Stirling

Our second stop in Scotland is Stirling, which Rick Steves refers to as a mini-Edinburgh. Our room is high up in a B&B near the castle. We have a sweeping view.




Our first day in town we visited Stirling Castle, former home of Mary Queen of Scots and a string of Jameses, including Mary's son James VI, who became James I of England in 1603. The way in includes plenty of stairs--Stirling is hilly.








The large main hall was for entertaining guests and making impressive entrances.





The outer walls offer spectacular--and strategically helpful--views of the surrounding countryside.












The interior of the castle is mostly rather spare although in the royal chambers there are impressive murals and tapestries.






















Our second day in Stirling we walked around town to see the sights and to take advantage of the "pedestrianized" sections.






We spent time at the handsome and fascinating Church of the Holy Rood. This was where James VI was crowned.











Above the alter the carved head of a jester sticks his tongue out...


... at the king.




In the mid-17th century there was a disagreement that split the congregation into warring camps. So, they put up a wall to split the church in half. Incredibly, that wall remained up for about 250 years, right into the 20th century!
















Afterward, we stopped at a tiny cafe nearby for a light lunch, then walked to the Old Kirkyard cemetery.














Our final stop of the afternoon was the King's Knot, a large field and raised earthen works that were planted with gardens when the royals were in residence. The Knot lies below and outside the castle walls.








On our way back to our room we came upon this statue of Rob Roy.


Tonight we'll look for a pub with traditional music. Tomorrow: Edinburgh.


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