Robert the Bruce statue at Bannockburn, Stirling

May 2015

is in many ways the heart as well as the centre of Scotland. It's the site of several crucial battles, including Bannockburn (24th June 1314) where Robert the Bruce defeated an English army under Edward II.

Its castle dominates the city and the Wallace Memorial a mile or two on the other side is also prominent. Walking through the town there are informative plaques and information boards describing the history.

I took Walking World walk 2938 which lead me to the old jail, the castle, statues of Rob Roy, Rabbie Burns, Campbell-Bannerman, the Beheading Stone, the Wallace Memorial and the Abbey at Cambuskenneth where James III and Margaret of Denmark are buried.

This was an active and interesting walk for anyone interested in Scottish history.

These cannons are genuine, though their placement is for effect rather than to defeat invading English. The stone under the metal cover is thought to be the original "beheading stone" where miscreants lost their lives - and their heads.

The Wallace Monument commemorates William Wallace, one of the leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in September 1297.