For our first full day in Scotland we decided to drive to Stirling and visit the William Wallace Monument and Stirling Castle. It took about an hour to drive there from Dumbarton and the drive was beautiful. There is nothing in the world like driving thru the Scottish Countryside.
Upon arriving at the William Wallace Monument we paid for tickets to go to the top of the tower. It was a cold and windy day and the monument was pretty empty with only a few others wandering around. We decided to walk up the hill to the monument instead of taking the shuttle.
We entered the tower and started climbing the 246 steps to the top. There are three rooms to rest in the way to the top. Each room recounts the history behind William Wallace and the monument itself.
At the top the views are fantastic. Of course the day we went it was very, very windy so we did not stay up there for very long. 
After visiting the monument we headed over to Stirling Castle. Before entering we grabbed some lunch in the cafe.
We then joined up with a tour that was included with our tickets into the castle. Our tour guide was amazing! He was a great story teller and you could tell that he loved his job and the castle. 
Stirling Castle is famous in Scotland and was the site of major conflict through the years. It has a rich history intertwined with Scottish and English, Kings and Queens.
The kids enjoyed touring the castle also. The staff had a couple of activities that the girls took part in and it infused some extra fun into the learning aspect of the day.
We had a great day of exploring and really enjoyed seeing the historic side of Scotland. The beauty of the land along with the landmarks that are still alive today filled with their history really make a trip to see them worth it. Now I just have to study more of their history to fully understand all the background information. Good thing I love history!
Around the World with the Love of Five 