The Summer Season Is In Full Swing!

The Easter weekend marked the start of the 2006 holiday season, and in the period leading up to the month of August the number of visitors arriving at The Monument has been growing steadily. The Bank Holiday weekends in April and May were exceptionally busy periods - with a lot of visitors making their way to The Monument during one of the first holidays of the year.

The seasonal staff who work at The Monument during the main Summer period have also now joined the team, and are enjoying welcoming visitors from all around the world who come to see one of Scotland's best-known attractions.

The Story of The Monument

The National Wallace Monument Guide Book is one of the most popular souvenirs for visitors to The Monument - who can now obtain a copy at the reduced price of £5 if they purchase when they are buying their admission ticket. This discount is also available to all Friends of The National Monument - with no extra charge for postage or packing!

To purchase your copy - all you have to do is forward a cheque (made payable to Stirling District Tourism Limited) for the number of copies you wish to purchase (at £5.00 per copy) to Mrs. J. McDonald, The National Wallace Monument, Abbey Craig, Hillfoots Road, Causewayhead, Stirling FK9 5LF. You should also enclose your full address details, and the address to which the Guide Book(s) should be sent, if different.

A popular feature at The Monument

There is one aspect of The Monument which visitors particularly appreciate and enjoy - the regular appearance of costumed actors who play the role of characters from history (including of course William Wallace), and who give impromptu displays of the costumes and weaponry which would have been in everyday use at the end of the 13th Century. The 2006 programme of appearances is now under way, with actors appearing at The Monument on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

An Encounter with Wallace

In 2005 The National Wallace Monument was one of the principal centres participating in the special events and activities which commemorated the 700th anniversary of the execution of William Wallace in 1305. In August 2005 The Monument staged a programme of special dramatic performances, which were especially popular with visitors. The programme is being staged again in 2006 - as 'An Encounter with Wallace', with daily presentations of three special programmes -

Freedom - retelling the thoughts of a soldier after The Battle of Stirling Bridge.

Wilderness - capturing all the emotion of Wallace's life, as he talks with John Blair, his lifelong friend and confessor.

Wallace's Heel - in which Wallace comes face to face with King Edward I, as he defends his campaign.

You can see these performances every day between 18th and 28th August 2006, with presentations between 10:00am and 3:30pm.

"Was that William Wallace I just saw??"

Perhaps it was - or at least it looked like him!

The costumed actors who appear regularly at The National Wallace Monument have been out and about this summer, representing The Monument at different events including Braveheart Night at Hamilton Park Racecourse, and at the Stirling and District Classic Car Club's Annual Rally, held in the shadow of The Monument at Strathallan Park, Bridge of Allan.

Events such as these provide an opportunity to promote The Monument alongside other visitor attractions in the Stirling area - often to audiences who might not otherwise be targeted by the promotional campaigns which are directed at holidaymakers and tourist visitors in the Stirling area.

"Something Old, Something New..."

The emphasis at The Monument recently has definitely been on something new, with a major review undertaken of the items available for purchase in the souvenir and gift shops, which are located within The Visitor Pavilion and The Monument itself. Of course the most popular items are all still available, but new ranges of jewellery, stationery, foods and souvenirs have all been introduced.

Very often visitors (especially those who are on an itinerary with limited time) who are unable to enter The Monument itself still visit the shopping areas, to which of course there is no admission charge.

Visit our website www.nationalwallacemonument.com

For all National Wallace Monument Enquiries & Information, please call: 01786 472140