To the north of Stirling stands a hill known as Abbey Craig. The monument at the top is dedicated to national hero William Wallace and can be seen from many miles around. I had visited around 20 years ago and also once as a young lad on a Scout trip. One thing I hadn't done was explore the trails around the hill. Great views of Stirling (city or town? you decide!) were promised and I mapped out a little circuit. I decided to kill two birds with one stone and head to Stirling University campus afterwards, which is situated in the vicinity of Abbey Craig and offers a circular route around the artificial loch at the centre.
I parked at the base of the hill in the Wallace Monument car-park. A coffee house and gift shop complex is situated here and is operated independently of the monument. Tickets cannot be purchased here. A steep road and footpath lead upwards and visitors can either walk or use the shuttle bus that runs every 15 minutes (no requirement to enter the monument). I pushed on and diverged on to the trail that hugs the upper part of the hill. Unfortunately, the promised Ochils Viewpoint was largely obscured by burgeoning vegetation but it was a different story entirely when I emerged at the platform on the opposite side. An amazing vista of the town and River Forth spread out before me. I could easily identify the meander where the invading troops had come a cropper in the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. I looked across to Stirling Castle, atop its eponymous hill in the distance. Stirling occupies a flat valley plain and I could see far and wide from my volcanic vantage point. Trains ran far below and the trip was worth making for this viewing experience alone. I hadn't actually intended scaling the monument but my mood began to shift as I walked around its base and took in the panorama from the esplanade that faced westwards. The gloriously green Carse of Stirling stretched almost 15 miles towards the horizon. This extensive area of agricultural land forms the upper part of the flood plain. Once a virtually impassable bog, inhabited only by wildfowl and a few outlaws, the blanket peat was stripped off as part of a land improvement scheme initiated by local landowners. Families were attracted to move from the Highlands, with the promise of workable land at much-reduced rents provided they clear the peat and expose the rich clay soil beneath. Tenants were provided with wood to build houses and food for a year. The scheme ended in 1865 because the Forth had silted up and there was no more access to the town by sea-going ships. However, more than 10,000 acres of fertile land had been created.
It was almost 10am and the first batch of visitors were gathering at the base of the monument, including a coach load of tourists from Argentina. I decided to sit for a while on the terrace, allow the initial surge to die down then make my assault on the 246 steps. The entry fee was £10.75 but I knew this included a fair amount of exhibition material spread over three galleries. A single clockwise spiral staircase led upwards and I was asked to stand on the right should I meet sometime coming in the opposite direction. The ornate tower stands 220 feet high and was funded by public subscription. Around 80,000 people witnessed the laying of the foundation stone in 1861 (on the anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn) and the project took eight years to complete. Talk of a structure dedicated to Wallace had been ongoing for half a century. The location was fiercely debated, with both Glasgow and Edinburgh being put forward. Stirling was chosen as it was the site of Wallace’s greatest success. The task of designing the monument was proposed as an architectural competition. There were 106 entries and the winning bid came from Scotsman John Thomas Rochead. His plans can still be viewed today in the Stirling Archives. The opening ceremony was held in September 1869, exactly 572 years after Wallace had led his troops to an unexpected victory. Within 20 years, the first busts - of Robert Burns and King Robert the Bruce - were installed in the Hall of Heroes, donated by Andrew Carnegie and the Marquess of Bute respectively. More were added over the years and by 1907 there were 16 individuals commemorated in this gallery. The stained glass windows and Wallace Statue were installed by the end of the 19th century.
