Some Places We Missed: Wallace Monument

'This is the truth I tell you:
of all things freedom’s most fine.
Never submit to live, my son,
in the bonds of slavery entwined.’

The week after our visit to Stirling Castle, Gram was kind enough to volunteer to take us out on our field trip. This trip took us to another historical site in Stirling, the Wallace Monument. As you can guess from the name, this is a national monument erected in honor of one of the patrons of Scottish freedom, Sir William Wallace. Now first and foremost you must put out of your mind the image of Braveheart that the name William Wallace conjures up. Yes, the movie Braveheart has made known to the wider world the story of Wallace's fight for freedom and is a good film; however, many liberties were taken with the film (like every other 'historical' film that is made) and it should not be looked to as an authority on the life of this man. Also, the Scottish accents in the film are dreadful. I suppose that's what you get when you mix an Aussie accent with an attempted Scottish one.

Wallace enters the pages of history in the year 1297. By this time much of Scotland was occupied by the English and the Scottish people were heavily taxed and oppressed by these usurpers. Things came to a boiling point in this year when Wallace killed the English Sheriff of Lanark, William Heselrig. The following years were filled with guerrilla warfare on the part of the Scots, led by Wallace and Andrew Murray. Murray had been leading a revolt in the north and brought his band of rebels southward to join Wallace's growing number of like minded men.

On September 11 of that year the most notable victory of Wallace's career occurred. The English army was making its way across Stirling Bridge in order to advance northward. Once half of the Englishmen had crossed, the Scottish rebels took out the bridge and slaughtered the English who had managed to get across. At the end of the day, 5000 Englishmen lay dead but the victory was bitter sweet for Wallace. His cohort, Murray, had been mortally wounded in the battle and died a few months later. After this stunning victory and unprecedented success of the revolt, England declared Wallace an outlaw while the Scots made him a knight.

After a year of this humiliation, King Edward I of England marched his forces north to meet the presumptuous Scottish forces that dared to challenge his claim to rule their land. Edward's forces captured Edinburgh and thrashed Wallace's forces at the Battle of Falkirk in April 1298. Following this defeat and a few dismal attempts that followed there after, Wallace resigned the post of Guardian of Scotland to a more politically minded man, Robert the Bruce.

William Wallace found himself now on a different side of warfare than he might have expected. He traveled to Europe serving as a diplomat for the Scottish cause. He visited various royal courts, particularly that of France, to draw support for the cause of the Scots. He received no such support and was indeed betrayed several times during his journeys. Wallace returned to Scotland in 1301 with the promise of French support that never came.

With no outside support, many Scottish nobles recognized Edward as their king in 1304 but Wallace refused. The very next year, William Wallace was betrayed and captured at Robroyston, near Glasgow. He was quickly transported to England to stand trial in Westminster Hall. Two charges were leveled against him: being an outlaw and a traitor. He simply stated that he could not be a traitor since Edward had never been his king. Nevertheless, he was found guilty and sentenced to a horrific death. I will spare you the details since I am sure my mother is reading this and does not want to know the particulars. In the end Sir William Wallace was beheaded and drawn-and-quartered. His head was placed on a pole on London Bridge while his body parts were strewn through out the land. Parts of him were sent to Newcastle, Berwick, Perth and Stirling. Edward wished this to be a message that he had destroyed the man but he had in fact strengthened the Scot's resolve to throw off once and for all the yoke of England. They would do so at a later date under there new king, Robert the Bruce.

The Wallace Monument was initiated in 1856 on top of Abbey Craig outside of Stirling. It was finished in 1869 and opened on the 572 year anniversary of Wallace's victory in the same town. To ascend the interior of the monument visitors much cautiously make their way up a narrow spiral staircase. This was all well and good for me until Graci observed while we were on the second floor that if there was a fire we'd surely never get out. On the first floor of the monument Wallace sword is displayed. This double handed sword had been preserved at Dunbarton Castle until the completion of the monument. It is a staggering 66 inches long and would no doubt live up to its name and require any wielder to use both hands. From the dimensions of the sword it had been deduced that William Wallace had to have been at least 6 foot 6 inches tall with arms like tree trunks. Within it's three interior levels it houses not only the story of Wallace's life and aim, but also tributes to other notable Scots such as Robert Burns, Dr Livingston, George Buchanan and John Knox. The top level of the monument gives way to a tremendous view of the surrounding hills and towns. I think William Wallace would have found this an appropriate feature to his monument: the opportunity for all to stand and behold his beloved Scotland for miles in every direction. This was the country for which he fought and died, and a country he thought worthy to do so for.

