Day 16 - Day trip to Stirling.

We began our day by taking a trip to Stirling. We visited Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument in order to better understand the Scottish identity and the meaning of independence to the Scottish people.

Stirling Castle was sweet! It was certainly the most intact castle we have seen yet. It was a very strategic castle and Mary Queen of Scots was crowned there. Several sieges of the castle took place, but the last one was with Bonnie Prince Charlie who did so unsuccessfully. I had a great time exploring the castle, but I was bummed that half of it was undergoing renovations and restoration.

Our next stop took us to the Wallace Monument that celebrated the Scottish hero William Wallace. We took a considerable hike up a steep hillside to get to the monument then climbed 242 steps to the top of the monument in a cramped spiral staircase. The top of the monument was incredibly windy, making it difficult to stand. We climbed back down the monument, stopping to take a look at his sword and some information about Wallace.

We held a meeting at the bottom of the monument, discussing what Wallace meant to the people and what Stirling represented to them as well. It's all a way of understanding the nationalist movements that have received fuel in recent years.

Our final stop before heading back to Edinburgh landed us at Doune Castle, the site of the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Several of us are Monty Python enthusiasts and were excited when Dr. Cartrite showed up with coconuts in hand and trotting around. We made our way through the castle with them, receiving odd looks from some of the other classmates, but that was definitely the highlight of the day!

Tomorrow: Edinburgh Castle, National Museum, and Parliament!