Day Excursion : Braveheart Country & Stirling
Castle
Explore Stirling Castle, near the scene of William
Wallace’s greatest victory, and also visit
Bannockburn, where Robert the Bruce’s victory over the English secured
Scotland’s
independence.
WHAT YOU VISIT
Bannockburn Heritage Centre - In 1314, eight years after William Wallace’s
execution,
Robert the Bruce and the Scots crushed the English at the battle of
Bannockburn. Your
visit to Bannockburn Heritage Centre begins with an exhibit on Scottish
history from
Robert the Bruce to the Union of the Crowns of Scotland and England in 1603.
Included
is an audio-visual presentation on the battle at Bannockburn. View the
equestrian statue
of Robert the Bruce and see a display on Scottish life.
Stirling Castle - Perched atop a 250-foot crag, the present castle dates
from the 15th and
16th centuries, when it was the principal residence for Scotland’s monarchs.
James III
was born here in 1451; James V spent his childhood at Stirling, and Mary
Queen of
Scots was crowned at the castle on September 9, 1543. Your self-guided tour
takes in
the central turreted gatehouse, the Great Parliament Hall, and the Royal
Chapel, one of
the earliest Renaissance buildings in Scotland.
PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
Photo opportunities abound. In particular, the battlements of Stirling
Castle offer excellent
views of the town of Stirling and the site of the battle of Bannockburn.
SHOPPING
Browse for souvenirs in the castle’s small gift shop.
WHAT YOU SEE ALONG THE WAY
Travel along the geological boundary that separates the Highlands from the
Lowlands to
Stirling, which stands on the banks of the Forth, a tidal river. For
centuries this strategic
site commanded all routes north – it occupied the lowest spot where the
Forth could be
bridged. |
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