I climbed up the stairs to the first gallery - the Hall of Arms, which contains the famed Wallace Sword. The weapon has been on display here since 1888, after years languishing in Dumbarton Castle, where Wallace was taken after his capture in 1305. The sword has been repaired several times over the centuries and the maker's marks have faded over time. Recent scientific tests confirmed parts dated back to the 1200s. The total length of 168cm suggests Wallace must have been over six feet tall in order to effectively wield such a blade. There have been two thefts - in 1939 and 1972. On both occasions the sword was recovered and returned home. The exhibition in this room aims to separate the man from the myth and show how he rose from obscurity to become the leader of the Scots. A short film provides an informative summary of the tale. I continued upwards to the Hall of Heroes - where 18 marble busts are on display in the dimly-lit room. Each person helped shape Scotland's history and achieved excellence. A wide range of fields were considered, for example: science, poetry, politics, music, engineering, medicine and economics. The male-dominated nature of society meant the first 16 inductees were all men. Attitudes, thankfully, have shifted greatly in more recent times (although that doesn't mean the mission is complete) and the previous two entrants are female. Aberdeen-born Mary Slessor was a missionary in Nigeria for 40 years where she promoted the rights of women and children, stopping the infanticide of twins, a common practice in the region. Also honoured was Maggie Keswick Jencks, who created a blueprint for a new type of cancer care after being diagnosed with the disease herself. Numerous Maggie's Centres exist around the UK and they provide support to anyone affected by cancer. The two ladies were selected by public vote and entered the Hall of Heroes in 2019. The final exhibition looked at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. It should be remembered that Stirling was of immense strategic importance in the past. It was one of the few places where troops and horses could pass into the Highlands unencumbered, due to the vast swathes of marshland across central Scotland. The country was under English occupation in 1296. King Edward I sought to tighten his grip and out of this oppression rose William Wallace, a young man from a minor noble family.
Edward dispatched an army northwards to suppress the uprising and the opposing forces gathered in the vicinity of the River Forth at Stirling, bridged only by a narrow wooden structure. The Scots command had surveyed the terrain from the top of Abbey Craig, while the English reconnoitred from the battlements of Stirling Castle. The command was given for the English vanguard to advance across Stirling Bridge. Upwards of 2000 men made it over to the loop of land bounded by three sides of river but - with little room to manoeuvre in the boggy conditions - found themselves trapped after the Scots closed off the open route to the north. Wallace had formed his soldiers into a schiltron - a tight formation consisting of massed groups of men, several ranks deep and armed with long spears. This proved an impenetrable barrier and the hemmed-in English were slaughtered, with many also swept to their deaths in the river. Those who remained south of the bridge turned and fled back to the border. Against all the odds, Wallace had triumphed but the success was short lived. He was defeated the following year at the Battle of Falkirk and the folk hero was forced to go on the run. He was finally captured in 1305 and transported to London. Convicted of treason, Wallace was dragged naked through the streets before being hung, drawn and quartered at Smithfield. His legend was significantly bolstered following the release of the 1995 movie Braveheart, which swept the boards at the Oscars ceremony. Sure, it plays fast and loose with the facts but it was made purely for entertainment purposes and doesn't claim to provide an accurate historical account. Feeling somewhat patriotic, I ascended to the large viewing platform under the crown of the monument, where I enjoyed extensive views across Stirlingshire and surrounding counties. The trip back down was interesting as those coming upwards paid little heed to the prior instruction to keep right, choosing to hug the wall rather than step into the centre of the spiral. I'm pretty sure-footed though.
I walked along to the campus of Stirling University - a fairly modern institution that received its royal charter in 1967. It was the first learning facility of this type to be established in Scotland since Edinburgh University in 1582. Almost 15,000 students are enrolled and there is a sizable overseas contingent. The campus is set within 330 acres of grounds beneath the Ochil Hills, on the site of the Airthrey Estate. The sinewy loch at the centre was created in the late 18th century as part of a designed landscape. A tragic accident occurred in 1901 when three people fell through the ice to their deaths during an outdoor curling match. A footbridge crosses a narrow point near the middle and a 1.5-mile path runs around the perimeter. I walked the latter in its entirety and popped over to have a closer look at Airthrey Castle. Constructed in 1791, the house was extended over the years and became an emergency Maternity Hospital during World War II, continuing in this role after Stirlingshire County Council purchased the estate in 1946, leasing the castle to the newly founded NHS. The university took over the building in 1969 and - after surviving a fire in 2000 - it is currently used as an international study centre. Many students were wandering around or soaking up the nice weather. It seemed a very pleasant place, although the water level in the loch was surprisingly low. Testament to the dry spell we have endured.
Comments