You will remember me introducing you to Alex. Nice chap. Well, he got even nicer when he came on Wednesday and whisked Linda and me off for the day.
Helix Park and the Kelpies
I'd seen pictures of these often enough and thought them a little bizarre but didn't actually know what they were or why they were where they are.
They are the Kelpies and are part of the Helix Park project on the Forth and Clyde Canal which was conceived to bring the people of the different communities of the Falkirk area together. The Kelpies are quite a feat of artistic engineering, standing 100 feet high and each weighing more than 3000 tonnes.
They honour the history of the horse in the industrial development of this area and are based on two real-life Clydesdales called Duke and Baron. The installation is fairly recent - 2013 - and the setting is beautiful. The Kelpies name comes from mythological transforming beasts which possess the strength and endurance of 10 horses.
From here we continued north into Stirlingshire. We were heading for the city of Stirling and its famous castle but stopped off first at the site of the Battle of Bannockburn.
Battle of Bannockburn
For two days in June 1314 this most beautiful serene place was the site of one of the most significant moments in Scottih history.
It was a battle between King Robert Bruce and the English King Edward II and it was won rather unexpectedly by the Scots. The English numbered 20,000, the Scots 8000. It would seem the difference was that the English were a bit pooped after marching from Berwick and the Scots were well trained. But even so, it was still quite a victory for the Scots!
The result of this battle secured Robert Bruce as king of Scotland and then 14 years later the war ended with England recognizing Robert Bruce as king of Scotland and Scotland as an independent nation.
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle is one of the largest and most important castles in Scottish history and has an exhausting (to read) historic timeline! That's my cue for you to just google it! We arrived at the castle gate too late to go inside but we did get to walk around the outside areas within the walls.
It's an amazing building looking over vast and lovely countryside giving a clear view of the famous Wallace Monument which celebrates William Wallace (1270-1305) who was the leader of the resistance forces during the early years of the struggle for independence.
Coming down from the heights of the castle we strolled around the town of Stirling which is quite lovely. The usual: cool old buildings, etc. 😎
Stirling was indeed a highlight for we 4 Fergusons years ago. Evan and Sami were quite young at the time but the castle was wonderful as you describe. We also enjoyed meeting a Canadian couple in a Stirling cafe reminding us what a small world it can be. We even have a story about breaking our car out of the castle parking lot after it had been locked for the day. So glad this was part of your journey Jill - a special place indeed.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, your blogs were wonderful. I enjoyed every one of them. It's like we are on the journey with you. It will be nice to have you home but I will miss reading your blogs.
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