirling is a nice town, full of history and old stories. The building of the hostel I stayed in used to be a church, built many hundreds of years ago by one of the more deeply religious Scottish kings ( I don’t remember his name ). The streets were lined with cute shops, pubs, and restaurants. I enjoyed my time here for the most part, but there are so many people here, especially during this time of year!  

The streets of Stirling