All demonstrations over , our party separated for a while to pursue whichever of the Castle’s many areas attracted them most. Eventually we all regrouped on the roof terrace (some more quickly than others it has to be admitted) and enjoyed an alfresco lunch. Is this the first time a TTFF outing has not involved the searching out of a pub with ambience and good beer? The end of our visit to the Castle came with (as all good visits should) a look around the gift shop.
What is the use of a visit to a historic site opined Joshua, if you can’t buy fudge in the gift shop? An interesting perspective on history, but then he is 15!
Siobhan however plumped for a plastic sword with which, moments later, she was engaged in a sword fight with the recruiting sargeant, by way of saying goodbye..
We returned to our cars, and the three vehicles processed down the winding streets of Stirling for the couple of miles out to Bannockburn.
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Here Joshua rebelled and said that since he had been round the place two or three times before, he would sit in the cafeteria and read his book until we were finished.
We moved on into the displays, which I for one was not particularly impressed with as, rather than dealing with Bannockburn itself, they seemed to try to give the sweep of Scottish history after the battle in a somewhat superficial way – aimed at the American tourist rather than anyone who might know something about the subject. The AV presentation was somewhat better as it did concentrate on the actual battle.
We followed the look round the visitor centre (highlight Siobhan wearing a mediaeval helmet) with a walk out onto the battlefield itself to see the huge flagpole marking the site, and the equestrian statue of Robert the Bruce unveiled by the Queen in 1964 to mark the 650th anniversary of the battle. Then we rejoined Joshua in the cafeteria for a final drink and chat and to throw around one or two ideas for a next get together.
At about four o’clock we parted company on the best of terms, regretting the absence of those who hadn’t been able to make it, and hoping that more of us would be able to join the next time.
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