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Storming Scotland’s Stirling Castle

October 24, 2015

Stirling Castle, Scotland Dreaming of blooming heather, wide open spaces and maybe a kilt sighting or three, Kate, Emma and I headed north for a long weekend in the Scottish Highlands. With two nights booked in the gorgeous small town of Aviemore we knew we wanted to bag a Munro and visit Loch Ness, but what would make a good stop-off on the drive there? A quick squiz at the map revealed Stirling was perfectly located and so a plan was born. As Stirling Castle loomed on the crag above us I was reminded of Edinburgh Castle, and we eagerly ~~stormed the castle~~ waited in line for the car-park and strolled through the castle gates. Stirling Castle, Scotland We knew a little Scottish history before visiting, but a comprehensive exhibition tracing the castle’s place in history from 1100 onwards, and the timeline of Scottish royalty brought us right up to speed. A primary Royal Residence from the 14th to 16th century, Stirling has seen battles, assassinations, coronations and intrigue. I already knew quite a bit about Mary Queen of Scots and her famous son, James IV (and I of England), but the gossip on his grandfather James II, who stabbed a rival in the castle when he refused to end a treasonous alliance, was new and fascinating. Fresh from picking up all the details about murderous Stewart kings and valiant battles against the English, we explored the castle walls and stunning panoramas over the muted but beautiful countryside. And of course, imagined ourselves as Scottish Queens! Stirling Castle, Scotland

Who needs a King?! Queens Jessi and Kate have got it covered!

The similarities to Edinburgh Castle kept coming, from the predominantly dour-coloured stone to the views. But Stirling was fascinating in its own right, and much of this had to do with the depth of thought that had been placed into the interactive activities. With thoughts of the drive ahead on our minds, we didn’t participate, but peeked in the doorways at dress-up corners, music making, and carving in wood and stone, all stationed in their own vaults below the Castle. Stirling Castle, Scotland All too swiftly it was time to hit the road again, thoroughly well-educated in preparation for the rest of our long weekend in Scotland.

I’m in #Scotland! Heading north from Stirling, this is the view of the William Wallace Tower from Stirling Castle. So beautiful!

A photo posted by Jessi (@jessi2feet1world) on Aug 21, 2015 at 7:50am PDT

For more information on visiting Stirling Castle click here. More posts on our fantastic Highlands trip coming soon, including a driving itinerary. If you liked this, check out my Edinburgh posts here Have you visited the Highlands? Where was your favourite spot? I already know I have to return for the Isle of Skye!

Exploring Edinburgh Castle

February 24, 2014

Standing sentinel over the city at the end of the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle was the last stop of my Hogmanay stay in Edinburgh with Kate and Sarah-Rose. On a stormy day, it was the perfect place to take refuge from the driving rain and learn more about the history of both the city and Scotland.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

View of the Castle from Greyfriars Cemetery – on a calmer day!

The Castle sits on a natural volcanic plug with cliffs on three sides, an excellent defensive position and it’s easy to see why the site has been inhabited since roughly 200AD – on a good day you’d be able to see for miles. We’d enjoyed the panoramas on a sunnier day earlier in our visit. However this time round, our time spent admiring the views was necessarily brief, as the winds were buffeting us to such an extent that we felt we could take flight at any moment! Funnily enough, you may just be able to tell which shots I took on the day and which I didn’t…

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Looking north over the city

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Rushing through the hilariously-named Foog’s Gate to seek shelter

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

St Margaret’s Chapel is not only the oldest building in the castle but also in Edinburgh, dating from the twelfth century. Many of the other buildings were built after the Lang Siege of the sixteenth century, but are no less impressive for their youth.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Definitely a great place to hide from the storm

While many will be familiar with James I and IV of England and Scotland, I knew a lot less about the earlier Scottish leaders and monarchs. Edinburgh Castle has some fantastic displays that take you through the milestones of Scottish history – they’re great for kids as well as adults, and do contain a lot of really interesting information. The Scottish Crown Jewels, known as the Honours of Scotland, are also on glittering display (although unfortunately not for photographing!) I enjoyed wandering through some of the Castle’s rooms that had been restored to how they would have looked in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Now that’s a fireplace!

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

A gloomy view of Arthur’s Seat and Greyfriars Cemetery

I had an awesome time in Edinburgh. Hogmanay was an absolute blast, but I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the rest of my explorations around the city quite as much as I did! The people were fantastically friendly, the food was delicious, and the architecture and history really blew my mind. I’m already plotting when I can come back to explore the area around Edinburgh, and head further north to see more of Scotland.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

This beautiful shot of the Castle is ©Crown Copyright Historic Scotland

Bits & Pieces

More information on the Castle and tickets can be found here and here

Of course it was peak time when we visited, but bear in mind that the Castle is Scotland’s #1 paid attraction – so it could be handy to buy tickets online to avoid the queue!

