Discover Britain - Wallace Monument

30th November -0001

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Two miles norrt of the city of Sterling, the Wallace monument rises some 220 feet out of the Abbey Craig. Completed in 1869, after eight yers construction, to celebrate the life of a national hero, it now attracts thousands of visitors, every year, who come to walk, discover a little bit of Scotland and learn about the Hero who saved the Scots from the English

In 1297, William Wallace (Known to the Video Generation as Braveheart)watched the English soldiers cross the Stirling bridge before he led the Scots into battle and Victory on the very spot where the monument stands, today. After this battle, he was named Guardian of Scotland.

The English soldiers had massacred and raped the Scots for years, prior to this, and Wallace and a band of men (mostly Civillians) were fighting for their freedom from the brutal English rule. None of them ever sought Fame or Fortune, and most, if not all of them were killed before Scotland was freed from Edward Longshanks' cruel laws.

Visitors to the monument leave their cars at the foor of the Abbey Craig and embark on a pleasant walk up to the monument itself. (A minibus service is available for those who do not like to walk)

If you pause in the entrance foyer, you will learn about the construction of the monument and how it was funded, back in the 1860s.

On the first floor, there is a display, telling the story of the National Hero himself, and you will even get to see the 5'4" long Broadsword that Wallace himself used in battle.

At the top of the monument, some 246 steps, and over 220' up, there are magificent views of the country which William Wallace fought to free. the north you are immediately struck by the closest of the Ochil Hills, Dumyat. East is the Forth Valley, with the river itself snaking away into the distance. To the south is the historic city of Stirling, dominated by its Castle. To the west are the Trossachs and Loch Lomond and, on a clear day, a far-reaching panorama of many of the southern highlands' most striking mountains.