That day we also attempted to visit Cambuskenneth Abbey. This abbey is located near the castle and is where James III and his wife Margaret of Denmark were laid to rest. However, when we got there we found that it was closed for the winter months and we had to settle for admiring it from afar. Not to be discouraged, we made our way closer to the castle so that we could explore the graveyard that abuts it. We got a better look at the Covenanter grave sites and monuments of the graveyard than we had from our previous visit to the castle. There was a monument to the Younger Margaret and her sister Agnes as well as several statues of different men who led the movement. Also, there was a pyramidal shaped monument dedicated to the Covenanters. When my mom was here she asked me if I now know more Scottish history than American history and I don't think so. I just find the thread of history very interesting and it excites me to see how it intertwines with other parts of history especially where you would not expect it: case in point Covenanter graves next to Stirling Castle.

https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/WallisMonument?authkey=Gv1sRgCKHpzKGMz_a1Bg#

Some Places We Missed: Stirling Castle

As I've already mentioned Stirling Castle in my adventures with my mom, here I will only seek to give some history of the castle. Stirling Castle's first contraction dates are unknown. It is first mentioned in history around the year 1110 when Kind Alexander I is said to have dedicated a chapel there. It remained in Scottish hands until 1174 when Richard I of England defeated King William I of Scotland. Richard demanded all the castles in Scotland be signed over to him however it remained uninhabited by the English afterwards. Many years later when the Wars of Scottish Independence began, the English occupied Stirling and held it as a military strong hold. After a year they were defeated and driven out of the castle by Sir Andrew Murray and William Wallace following the Battle of Stirling Bridge. The Scots were only able to hold the castle for a year before having to abandon it after an English victory at Falkirk. The Scots were not to be outdone and laid siege to the castle under Robert the Bruce. In 1299 the English garrison within was forced to surrender yet again. The castle exchanged hands throughout the Wars of Independence which lasted for sixty years. It was not until 1375 that the castle returned to and stayed in Scottish hands. The family name most associated with Stirling Castle is that of the Stewart monarchs. It was under the early Stewarts, such as Robert II and III, that the castle was built up and expanded. In 1424 Stirling Castle was made part of the marriage settlement between James I and Joan Beaufort. James gave the castle as a gift to his queen and it became tradition to do so in the Stewart family. After James was murdered in 1437, Joan and her young son James II sought refuge in the castle. James III was later born in the castle. The next four Stewart kings (all named James) greatly added to the castle to make it worthy of their great family. This contraction lasted from 1490 until the early 1600's. In 1543, following the death of James V, his baby daughter was brought to the castle for safety. She was crowned Mary, Queen of Scots, that year though she was still an infant.

Stirling remained the foremost residence of the Stewards until Mary's son James VI of Scotland became James I of England and took up residency in London. Afterwards, the castle became little more than a military fortress and only housed one last monarch, Charles II of Scotland. The castle was used as a prison at times, even housing some of the captured Covenanters. The Stewarts were falling out of power in England however so James VII decided to store huge supplies of gun powder at the castle. In the later Jacobite Rebellions, Stirling did not play a featured role. Edinburgh was now the seat of power and was desired by those wishing to rule Scotland. However, during the second Jacobite Rebellion in 1745, after being defeated at Edinburgh, Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Highland garrison retreated to Stirling Castle. They were easily defeated and were forced to flee further northward.

