The William Wallace Monument

Proclaimed the Guardian of the Realm at a time when the English had installed a puppet government, William Wallace is Scotland’s national hero. His victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge is considered one of the greatest moments in Scottish history. It is the story in the movie Braveheart except they left out the bridge, which is kind of like making a movie about the Boston Tea Party and leaving out the tea. It was all about the bridge. The photo of the map in the museum shows how important the Stirling Bridge was to Scotland at the time. This was a very full day of Scottish history. I’m so impressed with how well it has been preserved. I met a woman in the gift shop who just retired. She looked younger than me. She worked the emergency phone lines for the NHS for 30 years and now just has this great little job selling tchotchkes twice a week at the national monument. She seemed quite happy. I could see myself doing something like that.Read more