Second stop in Scotland

On our way up north the next stop after Edinburgh has been at… Stirling to have a look at the castle.

The City in There is so amazing that we have decided to have a longer walk around it and these are few images we came back with…

Stirling Castle by MnB Photography – Michal Dybowski HDR

Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs, giving it a strong defensive position. Its strategic location, guarding what was, until the 1890s, the farthest downstream crossing of the River Forth, has made it an important fortification from the earliest times. Most of the principal buildings of the castle date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. A few structures of the fourteenth century remain, while the outer defences fronting the town date from the early eighteenth century. Several Scottish Kings and Queens have been crowned at Stirling, including Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1542. There have been at least eight sieges of Stirling Castle, including several during the Wars of Scottish Independence, with the last being in 1746, when Bonnie Prince Charlie unsuccessfully tried to take the castle. Stirling Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and is now a tourist attraction managed by Historic Scotland.

Stirling Castle Description Source of WIKI

Stirling Castle Panorama FC HDR by Michal Dybowski

Stirling Castle Old Town Cemetery Colour by Michal Dybowski

Stirling Castle Old Town Cemetery B/W by Michal Dybowski

Stirling Old Town Cemetery Star Piramid by Michal Dybowski HDR

The Star Pyramid Star pyramid

Separated by a driveway from the Valley Cemetery, the Drummond Pleasure Ground was laid out as a setting for the Star Pyramid which is a massive sandstone ashlar pyramid which dominates this area, standing on a stone stepped base upon a shaped grassy mound. Marble Bibles rest on the base of each face of the pyramid, which is also carved with references to Biblical texts.

The pyramid is enclosed by wrought iron railings, with stone steps to S flanked by 2 stone globes (once surmounted by bronze eagles). A Bible and Confession of Faith were sealed into an inner chamber in the pyramid. The Pithy Mary pond lies to the W of the Star Pyramid with bridge of wrought / cast iron work including later repair work and a grassed slope beyond to the W with lawn and deliberately placed rocks. There are no gravestones within Drummond Pleasure Ground other than William Drummond’s sarcophagus to the NW of the pyramid; polished grey granite inscribed ‘Born 14 February 1793 Died 25th November 1888′ on its stepped base.

Outside the church is the Valley Cemetery. In past times was the site of jousting tournaments and markets. The Cemetery has a Pyramid, built by William Drummond in 1863.

William Drummond was a land surveyor and nurseryman whose immediate descendants were a well known family in Stirling. They were responsible for a wide range of activities both locally and nationally. These included the establishment of an agricultural museum in the 1830′s, an extensive seed and nursery business, exploration in Africa and the Drummond Tract Enterprise, the foremost 19th century publisher of religious pamphlets.

William was the eldest son of the well-known Stirling family which included Peter Drummond and his nephew Henry. He was one of the instigators of the Valley Cemetery and his obsession with religion can be seen in the Martyrs’

Monument and the Star Pyramid (also known as Salem Rock).

He commissioned the Star Pyramid from William Barclay in 1863 – note the white marble Bibles incorporated by Barclay round the base of the edifice and the names of religious tracts (published by his brother Peter’s “Drummond Tract Enterprise”). The Pyramid is dedicated to all those who suffered martyrdom in the cause of civil and religious liberty in Scotland.William planted a Pleasure Garden round the Pyramid, complete with trees and plants. He also paid for five of the six statues seen in various parts of the graveyard and donated trees to be planted round the National Wallace Monument.

This area was laid out as a public pleasure ground by local nurseryman and evangelist, William Drummond. The Star Pyramid, with its texts and emblems, was nearing completion in April 1863, when a bible and the Confession of faith were sealed into a chamber within the structure. It recalls the principles of the Reformation and publicised the famous Drummond Tract Enterprises.

The pyramid is on a raised plinth of 4 steps and has a set of steps leading to it. Each of the faces are very similar. On one face is a circular marble plaque, the text of which is very worn and some of the lower part is readable.

Each of the sides has (from bottom to top):

sunken relief text with a reference to verses from the Psalms:

• Union Banner, XLV CIII


• Rock of Ages, XCV


• Covenant Rest, CXXXII CXLV


• Thrown of Right, XCVI XCVII


• marble bible


• carved circular rosette


• thistle


• crown

Description source http://www.oldtowncemetery.co.uk

Stirling Old Town Hospital by Michal Dybowski HDR

Stirling Castle’s Hospital Defence canon HDR by Zdzisław Dybowski

Stirling City View HDR

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Michal MnB-Photography

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