We'd seen it many times from afar, and today we bit the bullet and visited the Wallace Monument, Scotland's archaelogical tribute to their greatest hero, William Wallace. Think Braveheart.
This is another attraction not for the faint-hearted - there's a half mile, slippery, muddy, vertiginous hike from the Visitor Centre to the base of the monument. Take it nice and slow and it's rather enjoyable though. Above the entrance to the tower is a huge statue of the man himself.
There are 246 steps to the top, almost all of which are up a very narrow bore "spiral" staircase (although helical is the geometrically correct name). This is split up conveniently by three halls, each illustrating some part of the WW story, or of the history of both his time and others of Scottish importance.
Here's Sam standing beside an illustration of Wallace's fearsome broadsword. What a whopper!
And here is Wallace's massive chopper "in person".
Of course, Scottish people can't get one over on the English. Wallace was killed. He deserved it.
The views from the "crown" at the top of the monument are breath-taking - literally so when it's blowing a hoolie as it was when we visited. See the river behind us showing an imaginary letter S? In the top part of the letter is where the Battle of Stirling Bridge took place in 1297.
The Visitor Centre looks quite tiny from above. We can see our car from here!
The light colour building on top of that hill is the fabulous Stirling Castle. Visit Stirling - both the Monument and the Castle are well worth a look.
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