Where Scotland's history turned — Stirling Castle, Wallace Monument, and the gateway to the Highlands
Stirling is the historic heart of Scotland — the city that controlled the Highland/Lowland divide and thus whoever controlled Scotland itself. Stirling Castle sits on a volcanic crag where six Scottish kings and queens were born or crowned, including Mary Queen of Scots. The Wallace Monument on Abbey Craig commemorates William Wallace's 1297 victory at Stirling Bridge, and the field at Bannockburn is just 2 miles away where Robert the Bruce secured Scottish independence in 1314. The Old Town winds up the hill below the castle in cobbled closes and medieval buildings.
Stirling's strategic position — the lowest crossing point of the River Forth before it widens into the Firth — meant that for centuries whoever held Stirling Bridge held Scotland. The Battle of Stirling Bridge (1297), where William Wallace and Andrew Moray destroyed a much larger English army, and the Battle of Bannockburn (1314), where Robert the Bruce decisively defeated Edward II's army, were both fought within sight of the castle. Stirling Castle itself was one of the most fought-over strongholds in European history, changing hands eight times between Scotland and England.