View From The Top

After yet another fruitless visit in search of wood for a mantlepiece we repaired to the nearby National Wallace Monument, a building that dominates the skyline but that we have never visited. It was built to commemorate the Scottish hero, William Wallace.

The steep, winding walk up from the car park is interspersed with wooden sculptures and factual panels which, besides giving interest, also provide an opportunity to catch one's breath; within the monument three floors of display interrupt the 246 steps of the narrow, spiral staircase, before the final assault to the rooftop. Extra 1 proves this achievement! Unfortunately we did not see the newly-restored statue, presumably still enclosed in the scaffolding.

Today the views were fine, especially for watching the cloudscape of approaching rain. In fact, we enjoyed squally rain and hail as we meandered our way home and, later, superb rainbow just before sunset (extra 2).