I had some of the younger set with me, and his feet (and interest) gave out before we really got to see much of the art exhibitions. The older group assured me there was lots of cool stuff I missed.
Oh well.
The organist was giving a fun recital as we left for, you guessed it, another picnic lunch.
But what great views for a picnic, even if it's so chilly and windy that you opt to eat in the car...
Now it's off to Stirling to see the Castle, and the William Wallace Monument!
Poor little Dallin fell asleep on the way; Dad chose to stay with him in the car so little man could get some much-needed rest, and I took the other kids up to the castle to wander around.
The castle is perched up on a hill, and is a commanding presence. The view from the top is spectacular, and we fell in love with this valley. While the first record of Stirling Castle dates from around 1110, the present buildings all date from between 1490 and 1600.
According to our tour guide, originally, the entire castle was all that golden color. Quite a contrast with the dark stone you see today.
This is the chapel where Mary, Queen of Scots was crowned in 1543. I tell you, the more I learned about her life, the more I was glad to be me.
At the end of our castle tour, our guide told us we had just a few minutes to race to the William Wallace Monument before closing time. And race we did!
As it turns out, the visitor's center and monument had closed an hour earlier than our tour guide thought, but we still took the time to walk all the way up to see it and take in the views.
We climbed up...
...and up...
...and up...
...until we finally reached the top!
William Wallace was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the Scottish Independence Wars. On September 11, 1297, Wallace's forces won the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Even though he and his troops were horribly outnumbered, they routed the English forces. He evaded capture until 1305, when he was betrayed by a fellow Scottish knight who was loyal to King Edward. He met a very grisly end that I will not go into here. Let's just say, Ick! Feel free to read all about it here.
On a happier (and totally unrelated) note, I was able to take some cute photos of my kiddos!
Anyone who has tried to photograph this little guy will attest to the level of difficulty. He's a mover. And a squinter.
Now it's time to head back down to the car, and back to Edinburgh to pack up for some time in the highlands!
Off we go!
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