Stirling to St Andrews to Stirling

I am sitting in a very toasty-warm room in the Youth Hostel in Aberdeen and wondering how anyone can charge 20 pounds a night and not provide tea, coffee, hot choc or free wifi when other places (independent backpackers) will only charge between 10-15 pounds and provide you with both. This place is madly expensive and if you want to borrow a towel, that is 3 pounds, want to use the wifi for an hour – 3 pounds... I mean, come on. It is clean enough, but I have to make my own bed as well.

I am going to try and find a free wifi hotspot in town tomorrow and upload this, but we shall have to wait and see. No wait, I just remembered dad's vodafone dongle... we are online!

Right, Stirling. I left Oban at midday and had the most pleasing and picturesque train ride ever. The sights that we passed with breath-taking. There was this one place we passed (have no idea where) but as we travelled right alongside the Loch, the waters were so still that it was a mirror image of what was above. The snow-capped mountains and hills that surrounded it were perfectly reflected, not a single shimmer in the water. Never have I seen something so amazing – I didn’t even know those kind of scenes really existed. I was a bit sad to be leaving Oban. I really liked it there but I was off on the next leg and had no time to mope.

My first impression of Stirling was one of damp stone and coldness. The skies were overcast and that has such a bearing on your first impression of a place I think. I dumped my bags in my room and went for a walk to stretch my legs. I was feeling a bit lost in my travels and really didn’t want to sit in another restaurant on my own when I passed a familiar image on a building. It was of a kangaroo and it was like a beacon calling to me. I had found The Kilted Kangaroo (formerly the Outback Inn). I wouldn’t normally walk down semi-lit passages but the sign pointed that way so that way I went. I headed inside and was instantly surrounded by warmth and didgeridoos. I sat down for my meal and heard the sound of a strong aussie voice – the owner. I ate and as I went to pay he came over and asked me if I was an Aussie as he had heard me talk. When I offered up the truth about being a Kiwi he was kind enough to say that it was close enough. I ended up chatting with him for five minutes before going back to the hostel.

 I found out how to get to St Andrews from Stirling that evening and turned out it was easy enough and cheap enough so I opted to stay in Stirling for 4 nights instead of two and make a day trip to St Andrews instead – I even got a free night for booking two, so I only had to pay for 3 nights instead of 4.

My first full day in Stirling was not long but it was busy. I headed out to the castle and after a brief bit of haggling managed to get a small discount using my historic nz card. I was just in time for the tour, of which there was three of us, and it was fantastic. This rather jolly Scotsman wearing (I kid you not - I even took a cheeky photo while he was talking and not looking at me) tartan pants and matching tie, took us around and explained about the history of the place. It was great to hear about everything that had taken place at the castle with Robert the Bruce and William Wallce.

The tour only took around 40 minutes but I ended up spending three hours at the castle reading every plaque and information point. I even saw the massive loom where they are remaking the tapestries as they would have stood in the 1500s – it will take them two years to finish the last one – they have already completed 4! Part of the castle had also been painted this yellowly orange colour called the Kings Gold and King James II (I think) had everything painted that colour which to me looks gaudy as hell, but to them back in the 1300-1500 was a sign of wealth and power - a very kath and kim 'Look at Me' idea. I could also see the Kings gardens from the castle which were crazy. How the gardener designed them is beyond me. It would have taken some serious patience.

I tried to visit the cathedral next door but it was closed – such a shame as it looked stunning from the outside and I can only imagine what it would look like inside. I walked the streets of Old Stirling and followed the city wall for a bit. I was freezing cold, my finger tips were numb and I knew it was time to head back to the hostel. I had a late lunch at around 3pm and instead of making dinner later, made the executive decision to make rice pudding instead. Mmmm... rice pudding.

The next day I went out to St Andrews. The bus ride took two hours and was only 9.50 return which was super cheap. The first place I went to was the ruins of the castle. It was an impressive structure, hanging out off the cliffs. There was some fascinating history there including the fact that when it was under siege, those on the outside were building a tunnel to try and pop up inside the grounds. Those in the castle were pretty desperate for that not to happen so they were building their own tunnels, hoping to intercept them. Of course, those inside could only see the entry point of the outside enemies so had to guess the direction it took. After two false starts they actually managed to intercept them. The mines are still there and with a big warning over the site stating that you enter at your own risk, I descended. It was crazy how narrow and cramped the castle-side mine was. I had to double over and crab walk down. I stopped a few times, wondering just how far I was going to have to go and then I came across a ladder than descended through a narrow hole and popped out into a much bigger mine that was from those doing the siege-ing. It was so much bigger and would have catered to mules and the like. I got to the end of the mine and had to turn around come back out the way I had come in. It was liberating to go back out to the light. It was very imposing being down there.

Here is a picture of me at the castle ruins. (Yes, I have lost all resemblance of a tan and now am as white as the Scots around me and for those of you back home, that is really, really, really white! This is, of course, excluding a special breed of young women in Scotland with an unhealthy obsession with spray tan... and eyeliner.)

The other place that was quite creepy was the prison shaped like a bottle. Basically it was just a hope in the ground and down the hole it widens out like a bottle would. People were lowered in there and not everyone made it back up. I didn’t like that room at all and just like when I was in the torture chambers in Edinburgh, I felt sick and this dark oppressive feeling close in around me. I kept look behind me, feeling there was someone there. I didn’t linger there.

I next went to the cathedral... well, what remains of the cathedral. Mostly it is just two walls and when it had crumpled away a cemetery had been built in the middle of it. It was peaceful and quiet so I spent a wee while there, taking photos and absorbing the peace of the place.

I was so cold by then that I began a walk along the old streets before ducking into a little Italian restaurant for some lunch. I ate waaaay to much but I was so hungry that I didn’t care. I also had a prime seat by a window and the heater. Woohoo for me.

The bus was leaving in about 40 minutes and I didn’t want to miss it so I headed back to the bus station and realised that I hadn’t seen the famous golf courses that are all the talk. I headed down the hill and couldn’t believe that there five golf shops in a row. Talk about competition in the market. I had a bit of a walk around and took a few photos but I really didn’t want to miss the bus because I would have to wait for another two hours if I did so back to the bus I went.

For the next day in Stirling I took things easy. I was in no rush to do anything, to go anywhere, I was too tired. I went out for a few hours to the Smith Museum and to the King’s Knot garden. The garden was so strange. I had seen it from above, from the castle, and it was so well situated and easy to see, but from ground level it just sort of seemed like uneven ground. It must have been quite epic to create it without being able to see it. I think every time the king’s gardener would need to view it, he would have to walk up to the castle. Still, you wouldn’t want to disappoint the king.

That was my entire day. I had had enough and went back to the hostel. I finished my cross-stitch hairy cow and just saying, it looks freakin awesome! I went out for drink with the others from the hostel to the Settle Inn, where they were playing folk music and it was so busy and loud that you could barely move or hear it.

I am so tired though. I desperately want to have a bed day, but I can’t do it. I can’t bare to waste a day when there is so much to see and do... although, an early night isn’t looking too bad...