Adventures in Aberfoyle (and beyond!)

We have now been in Scotland five weeks, and I continue to be amazed at the never-ending array of beautiful places that surround us. Each weekend we choose a new spot to explore, and end up driving through half a dozen other incredible places on the way there. After (almost) 29 years of living in Canada, I'm so used to things being spread far far apart, where towns are few and far between and most are too run down to bother stopping in. Scotland is quite the opposite, where in a typical 90 minute drive we've gone through eight or ten villages, each seemingly lovelier than the last. There is never a shortage of pubs to choose from, almost all of them dog-friendly (one of my favourite things about this country!) and instead of chain restaurants and fast food, they are family-owned and usually steeped in history.

Last weekend we decided to drive up to the Loch Lomond area for the day and take a hike through Queen Elizabeth Forest Park.

The park is situated above the town, and boasts beautiful views of the land amongst a series of hiking trails. One of my favourite things about the park was the variety of landscapes: there are forests, woodlands, rivers, lochs, waterfalls, hills and mountains all of which you pass by on a single trail. Here are some of the vibrant flowers we saw along the way:

Next comes a forest covered in moss and trees with twisted branches growing in very direction. I felt as though I were scouting locations for another Lord of the Rings film, everything still and quiet and seemingly undisturbed.

Dexter had a great time running around exploring, and many others had the same idea- he met quite a few friends along the way. I am continually impressed by the attitude towards dogs here, not just by pub staff and owners but by the public in general. As long as your dog is well-behaved, no one seems to mind that they aren't leashed, even in areas not designated for it. In Winnipeg I often felt like dogs were treated as a nuisance, and was hard pressed to find places we could spend the day with Dex tagging along. Not the case over here!

My favourite part of the day was when I little boy walked past us, pointed at Dexter and said to his dad: "That's a wolf!" He sure looks right at home in the woods.

These big tall trees skirted the highlight of the trail: this incredible waterfall. My photos do not do it justice (despite my best efforts), but I promise it was absolutely magnificent. I much prefer these untouched treasures to places like Niagara Falls, which have been ruined by chain restaurants, cheap souvenir shops and far too much cement.

A pleasant surprise along our trek were these Alice in Wonderland themed activity points (meant for children, but as someone who owns a dozen different versions of the work and has written numerous papers on it, I loved it!).

Teacups hanging in trees, playing cards everywhere and even a bush with the roses dripping red paint, someone had done their homework! This would be a great place for a family to spend the day outdoors, and much more fun for the kids than a typical trail walk.

I almost missed this next surprise along the trail, a series of mirrors shaped like people and hidden in the trees. As you walk by you can see yourself in them, but otherwise they blend right in with the surroundings; this would be a creepy spot at night!

Next up: a drive back down into town and lunch at the pub! Aberfoyle is situated at the base of the forrest and is a lovely wee village (I'm doing my best to incorporate local dialect into my writing!) perhaps best known for it's famous golf course. We found a great spot with a big beer garden, boasting only Scottish Beers on tap (we love to support local!) and a full menu of traditional Scottish Fare. I opted for steak pie (my new favourite dish) and a sampler of beers so I can continue to try as many as I can!

We took a walk down the town's main street, comprised of antique and gift shops, small restaurants and pubs and some beautiful stone buildings (as per usual over here). We didn't make it to the golf course, but we did wander up to a wool museum, and these cute little guys were hanging out in the sunshine. As I'm sure you've heard, Scotland is famous for it's wool exports.

Rather than drive home the same way we came, we decided to take a different route and made another stop in a place called Callander a little ways up the road. This small town is in the region of Stirling (the area that's home to the castle I featured in my last post) and is often referred to as the "Gateway to the Highlands." The streets are lined with quaint bed and breakfasts and old fashioned candy shops, and once again I found myself thinking that this looks more like a film set than a place that people live.

