A sterling castle at Stirling.

We enjoyed a couple of hours wandering around Stirling Castle after we visited Bannockburn. The castle commands wonderful views over the Forth Valley and beyond to the Trossachs. You certainly would have had  advance notice about unwelcome visitors and plenty of time to hide from either those peddling religion or encyclopedias!

There I was standing in a lovely garden space called the Bowling Green and thinking deep thoughts about life in days gone by when suddenly a voice calls down to me from the ramparts - " You do not frighten us, English pig-dogs! Go and boil your bottoms, sons of silly persons. I blow my nose at you, you so called Arthur King, you and all your silly English kaniggets!" *sigh* Monty Python and the Holy Grail has a lot to answer for!

Stirling Castle is in fact everything you would expect a castle to be - fabulous ramparts, lots of round towers and gatehouses with portcullises. Parts of it are undergoing huge refurbishment - about 12 million pounds worth - to recreate the interior of the palace as it would have been in the 16th century. It will be wonderful when it is finished.

There are more photos of Stirling Castle here.