Check out more #TravelTuesday posts on Bonnie’s blog, A Compass Rose

(Almost) Climbing Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh

February 12, 2014

Arthur’s Seat towers over Edinburgh, and was one of the features of the city that I’d heard of well before I stepped off the train from London. I was determined to climb it, and when the day dawned bright, Kate, Sarah-Rose and I seized the opportunity. In our boots and wellies, we set off up the hill. Seasoned New Zealand trampers, we figured we’d knock off the 251m peak in no time.

The view of Arthur’s Seat from Edinburgh Castle

The Palace of Holyrood

The views over Edinburgh, the Firth of Forth and out to sea were beautiful, and well worth the slightly slippery climb up the grassy muddy paths. We reached a peak and admired the panorama from our craggy seats.

Unfortunately, it was about this point that we realised we had not, in fact, climbed up Arthur’s Seat… but the Salisbury Crags, which are part of the same group of hills, but unfortunately a bit separate. To climb up to the Seat would require a descent almost down to sea level, and then a steeper hike up. With the chilly wind buffeting us and the sun rapidly dropping, we decided to save something for our next visit. Arthur’s Seat – we’ll be back!

For more on our time in Edinburgh, check out these posts. Helpful information on how to actually climb Arthur’s Seat is here on the Walk Highlands website.

Have you ever climbed Arthur’s Seat – or Salisbury Crags instead!?

Greyfriars Cemetery, Edinburgh

February 8, 2014

One of my unexpected highlights of our time in Edinburgh for Hogmany was exploring Greyfriars Cemetery, thanks to an amazing setting and an even better spontaneous guided tour. The cemetery was on my list of places to visit as I’m a Harry Potter fan and I’d read that J.K.Rowling got some of her inspiration for the books from actual gravestones. Plus I have a slightly morbid fascination with exploring cemeteries – I love reading the stories and getting a feel for some of the history of a place through them.

Our first stop was to pet the statute of Greyfriars Bobby. You may have heard of this faithful little doggie, who kept vigil at his master’s grave for 14 years after his death and became a mascot for the area. Such a cute story!

Sarah-Rose and I with the statute

We began wandering the cemetery, which is in a beautiful spot on a hill with views across to Edinburgh Castle. Although we didn’t spot any names that we recognised, it was still very interesting wandering through the graves.

Greyfriars Cemetery, Edinburgh, Scotland

The view of Edinburgh Castle from the cemetery

However, our experience was about to go up several notches. As we turned to leave, an smliing elderly man with a twinkle in his eye asked us if we were looking for anything in particular. We explained that we were just looking around, and he introduced himself as Wallace, one of the cemetery’s caretakers, and offered to show us around. We quickly accepted, and so began a fantastic tour! Originally the site of a Franciscan monastery, the Kirk was built in 1561. The Cemetery has seen so much of the city’s history – everything from grave-robbery to the incarceration of the Covenantors, who began the Presbyterian movement. It is also the site of part of the Floden Wall, which was built by the Scottish to protect the city from the approaching English.

A mortsafe, used to protect freshly-buried bodies from grave-robbers

Wallace knew his audience, and interwove his fascinating history lesson with lots of Harry Potter tidbits. He explained how J K Rowling (a “lovely lady“) used to walk through the cemetery to work at the school on the other side, and pointed out names that will be familiar to any fan of the series, including McGonagall and Moody. Sadly, Wallace also explained that many grave-markers of the other names, like Severus and Cedric Diggory, had been stolen by vandals, who also took a vicious delight in knocking over headstones. Apparently, J K Rowling had offered to pay for them to be restored, but the caretakers believe that it will just continue. So sad that people can be so needlessly awful, not to mention disrespectful of the real people whose graves they are desecrating.

There was one famous name that they hadn’t managed to destroy… that of Tom Riddle!

I wondered what Wallace was carrying in his white plastic bag, slightly at odds with his immaculate appearance. He soon revealed that it contained a gift from the Warner Brothers movie studio representatives who had visited the cemetery – the wand used by Voldemort in the shooting of the final movies! Call me geeky, but I thought that was really cool, and a nice gesture by the studio. Wallace explained with a touch of pride that he only brought it out on special occasions, but he knew there would be plenty of visitors to the cemetery over Hogmanay.

The Edinburgh Cemetery was fascinating to visit, with all the history it bears testament to, and the added bonus of the Harry Potter links. If you visit, make sure to keep an eye out for Wallace – if you’re lucky you may just get an amazing tour from this lovely man.

Bits & Pieces

Entry to the Cemetery is free, and Wallace and the other volunteer guides simply ask for a donation to the upkeep of this beautiful churchyard – well worth it in my opinion!

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