Stirling Castle

The visit to Bannockburn concluded; it was on then to Stirling Castle, one of the largest and historically most important castles in Britain. Its strategic location, guarding the crossing of the River Forth, and therefore, to all intents and purposes, the highlands of Scotland, made it an important fortification from the earliest times. Surrounded on three sides by steep volcanic cliffs, it commands a strong defensive position.

Even today, getting in proved harder than one might expect, although that was mainly due to my Mum and I being unable to grasp the concept of a ticket counter and trying very hard to purchase our admission in the gift shop. To be fair, the ticket counter was clearly and obviously marked with a large sign saying "Ticket Counter" but that hardly makes it our fault that we walked right past it (twice).

Somewhat exhausted with the effort of getting in, we retired to the café for a quick Irn Bru and a natter, before agreeing to explore at our own speed and meet up a little later to swap notes.


You can't help but feel the history in a place like Stirling Castle. Overrun with camera wielding tourists it may be, (I don't include myself in that category of course, I'm a seasoned travel writer, merely documenting evidence for my loyal readers), every building, every wall, every walkway, simply exudes the whispers of its past. Most of the principal buildings of the Castle date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, although a few structures of the fourteenth century remain. The outer defenses, the ones fronting the town date from the early eighteenth century.

In addition to that of Edward Longshanks (Braveheart reference again, dang I hated that movie) in the 13th century, there have been several sieges of Stirling Castle, the last being in 1746, when Charles Edward Stuart, "Bonnie Prince Charlie", and his Jacobite force tried unsuccessfully to take the castle. However, from 1800 until 1964 the Castle was owned by the British Army and run as a barracks.


The army made many alterations to the castle, including the Great Hall, which became an accommodation block; the Chapel Royal, which became a lecture theatre and dining hall; the King's Old Building, which became an infirmary; and the Royal Palace, which became the Officer's Mess. Efforts to restore all these buildings to their original state are still ongoing, and evidence of this work was all around.

A group called Historic Scotland run the place today and they had provided a series of helpful signs, recordings and videos to explain exactly what you're observing at any given time. Although I have to say, fascinating though the buildings were, it was the views from the walls that fascinated me.

High atop its volcanic crag, the castle commands an imposing view over the vale of Stirling, the last really flat portion of Scotland before the highlands begin and by strolling around the walls, one is able to observe a huge area of central Scotland. There was a time when Stirling Bridge was the only passage across the river forth and therefore, whoever controlled Stirling Castle, controlled Scotland - hence the numerous sieges. In fact, one of the most famous battles of the Scottish Wars of Independence took place here in 1297.

Wallace was the high heid yin this time, with help from Andrew de Moray and their combined forces were deployed in a commanding position dominating the soft, flat ground to the north of the river. The small bridge at Stirling was only broad enough to allow two horsemen to cross abreast so the Scots waited as the English knights and infantry made their slow progress across the bridge on the morning of 11 September. Wallace and Moray had held back earlier in the day when many of the English and Welsh archers had crossed, (only to be recalled because their leader, the Earl of Surrey had overslept) and now waited, until the vanguard, comprising around 5,400 English and Welsh infantry and several hundred cavalry had crossed the Bridge. Only then did they order the attack.

The Scots spearmen came down from the high ground in rapid advance towards Stirling Bridge, quickly seizing control of the English bridgehead. Surrey's vanguard was now cut off from the rest of the army. The heavy cavalry to the north of the river was trapped and cut to pieces, their comrades to the south powerless to help. With no escape route available, losses among the English forces were enormous, with many plunging into the river where the weight of their armor meant an inevitable death by drowning.

Surrey, who still had a formidable contingent of archers, had remained to the south of the river and was still in a strong position. The bulk of his army still remained intact and he could have held the line of the Forth, denying the triumphant Scots a passage to the south. But his confidence was gone. Surrey ordered the bridge's destruction and retreated, leaving the garrison at Stirling Castle isolated and abandoning the Lowlands to the rebels.

Of course, it hasn't been all doom, gloom and bloodshed at Stirling Castle. It's been the site for the coronations of multiple Scottish Kings and Queens, including Mary, Queen of Scots. And it's been home to many of them. The Great Hall was the largest secular building in Europe at the time it was built and it contains some of the finest architecture of its period.


And here, on a warm, sunny, 21st century day, it's hard to look at these neatly tended fields and truly imagine the carnage that took place all those years ago. It's also hard to imagine how cold, drafty and grindingly touch life in a castle must have been, especially for the serving classes. I suspect there were no helpful sign posts back in the day, or be-tartaned staff cheerfully directing visitors around the castle. I don't imagine there were neatly tended lawns, or central heating, or comfortably furnished rooms back then either.

But still, to stand on these battlement walls and look down over this huge area of central Scotland, and know that you controlled the whole lot and then some, then it must have been pretty good to call Stirling Castle home.

Doon by Stirling Brig,
The Wallace lay a-hiding,
As the English host,
Frae the sooth cam riding,
Lood the River Forth,
Atween them baith was roaring,
Nerra were the sides,
O' the Brig o' Stirling.

Watching frae the the wid,
Wallace and the Moray,
As the English cam,
Wi' the Earl o' Surrey,
Ane by ane they crossed,
As the bridge was birlin,
Still they onward cam,
Ower the Brig o' Stirling.

Wallace gied a shout,
Oot his men cam rinning,
Stopped the English host,
On the Brig o' Stirling,
Cressingham turned roon,
The Brig was sma' for turning,
Moray cut him doon,
On the Brig o' Stirling.

A' the English men,
Ran intil each other,
Nane could turn aboot,
Nane could gae much further,
Some fell ower the side,
An' in the Forth were drowning,
Some were left to die,
On the Brig o' Stirling

Surrey he was wild,
Couldnae ford the river,
Wished wi' a' his micht,
That the Brig was bigger,
Then he rade awa',
Lood the man was cursing,
Wallace and his men,
And the Brig 0' Stirling.