Stirling (population 41,000- the smallest 'city' in Scotland) advertises itself as the heart of Scotland because it is the link between the northern highlands and southern lowlands. It originally had a stone-age settlement with standing stones and prehistoric carvings still visible south of town. Later the Romans built a fort here (well, some sources said the Romans built here, others say they didn't- either way someone built fortifications here during the Roman era) during their occupation of Scotland because the rocky, volcanic crag jutting out of the flatland provided a natural defense in a strategic location. This location was especially important because it is the lowest crossing point in the Forth River (which empties into the North Sea near Edinburgh), which made it important for trade. Later, the Roman fort would develop into Stirling Castle, and a stone bridge made this location more important as the English and Scottish fought each other. In 1297 William Wallace led about 2,000 Scots to defeat about 10,000 English at Stirling Bridge. In 1314 Robert Bruce defeated King Edward II here in a decisive Scottish victory at the Battle of Bannockburn. The castle here served as an important royal palace along with Edinburgh and Linlithgow, especially after James IV made several upgrades around 1500; Mary Queen of Scots also grew up here and was crowned here. Near the castle is the Church of the Holy Rude (meaning 'holy cross'), which is one of only two surviving churches in the United Kingdom to hold a coronation because King James VI of Scotland (also James I of England) was crowned here in 1567 as John Knox performed the ceremony. The other church is Westminster Abbey. The Stirling palace was not used as often after James VI moved to England due to the Union of the Crowns in 1603. Instead, the castle became a military center with barracks and military depot until 1964. More recently, Queen Elizabeth visited the castle in 2006 to celebrate her 60th anniversary as the Colonel-in-Chief of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
Last week I visited Stirling with some friends since it is officially Easter break, and it was nice to get out of St Andrews for a little bit even though I have ton of work to complete soon. Fortunately, I was able to read a book about the Congo War during our 2 hour bus drive there. The weather was quite miserable with snow flurries mixed with sporadic rain, and I regretted not bringing my scarf and gloves. For some reason I thought the weather should be warmer in late March. We walked around the Church of the Holy Rude's churchyard and competed to find the oldest grave. I won since I found John Cowane's grave dating to 1633. He had been a wealthy merchant who had served on the Scottish parliament just before his death, and his vast fortune helped fund a hospital next to the church. A statue of Cowane just above the hospital's door allegedly jumps off its ledge and dances in the courtyard every New Year's Eve at midnight. We then had lunch at a small tearoom that served a delicious egg & cheese sandwich with very cheap white coffee. Since St Andrews is such an expensive tourist town, I'm always shocked at the prices I find elsewhere, even in airports. Finally, we visited the historic castle overlooking the flatlands and Ochil Hills. The whole time while I walked around the castle and saw the vistas I felt lucky to live in such a beautiful place. We were then able to tour the 17th century Argyll's Lodging, a recently renovated residence at the foot of the castle, which had been prime real estate when the Scottish royals frequented the palace. Wealthy occupants included John Traill (a wealthy local burgess), Sir William Alexander (later Lord Stirling), and Archibald Campbell (9th Earl of Argyll). This earl refused to sign the Test Act, which would have required him to follow the king's religious whims, so he fled into exile. He later led a rebellion but was captured and executed in 1685. The tour guide told us about important architectural features of the house, including the original wooden staircase which was wide enough for two women to walk down side by side while wearing wide petticoats. Royalty, including James VI and Charles I, and other important Scottish and English officials walked up and down this staircase during parties. The upper room doubled as a dinning room and a ballroom since the dining tables could be tucked underneath the windowsills. Walking around this room reminded me of the socials in Pride & Prejudice. Since I'm reading Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, I imagined zombies bursting through the windows and biting into guests' skulls during the dance. The tour ended in the bedchamber, which included a restored medieval-esque toilet that was nothing more than a hole in the floor. Purple tapestries covered everything in this bedroom, including the canopy bed. I did learn that purple dye was extremely expensive since it was made from crushed snail shells, so that explains to me why purple was considered a royal color. After this tour, we went to a pub next to the castle because a guide book said this was the best pub in Stirling, and then we returned to the bus station for our bus ride back to St Andrews.
I couldn't resist. I had to take a
picture next to this billboard as
we walked to the castle.
The second oldest headstone we found at the
Church of the Holy Rude. Many of the graves
here were so weathered and overgrown that
I couldn't read them. I'm sure I could have
found older ones if I could have just read them.
View of Stirling from the castle wall.
Along the river is Stirling Bridge, where
William Wallace won his battle. On top of
a wooded hill in the distance is the Wallace
Monument, which was completed in 1869.
This scene is from the castle's kitchen.
Whenever royalty moved from one palace
to another, they took all their kitchen supplies
with them and left just a few things behind.
Also, I learned that a "Scottish Pint"
is equal to 3 English Pints.
Front entrance to the Argyll's Lodgings
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