Wallace Monument
Stirling Scotland
Also known as the National Wallace Monument
This is a 19th century hilltop tower, that is both a topic for photography
and a high vantage point to take photographs from.
The 220 foot sandstone Victorian gothic tower stands on the summit of Abbey
Craig, a hilltop near Stirling in Scotland. It commemorates William Wallace, the
13th century Scottish hero and freedom fighter, (1267-1305).
It was erected after a public collection although a lot of
the funds for it come from overseas sources. It opened in 1869.
It is open to the general public. Visitors climb the 246 step spiral
staircase to the viewing gallery inside the monument's crown, which provides
expansive views of the Ochil Hills and the Forth Valley. On the way up there are
three chambers to explore as well as recover ready for the next flight of
stairs.
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See here for Picture Details |
From the base of the monument some panoramic views are available, but you
need to make the climb to the top to get the full effect.
The third floor contains a 360° diorama
showing the history of the surrounding landscape. On the viewing platform above
you get to see some of the finest views in Scotland, over the town of Stirling
and the Forth Valley, as far as the Forth bridges in the East and Ben Lomond in
the West.
A number of artefacts said to have belonged to Wallace are on display
inside the monument, including the Wallace Sword, a 5foot 4inch long claymore.
So who was Wallace
In 1296, Edward I of England invaded Scotland and the
Scottish Wars of Independence began. William Wallace began a guerrilla campaign
against the English and became known as the hammer and scourge of the English.
On 11th September, 1297, the Scots defeated the English army at the Battle of
Stirling Bridge.
After defeat at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298, Wallace was betrayed and
captured. He was hanged, drawn and quartered in London in 1305, and has since
become a symbol for Scotland and Freedom.
The controversial statue
In 1997 a statue was placed in the Wallace
memorial car park. However rather then representing Wallace in the same way as
other images, it was made to look like Mel Gibson who played him in the film
Braveheart. There was a campaign to have it removed due to its lack of
authenticity, it has a since had several attacks of vandalism and become
damaged. It has since been advertised for sale at one point for £350,000 but no
one was interested. The statue has the word Freedom across its base, but some
say it is now encased in a cage for protection.
Planning Grid
Location: |
Wallace Monument, Stirling Scotland |
Grid Reference |
NS808957
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Map Link: |
Multimap |
Getting there: |
Located just outside Stirling - and is signposted from the City Centre and
from the A91. |
Access: |
There is a shuttle bus which runs from the visitor centre
car park beside the Sword Hotel, to the top of the Abbey Craig. |
Parking: |
Free car parking |
Facilities: |
Coffee shop, Picnic area, Souvenir gift shop,
audio tour |
Things To Do,
See and Photograph: |
Monument, views |
What to take: |
Whatever you take, remember you have 246 steps
on a spiral staircase to climb, so extra weight from kit and cumbersome bags
may be a struggle. |
Nature highlights: |
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Best Times to
Visit: |
Clear day |
Address: |
Abbey Craig
Hillfoots Road
Causewayhead
Stirling
|
Postcode: |
FK9 5LF |
Telephone: |
Tel: 01786 472140
Stirling tourism Tel: (01786) 450069 |
E-mail: |
info@nationalwallacemonument.com |
Website: |
http://www.nationalwallacemonument.com/ |
Opening times: |
Open all year except 25th, 26th December and 1st January, two days in
January for repairs and when experiencing very bad weather. January - February
10.30am-4pm
March - May 10.00am-5pm
June 10.00am-6pm
July - August 9am-6pm
September 9.30am-5.30pm
October 10.00am-5pm
November - December 10am-4pm
Closed 25th, 26th December and 1st
January |
Charges: |
Adults £6.50, Child £4.00 OAP £4.90, Student £4.90
Family £17.00 (2 adults
and 2 children)
VISA and MasterCard taken |
Photo Restrictions: |
None specified, may be restricted inside tower
rooms. |
Other Restrictions: |
Nothing specified |
Special Needs Access: |
Disabled access to the grounds and the visitor pavilion. Limited disabled
access to The Monument. Each level of the monument is accessed by a spiral
staircase, with 246 steps to the top of the tower. |
Special Needs Facilities: |
Not known |
Children Facilities: |
large climb and spiral staircase to deal with |
Dogs Allowed: |
not specified, but I don't expect so. |
Other useful
websites: |
http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/stirling/wallace/
http://www.instirling.com/sight/wallace.htm
Follies |
Page Ref: |
wallace_monument |
Date Updated: 03/08 |
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