The castle then fell under a different ownership, that of the National War Office. From 1800 until 1964 the castle served as the barracks of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlander regiment. Naturally, many of the grand rooms were converted into hospitals, mess halls, and powder magazines. The castle is in fact still the headquarters of the Highlanders but the regiment is not garrisoned there anymore. Efforts have been made since the 1960's to restore Stirling Castle to its former glory. Many of the lodgings and halls have been refurbished, the art work salvaged and, recently, the tapestries preserved. The Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries have been completely restored and now hang in the Queen's Presence Chamber. It is predicted that all construction at Stirling Castle should be finished by 2014.

https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/Stirling?authkey=Gv1sRgCLaI4fzSrfG91wE#

Some Places We Missed: Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond is the third largest body of fresh water in the UK. It stretches from Balloch in the Central Belt to Ardui in the Highlands. The Loch stands as one of the great natural wonders carved out by glaciers during the Ice Age and contains sixty islands. Loch Lomond is even featured in a traditional Scottish Song "Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond" the chorus of which is:

Oh, ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,
And I'll be in Scotland afore ye;
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

It seems that everyone after seeing God's handiwork that is Loch Lomond is inspired to convey it's grandeur in some way.

https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/LochLomond?authkey=Gv1sRgCMCGwcGF5b7yoAE#

Some Places We Missed

Hello all! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the States. My apologies to you all for being so behind in my posting. This week I will most certainly catch you all up on the parts of Scotland that I have visited. Some places I have posted the pictures to in the past but I did not say anything about them so I am seeking to rectify your curiosity about the lovely images you have seen. The sites I hope to describe to you are Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle, Wallace Monument, Castle Campbell and Dollar, Glenco and the Pollock Country Park and Burrell Museum in Glasgow. All right, here we go!

Adventures with Mama Chris Part IV: Visit to the Capital

The final day in our journeys led us to the capital city of Scotland. We boarded the train yet again Thursday morning but this time we went in the opposite direction than we had the rest of the week. Our destination was the city of Edinburgh this day. For everyone reading this from America, please know that the name of this city is not pronounced like it is spelled. It is in fact pronounced Edinbura. If you were to say "Edinburgh" here people would look at you funny and definitely know that you were American (if your accent didn't already give that away).

In Edinburgh, the only site we were set to visit was the Castle. This castle still serves its original purpose in housing the royal family when they are in Scotland. It also is the site of various festivals and military services throughout the year.Like Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle is located at the top of a hill overlooking the city. It seems like all the streets in the town angle up to the castle in the same way that they say "all roads lead to Rome." Uniquely though, Edinburgh Castle sits atop an extinct volcano. It is the most expansive of the castles I have visited in my abroad to be sure. The oldest part of the castle is the Saint Margaret's Chapel which was built in 1251 AD by King David I. Though every castle has cannons, Edinburgh Castle has Mons Meg, a super gun (called by some the Atomic Bomb of its time). Since the royal family still lays claim to this castle it is no wonder why it is the home to the Scottish crown jewels. Sorry, no pictures are allowed of the actually crown jewels but it was very interesting to see the history of this part of Scottish heritage and what all it represents.

One of the buildings within Edinburgh Castle is the Scottish National War Memorial. This cavernous building lays near the heart of the Castle and hold the records of military personnel starting in the early 1900's. This was another building where pictures are not allowed to taken. Inside various regiments are honored with displays of their regiment coat and a full listing of the personnel in that regiment throughout the years. This was Remembrance Week in Scotland; this is much like Veterans Day or Memorial Week in America. People purchase and wear poppies around to show their support of those who are serving and have served in the armed forces. Visiting the War Memorial during this week was particularly special for me, being a foreigner, to remind me what the week was about. The military is honored in various ways throughout the castle through paintings, representations of weapons through the years and even a grave yard for military dogs.

After we toured through the castle we tried to make our way to Princess Street. I had been to Edinburgh before but much of the city was under construction. Much of what I usually gaged my whereabouts off of I did not recognize and long story short we were lost for about an hour. Finally we set our selves straight and got to where we needed to go. Somehow we got done with everything we set out to do about an hour earlier than we had anticipated. We needed to be back in Airdrie by six that evening because we had been invited over to the Pastor Andrew's house for dinner. We enjoyed having dinner with all six of the Quigly's that evening and the time of family worship held afterwards. It felt strange to see my mom here with everyone I have befriended in these past three months. God certainly blessed my mother's trip and we had a wonderful time. She speculated soon before leaving the next morning where she would have to travel next to visit me. I guess we all will just have to wait and see.

