Today we are off to see Stirling Castle, the Wallace Monument and the Falkirk Wheel.
Stirling Castle is said to be one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs, giving it a strong defensive position. Its strategic location, guarded what was, until the 1890s, the farthest downstream crossing of the River Forth. This made it an important fortification from the earliest times. Most of the principal buildings of the castle date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. A few structures of the fourteenth century remain, while the outer defences fronting the town date from the early eighteenth century. Several Scottish Kings and Queens have been crowned at Stirling, including Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1542. There have been at least eight sieges of Stirling Castle, including several during the Wars of Scottish Independence, with the last being in 1746, when Bonnie Prince Charlie unsuccessfully tried to take the castle.
The Church of the Holy Rude next to the castle, built in the 12th century, and it's burial grounds
I know I enjoy visiting burial grounds but never thought
of them as a "Pleasure Ground"
this is the area called the "Drummond Pleasure Ground"
off in the distance from the castle, our next stop, the Wallace Monument
Robert the Bruce was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert was one of the most famous warriors of his generation, and eventually led Scotland during the first of the Wars of Scottish Independence against England. He fought successfully during his reign to regain Scotland's place as an independent nation and is today remembered in Scotland as a national hero.
the hills in the distance around Stirling
King's Palace, the colour of the plaster, appropriately enough,
is called King's Gold
is called King's Gold
the Lion......
....and Unicorn, grace the peak of the building
a replica of the King's royal garments - note the unusual protuberance in the front of his lower garment.....ummmm!
see the little spot this side of the road, about in the center of the picture?.......
....well, that was the only sighting of the Scottish Highland cattle
breed that we saw - having a good wallow on this hot day
the King's garden in the foreground and the King's Park in the background. The garden is mowed to look like a knot garden would have appeared and the Park was where the King would do some of his hunting
another view from the Ladies' Lookout
inside the castle rooms
the ceiling in one of the rooms - these are all painted replicas but originally they were all carved wooden plagues - they represent various members of the royal household as well as scholars, theologians, and various historic personalities
the King himself
these are what the wooden plaques looked like
the Queen's bed chamber
ornate ceilings and tapestries
a trompe l'oeil ceiling
in the kitchens, preparing a feast
puddings ready to be served
hams hanging from the ceiling
fruits and sweetmeats
venison pie
roasted meats
the hounds looking for their share
bakers cooking the breads
looking out thru a hole in the wall
mind those safety rules
I wonder if the metal bars were to repel invaders in the past
or modern day invaders
cling to life wherever you can
Now off to the tower
William Wallace was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in September 1297. He was appointed Guardian of Scotland and served until his defeat at the Battle of Falkirk in July 1298. In August 1305, Wallace was captured in Robroyston , near Glasgow, and handed over to King Edward I of England, who had him hanged, drawn, and quartered for high treason and crimes against English civilians. Since his death, Wallace has obtained an iconic status far beyond his homeland and was the protagonist for the movie character Braveheart.
the man himself, William Wallace
the location of the battle today
See that circular part of the structure on the left - well there are 278 steps to the the top by circular staircase inside it - I made it up 71 steps to the first chamber - they were small and had virtually no handrail with 2 way traffic - I couldn't do it, but Bill went to the top
way up there
the views were spectacular
he even got a couple of "artistic" shots
apparently no safety concerns here
Now for a turn at the wheel - no Vanna here.
This is it, can you guess what it is??
Just a teaser, more about it another day.
No comments:
Post a Comment