Stirling

We arrived at Stirling Castle just before noon in heavy rain so went to the cafe for soup, cake and coffee. By the time we'd finished, the rain had stopped. As we went into the castle itself, we joined a tour of the Great Hall and Royal Chapel. We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring inside and out, the ramparts and gardens. The 3 castles we've visited are completely different and we have a much greater understanding of Scottish history as a result of our visits and the conversations we had with Maggie and John during our brief stay with them.

Looking towards Stirling from the castle

Inside the castle grounds - the orange coloured structure in the background is the Great Hall

The Bowling Green and gardens with Great Hall in the background

A street in Stirling

Stirling Castle with statue of Robert the Bruce in the foreground

 After leaving Stirling, we drove through beautiful countryside to Callander and checked into the Crags hotel for the night. We had a stroll down the main street before joining a bunch of rowdy locals in the bar. They were very friendly and chatted with us while we sampled the local beers - mine was Bitter and Twisted, a  blonde with a squeeze of lemon brewed in Alloa just down the road, Brian started with Bellhaven Best and then tried the locals' favourite, Tennants Lager. We ate in the dining room - haggis, neeps and tatties for me and beef pie with veges and mash for Brian - both very good. I made the most of the wifi after dinner updating the blog while Brian caught up on his tv watching and sleeping.

Brian with the proprietor of the Crags Hotel, a keen rugby man