UK Photos 8

We got to Stirling Castle about an hour or so before it closed. But we had our Historic Scotland Explorer Pass so the admission was already included.
Stirling Castle was one of the most important castles in Scotland and home base for many Stewart kings and queens.
The sign said that in this garden, adjacent to the Palace, was where sports like lawn bowling and tennis were played. And it seems they also got together some games of football (soccer for the Yanks). The world's oldest football was discovered in the Palace behind wood paneling dating to the 1500's. Successive Scottish monarchs outlawed the game due to its association with violence. Nevertheless, James IV spent two shillings buying footballs in 1497, while Mary Queen of Scots enjoyed watching a match in 1568. I would be enjoying a game nearby a few hours later.
King's Knot on the left and Queen's Knot on the right were royal gardens made for the coronation visit of Charles I in 1633.
Why are these so many songs about rainbows?
DUPLICATE PHOTO WARNING The National Wallace Monument was built in 1869 to commemorate the future Mel Gibson movie Braveheart released 126 years later.
Yeah, I got yer brave heart right here!
DUPLICATE PHOTO WARNING The Chapel Royal was rebuilt in 1594 for the christening of James VI's first son, Henry.
I don't know why the Great Hall is a difference color from the rest of the castle.
DUPLICATE PHOTO WARNING Caterers were starting to set up the Great Hall for some event that evening.
The King's Outer Hall was where people would wait for a possible audience with the king.
The King's Bedchamber. You would have had to be pretty tight with the king to get to meet with him in this room.
Then again you would have to be in with the queen to meet in her bedchamber. Actually, the king and queen slept in small rooms nearby these bedchambers. The bed there is just symbolic.
The Queen's Inner Hall. "Hey, the queen and I were so drunk last night we went back to the castle and she let me in her inner hall. Heh, heh."
Rush hour in Stirling.
Ashbank B&B is in a neighborhood I would not have expected it to be in.
The room is kind of old-timey looking. You get that sometimes in B&B's.
This is the view from the window.
We didn't have a lot of time and there wasn't too much around so we ate here at the Brewer's Fayre. It's kind of a family restaurant/pub. The food was, well, food. Not great but it was there and not that expensive.
As you may know from previous trips I like to go to soccer matches when I travel. Since the Scottish leagues had some midweek matches I picked Falkirk FC to see.
As the mural shows, the club was founded in 1876. That is the same year as the two oldest baseball teams in Major League Baseball, the Braves and Cubs.
The stadium is newer though. It opened in 2004 and has one main stand and a stand behind each goal.
My unbeaten streak continued as Falkirk defeated Dumbarton 2-0. That put my record of league matches at six wins, two draw and zero losses.

TO WEDNESDAY