Our first castle visit out of England sits atop Castle Hill and is one of Scotland’s largest and most significant castles.
Stirling Castle dates from the 12th century and has seen several Scottish kings and queens, including Mary, Queen of Scots, crowned here. It has also seen it’s share of sieges, at least 8, and occupations.
Off in the distance, you can see the cannon is pointed right at the William Wallace Monument.
We went through Stirling Castle fairly quickly. We had expected it to be an all day thing so with the extra time, we decided to search for the William Wallace Monument.
To get to the Monument from the entrance is a bit of an uphill hike through a beautiful forest.
View enlarged – The tower sits atop Abbey Craig, from which Wallace was said to have watched the gathering of the army of King Edward I of England, just before the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
The tower was completed in 1869 and rises up 220 feet.
Visitors can climb the winding, narrow stairs to the very top, and take breaks on the various floors containing artifacts believed to have belonged to William Wallace.
This sword stands 5’4″ & weights nearly 7 pounds.
View enlarged – Can you spot Stirling Castle?
