Your Detailed Itinerary Scotland’sHeroes

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Cover: Living history on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh © Paul Dodds, VisitScotland/Scottish Viewpoint Additional photography: Historic Scotland

Day 1To see some of the sites associated with the Scots and their battles, start on the A1 and travel to Dunbar. Though the castle here is no more than a fragment by the harbour, it once controlled routes south. King Edward I of England defeated John Balliol, King of Scotland here in 1296. Balliol had been appointed king by Edward but his divided loyalties meant he made the wrong political moves.

Continue round the Edinburgh city bypass for Roslin. In 1303 the Scots defeated a superior English force here. Roslin has a Wallace’s Cave nearby and is also home to the famous Rosslyn Chapel. Return to the city bypass, taking the Forth Bridge for Fife.

Day 2Take the A921 coast road. Look for the monument to King Alexander III at Kinghorn. Alexander died here when his horse stumbled and he fell to his death in 1286. The

incident began a period of turmoil, culminating in the Wars of Independence. (The intermarrying of the royal houses of Scotland and England had created controversies of inheritance and succession.)

Continue through Fife, as time permits, taking the Tay bridge via Dundee and the coast road for Arbroath. This town with its abbey, founded in 1178, is associated with the Declaration of Arbroath, a letter to the Pope, signed by all the churchmen and nobility of Scotland, asking him to accept Scottish independence. Some say this was the most important document in Scotland’s history, and uniquely described a king’s right to rule as dependent on the approval of the people.

Continue to Aberdeen, where a magnificent statue of Sir William Wallace stands in Union Terrace. He appears to be gesturing towards His Majesty’s Theatre!

Day 3Take the A96 north-west beyond Inverurie, following signs for Archaeolink. Here you can find out more about the Battle of Mons Graupius – a reminder that the country which became Scotland has always been a battleground – on this occasion the local tribes were defeated by the Romans in 83 AD. Continue west by the B9002, reaching the A97 and head south for Kildrummy Castle. This castle was visited at least twice by King Edward of England when his forces occupied Scotland.

Continue south to reach Royal Deeside, taking the A93 over Glenshee for Perth, then the A9 for Stirling.

Day 4The historic town of Stirling with its strategic location in the centre of Scotland is closely associated with the Wars of Independence. Stirling Old Bridge over the River Forth is one of Scotland’s finest surviving

mediaeval bridges and recalls the famous victory of Sir William Wallace in 1297. The full story is told at the National Wallace Monument nearby.

The Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre on the outskirts of Stirling tells the dramatic tale of how a great army, sent with King Edward II of England at its head, to relieve Stirling Castle, confronted a smaller Scots’ force who gradually forced them into the river-marshes. Unable to deploy heavy cavalry effectively, the English were then destroyed, King Edward barely escaping.

Day 5Continue south through Glasgow via the M80/A80. Sir William Wallace was betrayed here (at Robroyston) in 1305 and sent as a prisoner to England where he was subjected to the grisly English penalty for treason, namely the ritual of hanging, disembowelling while still alive, and finally beheading, his limbs being sent for display in Scotland as an example

to others. Take the A73 for Lanark. This town in the Clyde Valley is strongly associated with Sir William Wallace as he lived and was married here at St Kentigern’s Church.

Other sites associated with Scotland’s freedom fighters in the south of Scotland include Elderslie, between Johnstone and Paisley, west of Glasgow. Bruce’s Cave, associated with the story of Bruce’s encounter with a spider whose efforts inspired the Scots leader to ‘try, try, try again’ is on the island of Arran – though other caves elsewhere in Scotland also have claims to the story!

Scotland’s Heroes

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Fi r t h o f Fo r t h

LochShin

LochNess

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Loch Tay

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Loch Earn

Loch LomondLoch Lomond

LochShiel

A712

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A167A746

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A68A844

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A947A940

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A815

A98

A77

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A926

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A78 A737

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A6

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A92

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A6105

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A70

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A913

A836

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A689

A827

A888

A86

A990

A865

A938

A880

A698

A94

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A838

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A823

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A6089

A762

A712

A85

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A849

A941

A719

A747

A861

A85 A85

A9

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A882

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A826

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A832

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A949

A703

A923

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A82

A87

A87

A87

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A99

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A846

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M74

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A1(M)

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A74(M)

