Day 23 Part 2: Wallace Monument to Cambuskenneth Abbey, Stirling

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021

27th January 2021 Part 2: 83.91km walked today taking the total to 2321.54/8854km. 7% of 188 entries submitting 1198.83km.

Part 2 of 2 takes us deeper into Stirling’s history, through its highways and byways, before crossing the river to head north towards Comrie.

Route 6B: Callander to Comrie

From the campus, we walk the city streets to the National Wallace Monument, a stone tower standing on Abbey Craig, a volcanic crag overlooking the city. No matter where you are in Stirling, you most often than not, will be able to see it. Completed in 1869 in memory of Sir William Wallace, it is believed he stood on this crag surveying the gathering armies before the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. Access is through the visitor centre which tells the story of William Wallace and the battle. We climb to the top of the Monument for amazing panoramic views over Stirling and the Ochil Hills.

We head into the city over Stirling Old Bridge, one of the best remaining Medieval bridges in Scotland dating back to c1500; called the ‘Gateway to the Highlands’. It was a critical crossing, earliest bridge documented crossing in this area dates to Roman times and bridges here remained the main crossing of the River Forth up to the early 1800s. At the time of the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, a timber bridge would have been here slightly further downriver. The battle took place in an area called Bridgehaugh, to our left as we cross the bridge. The Medieval bridge closed to wheeled traffic in 1842 when Stirling New Bridge was completed downstream.

Stirling areas’ habitation goes back to circa 3000 BC. It was granted royal burgh status in 1130 by David I and became an important market town with a busy port on the River Forth by 1450. Its location in Scotland, with an important royal castle used by many monarchs as their main residence, led to growth but it also meant it was a target for English invasion. During the Industrial Revolution, weaving prospered for a time here but most major investors chose sites further afield such as Falkirk. In 2002 Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Golden Jubilee year by granting Stirling city status, the 6th city in Scotland. The city is the administrative centre for the area where the university and council are important employers, as are tourism and financial services. The river port hasn’t been used since post-World War II; there are plans to redevelop the harbour to enable river taxis and tour boats to operate. Notable people from the city include Neil Oliver, archaeologist and TV presenter, Gail Honeyman, novelist, and Willie Carson, jockey.

From Stirling Bridge, we walk to join part of Back Walk on Back O’Hill Road whose whole route would take us around the old walls and Castle Rock; we leave it after Gowan Hill to visit Stirling Castle.

The oldest building in Stirling, Stirling Castle, sits on top of volcanic rock, part of the Stirling Sill Geological Formation, and what you see today was built between 1490-1600. Its origins are ancient, but it grew to become a powerful royal stronghold, given the position of the river crossing nearby. The castle changed hands 8 times during conflicts, saw many murders and the first flight attempt in 1507. The world’s oldest football was discovered here, dating back to the time of Mary Queen of Scots, who loved the game. Mary was crowned Queen here in 1543 and spent a lot of her life at the castle. Royalty left for good in 1603 when James VI of Scotland also became James I of Great Britain at which point the Royal Household relocated to London. It became a military base after that, becoming strategically important once more during the Jacobite Uprisings. The castle is still the Headquarters of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders today. We enjoy wandering its walls before we head back down the Esplanade passing Robert the Bruce’s 19th-century statue standing guard.

From the Esplanade we take steps down to walk through Snowdon Cemetery (opened in 1924) following the paths to Kings Knot, located in what was once the King’s Park. The ‘royal playground’ was here in 1190, initially just hunting grounds, but over the centuries was developed into proper gardens. The King’s Knot, known locally as ‘the cup and saucer’, was developed in the late 1420s for the homecoming of Charles I. Once the royals moved to London the gardens were neglected; little of the park remains today and nothing is known of the garden’s structure. In 2011, geophysicists studying the mound discovered a circular feature that pre-dated the Knot. It has been suggested that this could be King Arthur’s round table as, according to 12th-15th century writers, his table was at Stirling. A story that history has yet to reveal to us!

As we walk past King’s Knot we also walk behind the Church of the Holy Rude, the second oldest building in Stirling. Holy Rude meaning ‘holy cross’, and it was founded by David I in 1129 as the Stirling parish church. We continue through Stirling Golf Course, then Kings Park before walking a street route to our next destination, the Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre. The Battle of Bannockburn took place in 1314, one of the most important battles in the Wars of Independence. Robert the Bruce took on King Edward II of England in a battle for Scottish Independence and won. We walk past the Visitor Centre, run by National Trust for Scotland, to visit the battlefield itself and the Robert the Bruce statue placed in an area where he actually fought. The statue was designed by Charles d'Orville Pilkington Jackson, using an actual measurement of Bruce’s skull, and was unveiled in 1964. It was restored for the 700th anniversary of the battle in 2014.

We head back into town along Burghmuir Road, then Goosecroft Road, to cross over the railway line at Forth Place. We walk beside the river on Shore Road in the area where the port was once located, before joining Abbey Road to cross Cambuskenneth footbridge. We take time to visit Cambuskenneth Abbey, founded by David I in 1140 to serve Stirling Castle. It feels like it is on an island here, surrounded by the river on 3 sides. Where we crossed on the footbridge a ferry was once in operation linking the Abbey to Stirling. The Abbey suffered from the conflicts of the area and was ransacked several times. James III is buried here with his wife, Margaret of Denmark, quite a humble place for a royal. Their tomb was paid for by Queen Victoria in 1865 after their coffins were discovered buried at the high altar of what was then a ruined abbey. After the Scottish Reformation, the buildings were quarried by locals, the Earl of Mar is reputed to have used stone from here for the building of his townhouse, Mar’s Wark (1567). Only the bell tower remains intact, believed to have survived as a useful watchtower. It is cared for now by Historic Environment Scotland.

We continue to head north out of the city, passing Wallace Monument once more, as we head for the Ochil Hills.