Armed with our National Trust for Scotland passes we drove to Stirling and the home of the Battle of Bannochburn visitor centre. This is a highly interactive 3D experience, the staff are friendly and we highly recommend booking a time slot for the tour. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BATTLE 24th June 1314 Scotland won a significant battle at the site of Bannockburn in the First War of Scottish Independance. The Scottish Army led by King Robert the Bruce was outnumbered two to one and the English were not only stronger in number but were better equipped than most of the Scottish Army. Led by King Edward II. The strong hold of Stirling was at the heart of this infamous battle. King Edward II fled to safety as his army fell to the Scottish onslaught THE EXPERIENCE Using 3D glasses you are taken in and watch the reasoning from both sides for the battle, after the short animations you walk into the main room where your guide will talk to you about the run up to the battle, looking at people, weaponary and tactics. You are then invited to explore the interactive exhibition allowing you to get hands on weaponary and meet some historical characters while preparing to take part in an electronic tabletop battle reenactment . Will you choose the Cowards Gallery or do you dare compare your military tactics against how the origiinal battle unfolded. Due to the nature of this exhibition we did not take many photographs but was enjoyed by all. Opening TimesThe Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre: March-October 10am-5.30pm daily (last admission to exhibition 4pm) November-March 10am-5pm daily (last admission to exhibition 3.15pm) Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, and 2nd January. Grounds: open daily, dawn till dusk. Ticket prices Adult £11.50 Child/concession £8.50 Family (2 adults and up to 4 children) £30.50 One parent family (1 adult and up to 4 children) £25.50 Booking fee applies. National Trust for Scotland members FREE Groups of 12 or more, please call 01786 812 664 (Monday - Sunday) to receive the group discount rate of £8.50 per person. Entry is by pre-booked time slots. Doune Castle, Doune, Stirlingshire. Approximately 8 miles from Stirling on the A84 you will find the very pretty village of Doune. This is where you will find Doune Castle. The castle and grounds are looked after by Historic Scotland. The Castle has become a popular tourist spot due to the filiming of the Outlander series although the castle has been a iconic feature in previous filiming most famously Monty Pythons Holy Grail in 1974. Terry Jones (Monty Python) narrates the audio-guide that you can pick up in the gift shop, Explore the castle in whatever way you like, number referneces for the audio-guide are clearly marked in each location, aswell as the historical insights to the Castle you are able to hear additional information regarding filming and snip bits from Monty Python and or Outlander (voiced by Sam Heughan, Jamie Fraser Outlander). With all these historical buildings there is occasional areas where due to preservation work you will not be able to access and there may be scaffolding in and around these buildings, this will give you and excuse for a return visit. A BRIEF HISTORY OF DOUNE CASTLE The research into the Castles history would date this stronghold to the 13th centuary, although thought to have been damaged in the First Wars of Independence. Rebuilt in it's present form in the 14th Centuary by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany before being passed over to the crown in 1425. In the 16th centuary the Castle was then gifted to the Earls of Moray. The castle has seen it's fair share of military action through the years including that of the late Jacobite rising. By the 1800 the castle was in ruins and with minor restorations until the 20th centuary where it is now maintained and cared for by Historic Scotland. Admission Member/Explorer Pass holder: FREE Adult: £6.00 Child aged 5–15: £3.60 Child under 5: FREE Concession: £4.80 Open 1 April to 30 September: Daily, 9.30am to 5.30pm Last entry 5pm 1 October to 31 March: Daily, 10am to 4pm Last entry 3.30pm Closed 25 and 26 December 1 and 2 January Unexpected closures Adverse weather or other reasons beyond our control may cause a site to close at short notice.
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Alistair and Ffyona's TravelsOur adventure blog, little bit of history, our recommendations and a few photos... Archives
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