The Ham Nomads

3 Aug 2014. <GB-SCT> Abbey Crag, Stirling; Linlithgow, West Lothian —

Today the aim was to go up to the National Wallace Monument, on the Abbey Craig, overlooking Stirling and the sites of the Battle of Stirling Bridge (William Wallace, 11 September 1297) and Bannockburn (Robert the Bruce, 23-24 June 1314), and then to the Bridge of Allan Highland games, just down the road.

Statue of Wallace
on Monument

Well, we went up to the Wallace Monument. Shades of Braveheart!! Wallace had a phenomenal career, winning battle honours against Edward I. Wallace became the Guardian of Scotland. Only a year later, Wallace was defeated at Falkirk, in a more traditional battle, but the seeds of Scottish resistance had been sown, which culminated in Bannockburn only 17 years later.

The Battle of Stirling Bridge was influential in other ways. It was a success of a common army of enlisted spearmen against feudal knights in full armour. It also destroyed the myth of English invincibility.

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Wallace, betrayed into English hands in 1305, was tried by the English, by a court he refused to recognise, found guilty, hanged, disembowelled, beheaded and quartered as a 'rebel' at Smithfield in London. Far from ending Scottish resistance, this provided them with a martyr, and Robert the Bruce dealt the final blow to the English at Bannockburn in 1314.

The monument itself is so truly Scottish as to be an icon in its own right. It was built between 1861 and 1869, using stone quarried from the Abbey Craig itself. There are three levels within the monument, and a viewing platform at the top, from which you can see the battlefields of Stirling Bridge and of Bannockburn. On the first level, you get the history of the Battle of Stirling Bridge; on the second level (the Hall of Heroes) is a display of the busts of 16 Scottish heroes; on the third level, the story of the monument itself.

The view across to Stirling Castle

Anyway, we climbed the 246 steps within the monument (after climbing the Craig itself!), and spent about an hour communing with Wallace. Then we went down to the restaurant at the base of the Craig, where we had coffee and scones (what else!). By this time the heavens had opened, so we decided to give the highland games a miss!

So what to do next? On the way towards Edinburgh is another National Trust property - the House of the Binns. This is not a 'stately home', but the residence of the Dalyell family from the early 1600s to the present.

The property was given over to the National Trust of Scotland in 1946, but the Dalyells are still in residence, with Tam Dalyell, the socialist MP (who is entitled to be styled the 10th Baronet, but because of his philosophy ignores this title). Also in residence are the peacocks, which have been a feature there right from the outset.

In the house is a fine collection of family memorabilia, including a series of cartoons of the current Tam Dalyell, who has had a rather lively time in Parliament and has been the subject of some rather interesting political cartoons in the Times and elsewhere. One very telling one has him as a terrier, nipping at the heels of Margaret Thatcher! His wife Kathleen takes a great interest in the showing of the house to visitors, and in the visitors who come through. She was a most charming hostess while we were there. The house of the Binns is a fascinating place to visit, but we think one of its major assets is Kathleen herself!

We walked the woodland walk up to a folly, a tower built at the top of the hill with a panoramic view of the Firth of Forth and the bridge there. The tower was built in 1826 with the proceeds of a successful wager (£28).

We took our leave, somewhat reluctantly, and continued on towards Edinburgh. We decided to take our journey along some secondary roads, as opposed to the M9 motorway, in the hope of happening upon a good place to camp off, and so we did.

We found a side road down to the Lowlands Canal, with a bike path or tow path alongside it. We watched a barge coming through, and a three-person tandem ride past, a number of ramblers and dog walkers taking advantage of the woodland walks near the canal. A lovely quiet place to park!

Distance driven — today, 35 miles ( 56 km ); to date, 5,399 miles ( 8,689 km )