Scots Wha' Hae!

The Wallace Monument

Scots wha' hae, wi' Wallace bled,

Scots, wham Bruce has aften led,

Welcome to your gory bed,

Or to victorie!

Composed by Robert Burns in 1793, the patriotric Scots Wha' Hae for many years served as Scotland's national anthem, and is written in the style of a speech given by King Robert the Bruce before the Battle of Bannockburn.

The Wallace Monument in Stirling commemorates the life and achievements of Sir William Wallace.  Completed in 1869, it stands proudly on Abbey Craig, historically accepted as the site from which Wallace led the Scots into battle against the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297.  It took three attempts over fifteen years, but I finally had a clear view from The Crown.   

View of Stirling from The Crown

Stirling Bridge, though, was arguably Wallace's greatest achievement.  Beset by frustration and lack of support, he was eventually arrested for treason and executed.  This was graphically depicted in a movie, although I cannot remember the title....ask Mel Gibson.

Bannockburn 

Not far from the monument is  Bannockburn, the still-revered site where the battle of the same name occurred on 24 June 1314.  Here, King Robert the Bruce and an army of Scots defeated Edward II and the English army.  A pastoral setting, the field now is covered with daisies and buttercups, and cattle graze in the distance.  It belies the history of the site, though, as thousands lost their lives in a bitter and bloody struggle.  The Bruce unleashed the famed and feared Highland Charge: a sea of screaming men, weapons drawn, running with calculated, reckless abandonment and ultimately crashing into the stunned English army.

Wallace's Sword?

Is this the sword of William Wallace?  Legend has it that due to the size and weight of this weapon (which is, of course, the Wallace sword) Wallace would have been at least 6'6" in height, certainly a towering presence, one might even say monumental...The wonderful thing about Scottish history is that so much of it is indeed based upon myth and legend, often giving way to historical truths.  Some things, though, are accepted as fact.  My grandfather helped build the Wallace Monument, and the sword pictured was constructed in Kenbridge, Virginia, by my great-grandfather.  How did the sword arrive in Scotland?  After the sword was completed, my grandfather swam to Scotland and personally delivered it to Sir William.  Some books omit these bits of information....