Tuesday 12th July 2011 – Edinburgh to Stirling

A morning walk to Cramond on the ocean.  There were mud flats out to Cramond Island (low tide) and also a walkway (I mile long).  We didn't walk out to the island as the tide was just turning.  Lots of ducks (and crows).  The small village of Cramond was on an inlet and very popular with the boating community – lots of boats sitting in the low tide mud with a couple of white swans swimming around (and lots of ducks).

Back to the caravan park to pack up and set off to Stirling Castle.

 

Stopped at Costa Coffee after having lunch in the motor home.  The large coffee was ‘huge’.  Called at the information centre and got some information on Stirling then took the park and ride to the castle.  

As part of the entrance fee, we were provided with headphones for an audio tour.  It was very well done and provide great background information on the castle.  Stirling is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland. 

The castle sits atop Castle Hill and is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs, giving it a strong defensive position. Most of the buildings of the castle date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Several Scottish Kings and Queens have been crowned at Stirling, including Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1543. There have been at least eight sieges of Stirling Castle, including several during the Wars of Scottish Independence, with the last being in 1746, when Bonnie Prince Charlie unsuccessfully tried to take the castle.

Back to the Park and Ride and off to the Witches Craig caravan park for the night (just east of Stirling).  It has an amazing backdrop of hills.