donna

Hi, <BR>Since we have kids with us who have watched Braveheart many times over, should we see Stirling Castle on our way to the Highlands from Glasgow. It looks pretty direct to get there. <BR>I saw mentioned in another travel brochure a "Braveheart" tour -- anyone familiar with this? <BR>Thanks! <BR>Donna <BR> <BR>

Judy

Donna - <BR>Just got back last week from Scotland & England. We did Stirling Castle and I think since your kids have seen & enjoyed the movie, then you should definitely go. They'll probably get a real kick out of it. It's not far from Glasgow, and there is a monument to Robert the Bruce, and William Wallace (Braveheart) a little ways away. (you can see it in the hills from the castle). There are guides available for tours - I would suggest you wait for one as they are very informative about the grounds and such. I'm sure your kids will have tons of questions for them. Also, and I'm sure you probably know this, but not everything happened the way it did in the movie - they glorified some things just to make it more interesting. (and Braveheart was much taller than Mel Gibson!) <BR> <BR>Still, it's interesting enough with lots of old, creepy history. <BR> <BR>As far as the "Braveheart" tour, I'm not familiar with this. Possibly it's one that takes you directly to his monument. <BR> <BR>I hope this has helped you. Have a great trip.

Cathy

Donna, <BR>Sorry to disappoint you but Braveheart was actually filmed in Ireland and the castle used is TRim Castle (1 hr from Dublin) in Co Meath. They do Braveheart tours around the castle. It has nothing to do with Robert Bruce but the tax incentives and the film industry conditions were more favourable in Ireland than in the UK at the time of filming. <BR> <BR>Once again sorry to disappoint, <BR> <BR>Cathy

Sheila

Donna; <BR>I didn't have the enrgy for last night's smart ass answer; so today's polite one is...Do take you kids to see the castle; and if they are inteested in the period, take them to the visitoe centre at Bannckburn nearby. <BR> <BR>But as Candy says, it's not the right castle, the Bridge of the battle was destroyed and the modern one is not it, and don't confuse Hollywood with history. Apart from the fact that Wallace wasn't Australian, the story took place in Scotland, he, for sure, never met the daughter of the King of England. You could read a little history before you get here. Happy to send something if you like. <BR> <BR>None of which means it wasn't a great movie!

steve

I second the idea of going to the nearby Wallace Monumnet and going up to the top. Some interesting exhibits on the floors on the way up. <BR> <BR>There are also other, smaller castles nearby -we saw Castle Doune (Monty Python filmed there) and Castle Campbell

greg

We watched Braveheart and also went to the Stirling Castle. The scenery of the movie had nothing to do with the real castle as others have said. <BR> <BR>What our kids liked about this castle was the kitchen. Unlike other castles we visited, this one recreated how the kitchen would have looked like during its days with food and people doing their chores.

Elaine

donna, <BR>Just returned from trip to England and Scotland with my kids (10, 12 and 14). DEFINTELY GO TO Stirling Castle. It was wonderful ! We actually went to Bannockburn first and saw the battlefield that William Wallace (Braveheart) fought the english on and in the distance you can see Stirling Castle. Then we drove to the Castle. It was great. Never mind that the actual movie was not filmed there. This is the actual castle that he was trying to defend. History is much cooler than Hollywood! <BR>Go, and soak up the history ! <BR>-Elaine

Sheila

Elaine, <BR> <BR>I'm sorry to be a smart ass, but Wallace was not at Bannockburn; that was Bruce. Wallace was captured by the English after thabattle of Stirling Bridge in 1296 (Bannockburn was 1314), taken to London and hanged drawn and quartered. He was a commoner (unlike Bruce)and certainly never met an English princess. <BR> <BR>Good movie, tho'.

typo-king

Yeah, agree with you there Sheila, You are a smart ass.

wondering

Why is Sheila a smartass for correcting the (incorrect) information that Hollywood threw out there as fact in the movie Braveheart?

J.M.

Try this website, might be of some help: <BR> <BR>http://www.stirling.co.uk/

Jen

It was the king of England's daughter-IN-LAW that Wallace met in the movie, not daughter. Not that it makes any difference, but since we're talking about accuracy here...

Dave

Donna, <BR> <BR>Depending on your kids' attitude towards heights (and spiral staircases), you might also consider climbing the nearby Wallace Monument. <BR> <BR>Aside from several historical displays, the tower-like monument also contains Wallace's (5ft?) two-handed claymore. Pretty cool, even for a 30yo kid like me. <BR> <BR>There are great, if windy, views from the top of the tower - toward Stirling and also the Trossachs/Southern Highlands. Not only can you see the battlefields of Stirling Bridge and Bannockburn, but also the site where Kenneth MacAlpine defeated the Picts to establish the first Scottish dynasty - way back in the 9th century. I think it's really amazing that there's so much of a nation's history on display from a single viewpoint. <BR> <BR>(At least that's how I remember it from 2 years ago - but my faulty memory is bracing to be corrected <BR> <BR>Dave <BR>

Tony Hughes

Sheila <BR>smart-ass you may be but Mel Gibson is, in fact, American. Born there then his family moved to Australia. So there. <BR> <BR>Donna, do visit the small town of Wallacestone near Falkirk. Absolutely nothing to do with anything but it's a cute little place.

Sheila

Tony; whilst i wish I had never got into this (after all I'm struggling to think of anything I care about much less)if I might quote some guy named Hughes off a different thread, "Check his passport". <BR> <BR>He's been there since the age of 12, is an Australian citizen, and lives there still. I'm not sure that this is an issue in my life however, so if you want to claim him for the US, feel free. Wallace wasn't American either.

Tony Hughes

Sheila, after discussion with my father, currently studying Scots history @ St andrews, he tells me Wallace was born near Appomattox, Virginia and emigrated after his parents fell out. He caught the Mayflower back (on its return journey), lied to passport control at Stranraer and was able to convince both Mary Stuart and Rizzio that he was a true Scot. Canmore didn't buy it, of course, but by that time he was busy fighting the Bosch and handing out colonies to everyone he could think of. Nuff said.

XXX

I don't understand why Sheila is getting the heat here. Anyway, thanks for the info on the castle, we are thinking of going to Scotland in October, and we will now make it a point to go to Stirling Castle. Thanks!!