Royal appointment

Yesterday evening I was invited to the Palace and was presented to the Queen. That would be James V royal palace at Stirling Castle and the Queen was Mary of Guise.  More accurately she was the Dowager Queen and also Queen Regent to the infant, Mary Queen of Scots.

And how did I get to do that? No, I haven't learned to bend time yet (still working on that one!) but I did get an invitation to a preview before the public opening of the newly renovated Royal Apartments at Stirling Castle. All I can say is £12million definitely very well spent. It is simply sumptuous and I can't wait to go back as a visitor to wander round at my own pace and drink it all in again. (Last night I was forced to hurry off and drink in champagne instead. It's a hard life!)

For those who don't know, James V was the last of the Renaissance Kings in Scotland. He consolidated the Auld Alliance between Scotland and France and was responsible for the Renaissance Court at Stirling Castle, then the seat of Kings in Scotland - and commissioned a new set of Apartments at the Palace for him and his second wife, Mary. Sadly he died before his magnificent Royal Apartments at Stirling were finished, after losing the Battle of Solway Moss and left as his heir his infant daughter, Mary - only 6 days old. Hence, when you see the Apartments now the King's bed is unmade.

What the renovations at the Castle have done is take it back to our best estimates of how it would have looked at the time. Gone are the grey stone walls and draughty empty rooms. In their place are brightly coloured, ornate and flamboyant spaces - fit, indeed, for a King and Queen. The tapestries that have been woven on site at the Castle for the last few years are now hanging on the walls of the Queen's Presence Chamber. And the replicas of the famous Stirling Heads are now fully painted and installed on the ceiling of the King's Presence Chamber. Absolutely stunning! You can see the originals in the gallery above the Apartments - getting that close to historical artifacts is truly humbling.

There's plenty of fun to be had for the young at heart too - hands on exhibits and games in the basement, costumed actors explaining the history and helping you live the experience as you go round, and of course the fabulous Unicorn Cafe for when it all gets too much. As an added bonus, last night we were treated to a talk from one of the archaeologists who has been work on the restoration project and he brought to life some of the hidden history they've discovered along the way.

I've blogged before about what a wonderful place Stirling is to visit. There's tons to see and do. And now, well from this weekend, there's even more. Get yourself across here. I promise, you won't be disappointed!!

In Wallace's Shadow

Yesterday I decided to take advantage of the good weather and go off for a walk around Stirling. As ever, I took my camera with me and you can see my photos on my Flickr page. I decided to head for some of the areas I don't know so well and made for Riverside and Cambuskenneth. And what a good choice that turned out to be.

After walking through the city centre, past the shoppers on Port Street and heading for the The Thistles, I made for Stirling's new bridge which crosses the railway and joins the existing city to the new area being developed at Forthside.  Once across the bridge I headed for Riverside itself. Cunningly named, this area of the city is - you've guessed it - next to the River Forth. In fact, it's where the old port of Stirling used to be. It's hard to imagine Stirling as a port city with the river as silted up as it is now, but at one time it was a bustling trading centre and the port was a main transportation point.

When you're in Riverside you can't miss the river, although it's not at all obvious from the much of the rest of the city. At this point, the River Forth winds its way across the land in huge meanders, confusing the unknowing walker and constraining and directing the built landscape in all sorts of interesting ways.

From Riverside I crossed the Forth to Cambuskenneth and visited the Abbey there, which I discovered is the last resting place of King James III and his wife, Queen Margaret (one of the many Scottish Queen Margarets there have been through history!). Apparently they weren't a very popular couple!


One of the other delights I discovered in Cambuskenneth was a Provost's Lamp-post. I'd heard about these but never seen one yet. Tradition has it that when someone is elected Provost of Stirling they are entitled to have a special lamp-post erected outside their home, originally to allow the good burghers know where to find their elected representative, nowadays more likely as a status symbol (for the cynical) or mark of respect (for the less cynical).

And then it was back across the Forth to Riverside and a wander towards Stirling's other (and some would say, true) iconic bridge, passing Stirling Boat Club on the way and an interesting gem of a 1960's/70's concrete frieze hidden on the side of what looks like an old pumping or gas sub station by the river. The current Old Stirling Bridge dates from the 1500s when it would have been an important crossing point of the river. It isn't the same bridge that there was a battle about in 1297, which most likely a wooden structure and in a completely different place. Although not used for vehicles now, it does still stand close to the only traffic crossing of the River Forth within the city itself.

From Old Stirling Bridge I walked down to Causewayhead and stopped for coffee in Corrieri's, the first time I'd visited the much esteemed establishment, but certainly not the last. If I could eat pizza I would be there every week - the smell coming from the kitchen was truly inviting.

From Corrieri's it was a short walk to Bridge of Allan, a wander round the shops there, picking up a few goodies from Clive Ramsay's wonderful delicatessan, before heading back to Stirling on the train. And throughout the whole day's wander I was never far from the River or away from a view of the Wallace Monument or the Castle.