https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/EdinburghCastle?authkey=Gv1sRgCMiZjJzt9dmnCg#5673494772307922002

Adventures with Mama Chris Part III: Stirling when it....rains

Wednesday marked the third day of our sojourning through the land of the Scots. We set out this morning for Stirling. The journey to Stirling by train is only about an hour which was a considerable improvement after Monday's trail ride. Getting to Stirling was only half the battle we found. Like most Castles, Stirling Castle sits at the top of a hill in the middle of town. I only call this a hill because geographical jargon prohibits me from calling it a mountain. We hiked uphill from the train station to the castle entrance, quite a way to spend your morning. After purchasing our Explorer Pass (ensuring our entrance into Stirling Castle, Argyll's Lodging, Edinburgh Castle and a few other land marks) we lingered in the front of the castle for a while. The reason for this was because we were told the tour of Argyll's Lodging would start in about twenty minutes. As it turned out, the times for the tour of the Lodging had been pushed back a half an hour. After figuring this out we made our way a little further into the castle, remarking at the display of the timeline of the goings on in and around Stirling Castle as well as the view thereof.

We joined the tour that led us out of the castle and down the hill to Argyll's Lodging. The castle was an example of how royalty lived and the Lodging was an example of how a nobleman lived. Argyll's Lodging was first the home of John Traill, a successful business man. Construction on this house began in the late 1590's and originally It began as a two story house. In 1629 it passed into the hands of Sir William Alexander, Lord of Stirling. Sir William was the tutor to the Earl of Argyll as well as Prince Charles (later King Charles I). Being so well connected proved a gift and a curse to the first Lord Stirling. He was granted tracts of land in what is now Nova Scotia and northern parts of the fledgling American Colonies. the entirety of Long Island was once in his possession as well. As intelligent as this man was, his business sense was rudimentary. Unable to keep up with his debtors, the Earl was forced to sell off many of his claims to land in the new world. In 1640 he died and his home stood vacant for twenty years. Though Sir William Alexander was able to extend upon the building that he lived in in Stirling, it did not achieve it's current glory until it was bought by the man who it now owes its namesake to. It was in 1660 that the 9th Earl of Argyll, Archibald Campbell, was looking for a new residency that would put him squarely between his properties in the north and the south. He came to Stirling and saw the potential in this vacant house. It was much too plain for a great man to live in; and the Earl of Argyll fancied himself a very great man. He added on to the house the enclosed the courtyard behind a screen wall with an elaborate entrance gate. Greater kitchen areas and halls were added to accommodate the residence and guests of the house as well. In 1680, there was much civil unrest in England and Scotland. Noting his precarious position, the Earl had a full inventory of his house drawn up and turned over to his wife. The Lady of the house kept excellent records of the house and its contents which have made for an easier time for those seeking to restore the house. Once again the house stood empty, forsaken by its former master until it was needed. Much of the interior of the house was painted over or discarded in the 1880's when the house was converted into a military hospital. Later, it was utilized by the town as a youth hostile. Seeing the building's historical significance, Scotland's Historical Society has sought to restore the lodging's former glory. Argyll's records and the fact that most of the house was perfectly preserved has aided their efforts to recommission the lodging that sits in the shadow of the Castle.

Departing from the Lodging and going back up the hill, we properly started our tour of Stirling Castle. We weaved our way through the Great Hall, Chapel, kitchens, and living quarters of the King and Queen. Stirling Castle has several actors placed throughout who give visitors historical background to the building they are exploring in such a way that it is not easily forgotten. My mother and I came upon one such actor in the Queen's Chamber. She said she was the nurse to the infant Queen Mary of Scots. She described to us much of the goings on of the court and the everyday life of persons in that time period. For example, it was well known in that time that John Knox was not thought very highly of in the royal courts. This 'lady' described him to us as a dower faced old crow whose heretical views were sure to get him into much trouble in the not too distant future. I couldn't help but laugh when she said this.

