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From Lochearnhead you have a choice on onward routes


        1:  Back to Stirling through Strathyre, the north eastern edge of the Trossachs National Park.


        2: To Glasgow either through Strathyre and the north eastern edge of the Trossachs National
        Park, or further west in the Trossachs, following the shores of Loch Lomond.


        Attractions:

        Stirling


        Bannockburn Heritage Centre I remember seeing tv news footage of Scottish football fans
        descending on London for a Scotland v. England football game and they were waving banners
        that said “Remember Bannockburn”. At the time I thought “It was 700 years ago for God’s
        sake.  Get over it!”  I also noted that the English fans did not reply with “Remember Flodden Field”
        where 15,000 Scots were slaughtered by the English army.


        Bannockburn still burns brightly in Scottish hearts. It was the last time they defeated the English in
        a battle.

        It was here, near Stirling that Robert Bruce, King of Scots, would face down the much larger
        English army led by Edward II.

        Edward, keen to retain the stronghold of Stirling Castle, had led a huge army through Scotland to
        lift the Scots’ siege of his garrison at the Castle.


        Achieving this was vital to Edward’s hopes of re-establishing his weakening grip on the country,
        but he was stopped short by the army of Robert Bruce at Bannockburn.


        Over the two days of battle, 23-24 June, Edward’s army was repeatedly thwarted by the Scots
        stubborn resistance before finally finding themselves trapped by the surrounding terrain with no
        room to manoeuvre their huge force.


        The result was an unprecedented rout of King Edward’s army.

        Today you can visit the Bannockburn Heritage Centre and get to understand how this moment in
        time has shaped Scottish history for seven centuries.

        Stirling Castle is probably second only to Edinburgh Castle as the most important fortification In
        Scotland. It certainly is one of Scotland’s grandest castles because of its imposing position and
        impressive architecture. Enter the world of Scotland’s Renaissance kings and queens and
        discover a world of colour, splendour and glorious craftsmanship.

        Drummond Castle Gardens are one of Europe’s and Scotland’s most important and impressive
        formal gardens. Located near Crieff, it dates back to the 17th Century. The gardens were
        redesigned and terraced in the 19th Century. The formal gardens that you see today were
        replanted in the 1950s but preserve many of the original features, the ancient yew hedges and the
        remaining beech tree planted by Queen Victoria, commemorating her visit in 1842.


        Crieff. Throughout medieval times the town was a major political and judicial centre that developed
        into the main cattle trading centre in Scotland between the 16th and 18th centuries. Drovers, and
        up to 30,000 black cattle, would converge on the huge livestock market. The town was also
        famous, or infamous, for hanging many lawless Highlanders.

        Nearby is the Library of Innerpeffray, the oldest in Scotland, dating from 1680.
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