M80

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E N G L A N D

N O R T H E R NI R E L A N D

SPEY VALLEY

StromnessKirkwall

John o’ GroatsGills Bay

Scrabster

ThursoMelvichBettyhill

Tongue

Durness

Scourie

Altnaharra

Lochinver

Wick

Dunbeath

Helmsdale

BroraGolspie

Dornoch

Tain

Lairg

Ullapool

Gairloch

Torridon

Stornoway

Arnol

Port of Ness

Callanish

Tarbert

Leverburgh

Otternish

Dingwall Nairn Elgin

CromartyBanff Fraserburgh

Peterhead

Turriff

HuntlyGrantown-

on-Spey

AviemoreBoat ofGarten

KingussieRalia

Muir of Ord

CullenMacduff

GardenstownForres

Dufftown

Craigellachie

AchnasheenStrathpeffer

Portree

Elgol

Uig

Dunvegan

SconserLochcarron

Kyle ofLochalsh

Broadford

Carbost

Armadale

Mallaig

GlenelgShiel BridgeKylerhea

Lochmaddy

Lochboisdale

Isle of Eriskay

Castlebay

Drumnadrochit UrquhartCastle

Fort Augustus

Invergarry

Spean Bridge

Newtonmore

Braemar

Glenshee

BallaterCrathie

Aboyne

Edzell

Alford

Inverurie

Ellon

Banchory

Stonehaven

Forfar

Kirriemuir

Glamis

Arbroath

Montrose

Crieff

Carnoustie

BrechinPitlochry

Blairgowrie

Aberfeldy

Killin

Dunkeld

Scone

KinlochRannoch

BlairAtholl

Bruar

Fort William

Oban

Corran

Strontian GlencoeBallachulish

LochalineFishnish

Craignure

Acharacle

Kilchoan

Tobermory

Fionnphort

Feolin Port Askaig

Bowmore

Port Ellen

Crinan

Lochgilphead

Tarbert

Tayinloan

Carradale

Dunoon

Rothesay Largs

Irvine

DumbartonBalloch

DrymenHelensburgh

Wemyss Bay

Crianlarich

Tyndrum

TarbetInveraray

Lochearnhead

Callander

AberfoyleArdgartan

GourockGreenock

ColintraiveRhubodach

PortavadieKennacraig

Claonaig

Lochranza

Brodick

Campbeltown

Ardrossan

Troon

Prestwick

Kilmarnock

Millport

Ayr

Maybole

LanarkPeebles

Penicuik

Biggar

Abington

Newton Stewart

Girvan

Stranraer

Whithorn

WigtownPortpatrick

Port Logan

Cairnryan CastleDouglas

Gatehouseof Fleet

Kirkcudbright

Dalbeattie

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Langholm

Gretna

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GretnaGreen

Carlisle

Moffat

Berwick-upon-Tweed

Haddington

Galashiels

St Andrews

North BerwickDunbar

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Poolewe

Tomintoul

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SanquharWanlockhead

New Galloway

Melrose KelsoColdstream

Burwick

St Margaret’s Hope

Aultbea

Mellon Udrigle

Buckie

KeithFochabers

Lossiemouth

Carrbridge

Kincraig

Hamilton

Coatbridge

Motherwell

Paisley

Larne

Bo'nessRosyth

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RoslinNewtongrangeDalkeithOld Craighall

Leven

Mauchline

NorthKessock

Drimnin

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Ballycastle

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ABERDEEN

INVERNESS

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NEWCASTLEUPON TYNE

EDINBURGH

BELFAST

STIRLING

Cairngorms

National Park

Loch Lomond and the TrossachsNational Park

Cairngorms

National Park

Loch Lomond and the TrossachsNational Park

Dunbar

Kildrummy CastleArchaeolink

Lanark

Arbroath Abbey

Stirling OldBridge

National WallaceMonument

Battle of BannockburnVisitor Centre

Roslin

Bruce’s Cave

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HARRIS

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Rum

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Colonsay

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Ardnamurchan

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NORTHUIST

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SANDAY

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Scotland’sHeroes

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DUNBAR – Attractive resort town with alittle harbour, overlooked by the remains ofthe 12th century Dunbar Castle, once oneof the most important in Scotland.

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NATIONAL WALLACE MONUMENT Landmark tower on Abbey Craig, built to commemorate Scots patriot Sir William Wallace. Audio-visual display, Hall of Heroes, plus superb views.

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ROSLIN – Take a walk in Roslin Glen (in the woods below the famous Rosslyn Chapel) to see Wallace’s Cave, cut into the red stone of the far bank of the river.

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ARCHAEOLINK – Scotland’s pre-history park, thought to be the site of the Battle of Mons Graupius, when the Caledonian tribes were defeated by Roman forces.

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KILDRUMMY CASTLE – Picturesque ruined castle and the scene of a siege in 1306. Defending Scots were betrayed and the Castle fell into English hands.

Some say the most important date in Scotland’s history was 1314, the year of the Battle of Bannockburn, when she won four centuries of independence from her larger and more powerful neighbour, England. Sir William Wallace of Elderslie played an important part in the campaign known as the Scots Wars of Independence – a story which inspired the movie Braveheart.

Scotland’sHeroes

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STIRLING OLD BRIDGE – Late 15th century handsome bridge very near the site of the wooden bridge on which Wallace’s forces trapped and defeated English mounted forces.

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LANARK – Flashpoint of the Wars of Independence after Wallace slew the English Sheriff here. A plaque marks the site of Wallace’s House.

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BRUCE’S CAVE, ARRAN – The scene of an encounter between a despairing Bruce hiding from the English and a spider eventually succeeding in building a web.

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BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN VISITOR CENTRE – Site of the famous battle in 1314 when Robert the Bruce defeated King Edward II and his invading army.

ARBROATH ABBEY – The Declaration ofArbroath was drawn up here on the 6thApril 1320. The visitor centre tells the storyof the Abbey.

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