This was the only day of our week that mom was able to experience proper Scottish weather. Indeed, near the end of our visit to Stirling Castle it began to rain. This was not like the rainstorms that we get at home but just the gentle, though cold, rain that frequents this island. Our visits to castles through the week were in an interesting order (not counting Inverness Castle). First we saw Urquhart Castle which is now a collection of ruins. Second we visited Stirling Castle which is wonderfully preserved but not used for its intended purposes. The last castle we were set to visit is still, in ever sense, in use.

https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/StirlingII?authkey=Gv1sRgCLevps-Mr6bSbw#

Adventures with Mama Chris Part II: Kicked out of the friendliest city

On day two of our Scotland experience, we did not wake up until 11. Since we were just going to Glasgow, which is about twenty-five minutes away on the train, we did not feel the need to rush. I purposefully planed the week this way so that we did not get too burnt out trying to get where we needed to go. In Glasgow, I took mom to St Giles Cathedral. We explored the cavernous building that afternoon. Even though I had been there before, there was so much I discovered that I had missed on my first visit. After making our way through the tunnels and sanctuaries of the cathedral we departed filled with a sense of awe.

Right beside the cathedral is St Mungo's Museum of Religion. I thought why not stop in there on our way back into the city. Inside this museum, artifacts have been collected from numerous religions all over the globe. We saw Muslim prayer beads and prayer mats, statues of Shiva, and Latin Catholic prayer books. Each religion was set up in the midst of all the others so they might be compared and contrasted easily. There was a small section of the display that pertained to the spreading of religion. The latter half of it described the mission efforts of the Christian church and how they have destroyed other cultures. Being a missions major, I was able to appreciate the cultural aspect of the religious paraphernalia. At the same time however, my heart broke for all those who are lost in this world. This religious display proved two things: first, man is and always has been in search of God; second, the world has reduced Christianity (at best) to one such way to find God.

Back in the city, we made our way through the various streets and shops. For dinner we stopped into Pizza Hut. Now, before my fellow Americans shake their heads at the fact that we visited this restaurant chain, they should take into consideration how differently such restaurants work over here as opposed to home. For example, I had never had pizza from Pizza hut with portobello mushrooms, chicken, blue cheese and balsamic vinegar in Pennsylvania. After dinner, we decided to do some more shopping and would have for a while if the city had not kicked us out. For some reason, nearly all the shops in Glasgow shut down at 6 in the evening. This left us with nothing to do but board the train home. It had been a good day though and going home a bit earlier was beneficial since we had to set alarms for the next morning. No sleeping until noon anymore.

https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/GlasgowII?authkey=Gv1sRgCJy8452zlcz2ngE#

Adventures with Mama Chris Part I: Search for Nessie

Fall Break for the SIS students began after theology class Friday, the 4th. We all spent that night celebrating the induction of Deacons and Elders and the calling of the Reverend Kenneth Stewart with the Glasgow RP Church. The next day, however, Graci and I pealed ourselves out of bed at 4:30 a.m. Why you ask...because we both had to be to the airport to pick up travelers arriving on the 6:30 a.m. plane from Newark. Yes everyone, Chris McFall is in the building...or country rather. Graci's friend Gerri also came over to spend the break and roam the UK with her. After getting back to the manse and some short naps, we all set out on a grand tour of Airdrie. Gerri and Graci had to leave us soon afterward. They were starting out their break in London and had another plane to catch in the afternoon. Mom and I did not do much that day and it was wonderful. We bummed around Airdrie and made carbonara pasta for dinner. The next day was Sunday which meant we went to church, of course. The church family extended an extremely warm welcome to my mother, including counting her travel among the prayer points for the week, announcing at the start of the service that she was there, and giving thanks for her in the prayer. After church, Grant and Yvonne hosted hospitality. Those of us who they were kind enough to feed were myself, my mom, Casey, Josh, and the Reverend David Karoon and his wife. Some of you will remember that Reverend Karoon was the pastor called to the Storonaway church from Singapore. Grant and Yvonne made us stuffed chicken and vegetables for lunch but we could not quite figure out what the chicken was stuffed with. Afterwards, I asked Grant what it was and sure enough, it was haggis. We attended evening service that night as well. Once we got home we went to bed early knowing that we had a full day ahead of us for Monday.

