Well, the sunny weather didn't last long and the winds and gales Scotland
is better known for have returned. The days are still about 18 hours
long, with sunrise arriving before 4am any day. In the past two weeks I
have explored Edinburgh
a bit more, especially the Meadows (behind the old city) a central meeting
place for the young, travelers and performers of all sorts. I didn't get
to explore Edinburgh
castle much, but it is well worth an afternoon. Don't miss out on a
stroll down the Royal Mile or the vista from the Edinburgh museum!
The highlight of my historic Scotland
tour, however, has definitely been Stirling!
This busy little town was for centureis the centre of royalty and power in the North of
Britain, the gateway into Scotland
and the scene of the defining battles of William Wallace and Robert the
Bruce. Parts of Stirling castle can be dated back as far as the eleventh
century, but as would be expected from a building so central to the protection
of Scotland
and in constant use since then, there have been additions, subtractions and
significant renovations over the years as the requirements of the fort vs.
royal castle have mutated. This is where Mary Queen of Scotts gave birth
to James VI, the first Scottish king of the united Great Britain at the turn of the seventeenth century (contemporary to Shakespeare), and threw him
an extensive three day welcoming party complete with new, bejeweled clothing for
every guest, fireworks and battle reenactments aimed at impressing the greatest
courts of Europe with Scotland's finery. The renovations and archeological excavations currently
going on are dedicated to giving the visitor a real feel for the castle in its
height, during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Unfortunately,
most of the renovations are aimed at restoring damage imposed in the last two
hundred years by soldiers using the castle as barracks. If you are
interested in the Scottish armed forces, however, the castle also contains a museum dedicated to the history of Scottish warfare (including a guide to
their uniforms, from dirks to nineteenth century battlefield medical equipment
and techniques). You can take a guided tour, a headphones tour, or just
run about on your own discovering the ins and outs of a castle so rambling, I'm
sure it inspired Marvin Peake's Gormenghast!
Just down the road from Stirling castle there
are a number of other historical sights well worth the visit: Argyle's
house is the epitome of a Renaissance manor. The Church of the Holy Rood (it's so old, it was RENOVATED in the 14th century!) is also
magnificent and is incidentally the Church where James VI was coronated.
Attached to the Church is Cowane's hospital, which was not, in fact, a hospital
in the modern sense, but in the old fashioned sense: a place of
charitable refuge. Also well worth a wander is the Valley cemetery, parts
of which date back almost five centuries, with some very interesting grave
stones, and a monument pyramid known as the 'Star pyramid' about which there
has circulated many rumours and conspiracy theories. Apparently, the
engravings and referenced biblical passages around the four sides, once
researched and assembled, create a riddle. If you want to work out the
riddle, however, I would recommend you take some charcoal and some butcher
paper as some of the engravings are very difficult to read with the naked
eye.
There is also an old Stirling jail
and the Tollbooth (colloquialism for court house/ tax office/ administrative
centre) just down the road, which according to my medieval tastes are not quite as
interesting, but only because they were built and used in the Victorian in
period. There is still plenty at the jail and Tollbooth for those
fascinated with the history of the Scottish armed forces, interested in the morbid history of convicts and convictions, or for those more
interested in nineteenth century Britain.
Nearby Stirling, and
in fact visible from everywhere in the area, is the great Wallace Monument.
This is less of a historical monument, and more of a museum to the great
national hero and to Scottish war heroes since. Get on your walking shoes, however, 'cos this museum goes up five steep staircases!
Stirling county has
been central to Scottish independence and warfare since before the birth of the Scottish nation, mainly
due to its positioning and surrounding areas. According to the historical
tour guides at Stirling castle, the castle
itself was built upon a crag of volcanic rock, but up until the last century,
the surrounding areas were entirely fog shrouded marshlands. The Scottish
soldiers were notorious for their light armour, which allowed them to move
quickly and deftly through the heath and marsh, while the English soldiors typically had very
heavy plate armour and fully armoured war horses. The only place such heavily
armoured English soldiers could traverse the marshlands and not sink or get bogged down was down a road and across a single bridge overlooked by Stirling
castle and within firing range of its canons. This strategic detail apparently gave the Scotts the advantage
over invading English armies on countless occasions, and won them back their independence
over and over again. The catch cry that rang for centuries that 'he who
holds Stirling castle, holds all of Scotland'
is no exaggeration, and from the castle on top of Stirling
hill, this becomes obvious.
Incidentally, Stirling town is also an
excellent place to grab a cuppa, a nice meal, have a night out or just to stroll
around. There are plenty of restaurants and pubs, and there is quite a
selection of events going on all Summer long in Stirling.
Although Stirling is not central to Scottish life and government
anymore, it is still the central town in the breathtaking Fife area in Southern
Scotland, and roads to all areas of Scotland still pass by her gates. Edinburgh might be a beautiful and romantic city, but Stirling is hands down more fascinating and full of
historical wonder!
Check out my photo gallery in the next few days for accompanying pictures,especially of old Stirling.
