pmsumner

On Saturday (yesterday), when we eventually got up (I swear if I have to be awoken at 0630 in the future, let it be by the lovely lady beside me and not that alarm clock), I suggested a trip out. As nice as it is to spend all day doing nothing much and enjoying each other's company, it's only Jane's 2nd foray into Scotland. Shocking.

There were a number of options, but I suggested Stirling castle. I considered Edinburgh but it's a Saturday, in or around festival season, on a hot summer's day. It would be disgustingly busy in the capital. After bacon butties (ohhhh - Safeway's "The Best" or something range, pricey but SOOOO worth it), we jumped in the car and drove there.

I parked in the city centre. Chiefly because I know how to get to those car parks *smiles*. Now anyone who knows anything about castles, knows that they're up hills.

Ow.
My legs hurt :)
Still.

It's a great example of a Scottish castle, in fabulous condition. Lots of restoration work done on it, which I am in two minds about. I sometimes wish they would leave these places in their original state, rather than try to "restore" them... interesting stuff on tapesries, a beautiful walk along the walls. Views for miles, literally as far as your eyes can see.

Stirling castle is built on a solitary "hummock", an outcrop of rock. For probably 10-15 miles in most directions it's flat. You can see everything, and imagining back to the 1600s, you can just see hordes of English knights, horsemen, bowmen, infantry and cavalry storming across the flat land to take the castle, to take King James. It's amazing.

Castles are fabulous :) Though Jane seems to know a heck of a lot more about them than I expected. I didn't realise that she was so knowledgable!

The walk back was pleasant. The sun had gone in and the temperature was coming steadily down. Leaving the castle we figured out that the big stage setup outside the castle was for Runrig, appears to be a 30th anniversary gig. That would explain why there were so many people wearing Runrig t-shirts wandering around the castle, eh?

I love Stirling. It's a pretty city. There's an awesome pasty shop :) There's the castle, the views, and the drive there and back is stunning as long as you avoid the M80 route. It's much nicer to come back through Balloch. If it hadn't been getting late-ish, I would have loved to stop at Loch Lomond but I think we were both really exhausted :) Besides - it's always good to have things to do "next time".