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The sun shone all day, enabling me to complete my aim of having the roof off every day I drove. Not bad for an Autumn holiday in Scotland!
I left the Bendarroch House B&B in Strathtay for Doune, but avoided the boring A9 by using a route that took me past Loch Tay. Doune Castle is probably most famous as a film set. It was used by the Monty Python team for the classic Holy Grail film, so it's somewhat appropriate that Python Terry Jones narrates the audio guide, making it great fun - especially as it includes clips form the film. More recently, a new set of fans visit the castle was used as the set for Winterfell in Game of Thrones, and as Castle Leoch in the Outlander series.
The castle itself is well worth a look as it consists of substantial ruins, somewhat unusual in Scotland as most castles have either been restored or left to rot.
Next was a short drive to the Wallace Monument. William Wallace was a famous Scottish warrior and hero who fought the English at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. He rose to prominence after defeating the English Army, when outnumbered about 3 to 1, and the Battle of Stirling Bridge in September 1297. He was subsequently chosen to be the Guardian of Scotland, but stood down after defeat at the Battle of Falkirk in July 1298. In 1305, he was captured near Glasgow by John de Menteith, a Scottish Knight loyal to King Edward I of England. Taken to London he was tried for and found guilty of High Treason, and was hung, drawn and quartered. Following his death, Wallace's fame spread throughout the world and he became of symbol for freedom fighters.
In the 19th century, there was a resurgence of Scottish national identity. This resulted in a fundraising campaign to build a National Monument to Wallace. A prominent hill, Abbey Craig, near Stirling was selected as the site because it was close to his famous victory. From the car park, it's quite an energetic climb to the base of the tower, then there are 246 steps to the top - with commanding views of the surrounding area. On the way up three levels of interesting exhibits, including the Wallace Sword, which breaks the climb. Back in the visitor centre I had a ham and cheese toastie accompanied by a Diet Coke.
Stilring was a very strategic place in the wars between England and Scotland. This is because it occupies the narrow strip of land between the River Clyde in the west and the Firth of Forth in the east, making it the only land route into The Highlands. Therefore, it's no surprise that a castle was built here, so Stirling Castle was my next port of call. Standing impressively on a prominent crag, it dominates the area. The castle played a huge roll in the English / Scottish rule, changing hands several times (always by siege). It also played a roll in the Jacobite Risings as Bonnie Prince Charlie failed to take the castle. The castle also saw the crowning of many Kings and Queens of Scotland. Later it was home to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. There is a lot to see, including the Royal Apartments. A great couple of hours.
Time was getting on and I didn't have enough left to revisit the impressive modern icon that is The Falkirk Wheel and do it justice. However, since last in the area, two massive new sculptures have been erected near Falkirk. They're called The Kelpies. Kelpie is a mythical Scottish water horse, and these sculptures of two massive horses heads have been erected alongside the Forth and Clyde canal. They stand 30 meters high and are made from steel. They make a very striking landmark.
Now approaching 5pm, it was time to head back home. I stopped at Tebay Services for a lovely evening meal consisting of Cumberland Sausage, Chips and Gravy, and a large black coffee. I arrived home at 10:30pm.
Today we drove 426 miles. Total mileage for the whole round trip was exactly 2198.
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