Monday morning, my alarm went off at 4:30 a.m. yet again. We had a train to catch at 6:30 and couldn't be late. The train ride from Glasgow to Inverness was timed by the Lord perfectly. It was completely dark when we boarded the train but as we journeyed north we saw the sun come up and uncover the Scottish highlands. The burnt oranges, reds and yellows of autumn competed with the white rigid frost that clung to the patches of ground that had not been touched by the sun yet. Even though it was about three hours on the train, it was well worth it. We even saw some highland cows on the way.

After trying for over two months to not look like a tourist, I gave up that facade in Inverness and walked around with map in one hand and camera in the other. We successfully navigated our way around Inverness to all the major sites and found some minor ones along the way. We visited Inverness Castle, Inverness Cathedral, and St. Mary's Church. Figures that my mom and I would travel across the ocean only to end up back in St Mary's. While taking pictures of the town I realized that the suspension bridge that I was standing in front of was the same suspension bridge that I had sketched in art class last spring. My mom asked me if I was sure if it was the same one to which I replied "That sketch took me two months, yes I'm sure."

As the day progressed we found ourselves unable to answer the burning question: How do we get to the Loch? We had bus passes but were at a loss as to which bus to get on where. Enter Jacobite Tours. Upon enquiring at the travel station as to how to get to the Loch, they pointed us to Jacobite Tours. This was a bus ride through town, down to the Loch, boat ride onto the Loch ending at Urquhart Castle and a return ride to town on the bus. We jumped on this opportunity. The bus didn't leave for a little while though so we ate lunch at Charlie's Cafe where my mom was asked the strangest question ever: "Do you want milk with coffee or coffee with milk?" Perplexed, she ordered coffee with milk. Finally it was time to head out to the Loch. On the bus with us were people from the Czech Republic, Sweden, Italy, Australia, England as well as some other Americans.

The first sighting of a monster in Loch Ness was in 565 A.D. by a christian group, led by St Columba, who had traveled over from Ireland to spread the gospel. Their boat had begun to drift from shore after they had landed and one of the men jumped into the water to swim after it. Before he could do so, he was attacked by a monster. St Columba made the sign of a cross and prayed to God and the monster relented then disappeared. Since then there have been countless sightings of the monster, supposed pictures taken of it and even some scientific expeditions launched to find out just what is under that black water (the waters of Loch Ness are indeed black because the peat from the hills runs off with all the rain water into it). Our boat was not one such expedition but was destined for Urquhart Castle. Like most of the castles in Scotland today, this castle lays in ruins. Ideally placed on the banks of the Loch amidst the surrounding hills, in its day Urquhart Castle must have been a sight to behold. It had once belonged to the Grant Clan of the highlands. However, when Bonnie Prince Charlie raised a rebel army to take on William of Orange and reconstitute a Stuart monarchy, Urquhart Castle had cause for concern. Among one of the prominent highland castles, Urquhart would no doubt come under Jacobite attack, if not control, at some point. After being ordered to hold the castle from the Jacobites at all costs but being ill equipped, the Grants saw no other option but to blow up the castle. Lighting the fuse, the Grants marched out of the castle for the last time. As we set out on the boat the sun began to set and by the time we left the sky was painted with oranges and pinks.

We boarded the train home at 6:43 and thought we would have an uneventful ride home. Little did we know that our train was running behind. We had to switch trains in Perth to get back to Glasgow but they could only hold the train for us for so long. The attendant took all of us hopping trains to the last car and explained to us that we would have two minutes to cross three platforms and catch the train. Once the doors opened in Perth, twelve of us ran into the station and frantically searched for Platform 1. After crossing over two platforms I may have had a heart attack. While standing over Platform 1 I looked down and there was no train. I knew that the next train wouldn't be for about forty-five minutes. None the less we walked on to Platform 1 and read the train times to see how long we would have to wait. Much to my relief, the train we were supposed to be catching was also running late and we had beat it by five minutes. At last we returned to the house in Airdrie at 11:15 p.m. Needless to say there were no alarms set for Tuesday morning.

https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/Inverness?authkey=Gv1sRgCIGo5_yVwJPm-QE#