As it was late Sunday afternoon, many of the shops were closed up and after a quick wander around and an ice cream cone to cool off (one for Dexter too of course!) we were in the car and back on our route home, with one more stop to make. I'm so lucky to have "tour guides" who have lived here most (and some all) of their lives, as they have an endless list of places for me to see (and photograph of course) and are eager to show me around. A lot of these spots are off the main tourist paths, and this waterfall was one of those. A seemingly typical rest stop, (though with beautiful views of the Scottish countryside), this turned out to be the most beautiful place of the day! Situated in the Campsie Fells (the hills you see in the background) this spot again seems undisturbed, save for a partially overgrown path and some old stone steps.

A very steep walk downhill led us to this incredible waterfall and stream hidden away from the rest of the world.

The walk back up was a bit of a challenge, but the views were worth it! 

And that was another typical Sunday exploring the country I'm now getting used to calling home.  Three incredible places in a matter of hours, and that doesn't include the others we drove through and didn't stop in. I think I could visit three new places every weekend, and live here all of my life and still not see all of the lovely towns, villages and landscapes that make up Scotland. At the very least, I'm right on track to give it a good run! 

Stirling Castle

What better way to spend a Friday afternoon than exploring a 500 year old castle?

Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scottish history. Surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs, the castle held a strong, defensive position throughout history (can you imagine scaling that rock face in an attack?!)

There have been at least eight sieges of the castle, including several during the Scottish Wars of independence, with the last being in 1746 when Prince Charles Edward Stuart was unsuccessful in his attempt to take the castle. 

Most of the current structures on the castle grounds were built in the 15th & 16th century, and many of Scotland's kings and queens were crowned at the location, most famously Mary Queen of Scots in 1542.

My favourite thing about Stirling Castle is the incredible views of the castle grounds, often from small windows and hidden corners.

Equally impressive are the views of the land below, my favourite of which was from the 'ladies' balcony' and offered incredible views of the lush green landscapes and the rock face of the steep cliffs the castle is built upon.

The views towards the city are also beautiful, and I found myself wondering what it must have been like to look out on land as it's ruler and protector. I think this is one of my favourite things about visiting castles: imagining what it would have been like to live or work there, and how different life would have been hundreds of years ago. Instead of looking out and admiring the scenery, thinking of which angle I will best capture the shot, imagine thinking strategically about defence during an attack and how best to protect your kingdom?

The neat thing about these castle grounds is that the different structures were built (and rebuilt) at various times after battles and fires (of which there were many, probably due to large amounts of wood decor  inside, and the many fireplaces throughout (necessary for heat and light). 

The many doorways and tunnels around the castle grounds make exploring especially fun, I would have loved to spend the day here as a child! 

The inside of the castle is a bit sparser than I expected decor wise, however I imagine that's how it would have been back in that time period.

Unicorns are present throughout the castle, with this intricate tapestry just one of many filling an entire room. Fun fact: unicorns are the national animal of Scotland. Seriously, I'm not joking (google it if you don't believe me!)

This is one of many wooden carvings in the castle, some decorating the ceilings of the rooms, and a gallery of the originals available for viewing. This creepy carving of a court jester is my favourite (sorry in advance for any nightmares this may inspire).

This proud statue stands in front of the castle gates, a reminder of the castle's rich history and a monument to a Scottish hero. You would probably recognize the name Robert the Bruce from the film "Braveheart," and he reigned King of Scots from 1306-1329 when he died. Robert the Bruce led Scotland against England in the Wars of Scottish Independence, and fought successfully during his reign to regain Scotland's place as an independent nation, and is thus celebrated as a national hero. 

The city of Stirling is beautiful too, featuring the old stone buildings I love and windy, cobbled streets with inclines that increase the closer you get to the castle (great exercise, especially for this prairie girl who is used to a city that's flat as can be!) 

 

Filled with quaint pubs and coffee shops, inviting restaurants and beautiful green space, Stirling is a great place to spend a day as a couple, a family or even on your own. I plan to come back soon to explore more of this lovely city, and hopefully grab a few more shots of the castle from afar.