Stirling is an incredibly compact and eminently walkable city, I'm just amazed that more people don't do it more often. Want my advice? Want a weekend with a difference, book yourself into a hotel or B&B in or around Stirling, get your walking shoes on and enjoy a different pace of life in this amazing city!

Out and about in Stirling

Stirling Heads
Originally uploaded by bexybeads

Today was such a beautiful sunny winter morning that I decided to go for a stomp round Stirling with my camera. I'd forgotten that the replica Stirling Heads are on display at Stirling Castle so I got an extra bonus with my visit to the Castle.

In case you don't know, the Heads are modern but handcarved replicas of original ceiling bosses created for James V's Great Hall at Stirling Castle. As well as being able to see the replica carvings, there was also an exhibition about the process of re-creating them. Truly amazing craftsmanship.

(I'm also quite proud of the way this picture has captured the winter sunlight sneaking into the Great Hall)

Once the renovation work has been finished in the Castle's Royal Apartments, the replica heads will be used as part of the final decorations.

While I was at the Castle I also took the opportunity to visit the Tapestry Weaving workshop to see how the Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries are coming on. You can stand and watch as modern artisans weave replica tapestries based on ancient medieval designs, also destined for the renovated Royal Apartments when they're done.

The Castle wasn't the only place I visited on my morning stomp - plenty more pictures in my Flickr Photostream if you want a look.

It's a nice day ...

For a white wedding!

And it was too. On my latest trip home my big sis and I went for a walk around Aberdour Castle yesterday afternoon. It was looking beautiful in the late summer sunshine and made a wonderful setting for this wedding we spied.

It was really strange being there as grown ups - everything seemed smaller and the views seemed more open. And then we realised it was just because we were tall enough to see out of the windows properly!

This afternoon's adventure is a steam train trip around Fife, along the Forth to Stirling and back. Check later blog posts for pics and stories!

Looking for a shrubbery

Today we paid homage to the great Monty Python with a visit to Doune Castle, location for some of the filming of the epic Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Lots of silly singing followed, with one very confused and bemused 6 year old in tow. He religiously looked for shrubbery, rabbits, swallows and witches - but then declared he'd much rather go to Kings Park to play on the slides instead. I think Monty Python would have approved.

We did, however, see a Minstrel (who followed us round the castle, fortunately not commenting on our bravery or otherwise) and a pair of coconut shells being used!!

Stirling, Scotland's heart

The excitement of this week has been being present at the launch of a new campaign to promote Stirling, the place where I'm really proud to live and work.

Located right slap bang in the middle of Scotland, Stirling is Scotland's newest city. We gained city status as a gift from the Queen just after the millennium.

Many of the reasons we were made a city are encapsulated in the latest promotion campaign.

As well as being Scotland's newest city, Stirling is also its ancient capital and is bursting with history. We have a beautiful castle to rival Edinburgh; there's the Wallace monument commemorating one of our national heros (and off which I've abseiled!!); and there's the site of the Battle of Bannockburn - which we Scots won (for a change)!!! Few cities can rival Stirling's dramatic and bloody past or can claim as significant a contribution to Scotland's history.

And if you've got little people to think about there's tons more to do than just castles and battle sites. It's not far from Stirling to Blairdrummond, Scotland's Safari Park. In the city itself there's a fun visit to the Old Town Jail to be had, lots of fantastic play parks to experience and if all else fails, how about a trip on the bus.

Stirling's location is amazing - so easy to get to and then to use as a stepping stone for some of Scotland's most beautiful places. Apparently almost 60% of Scotland's population are within an hour's drive of Stirling and it's certainly dead easy to get here by train as well. In fact, it's even relatively easy to get here from either Edinburgh or Glasgow Airports - I should know I have to pick my husband up from one or other of them on a regular basis and I certainly wouldn't be doing that if it was a hassle!!

As well as being a gateway to Scotland's beautiful Highlands and right next door to Loch Lomond, Scotland's first National Park, Stirling is a wonderful place in its own right. The castle sits dramatically against the historic old town and looking down on the newer Stirling. From all parts of the city you can't help see the stunning landscape it stands in - mountains, rocky crags, the winding River Forth and rolling open fields. For me that's one of the things makes Stirling an amazing place to live.

Oh, that and the shopping of course!!! The shops in Stirling are great - everything from the High Street staples to big box retail parks to small independent gems. And if that's not quite enough, you're only a short train ride away from the mecca of shopping in Glasgow! What more could a girl want.

Stirling is really buzzing at the moment - lots going on and lots being developed, new housing, offices, transport links, even a new multiscreen cinema is being built on the banks of the River Forth. It's no wonder that businesses are starting to relocate to Stirling and have their Headquarters here. We even had local boy and entrepreneur, Nick Nairn launching the new Stirling, the Brand at the Castle on Tuesday evening and singing our praises!

As I said, I'm proud to live and work in Stirling. And now you can see why!