my favorite

If you were to ask me what my favorite thing we did in Scotland was - it was this:
exploring Stirling Castle.

the view from street level: can you see it way up there?

It was about 30 minutes from Perth (the city we stayed in) and totally worth the trek.

It sat way high above the city of Stirling. 

And it was not a palace (I've seen plenty of those before) - very little parading through gawking at priceless treasures owned by kings & queens. 
It was a fortified stone castle (that changed hands 13 times between the English and the Scots).



 And it was absolutely worth exploring. 


Yes, there were other tourists there (in fact, there were probably a few hundred) but it was so enormous that for most of the time it felt like we had the place to ourselves.
And a castle to yourself, well, that's a pretty awesome thing!



We gazed at gardens


looked down at the city


viewed the William Wallace monument sitting atop an opposing hill

(the monument is the tall white-looking tower in the distant middle)

peered through all sorts of peepholes, doors and lookouts,

we even got to hear the Scottish youth corale sing in the Chapel - absolutely gorgeous!!


3 happy, castle explorers! 

we stayed until closing time 

and getting out the tiny door that sat in the larger castle door was an especially great exit!