The Abbey Craig
The Abbey Craig is open to the public all year round, and visitors do not require an admission ticket to explore the woodland walks in the area. Many of the trails lead to stunning viewpoints of the surrounding landscape, overlooking the city of Stirling and towards Stirling Castle.
The paths and trails all have a hard surface of loose stone. They are wide but can be steep and uneven in some areas. Other smaller woodland paths can be narrow, steep, and muddy – so please take care while exploring.
Woodcarving Trail
The woodcarving trail on The Wallace Way is designed to take visitors on a journey through time to learn more about Stirling’s fascinating history, from the ice age through to the building of the Monument. The beautiful collection was designed by Iain Chalmers and is made predominantly out of cedar wood.
The 15-20 minute route ascends the Abbey Craig and takes visitors from the car park to the entrance of the Monument. (The Wallace Way is the yellow pathway in the map below).
Nature Trails and Woodland Walks
The Stirling Trail is the red pathway in the map below. This walk will take you from The Monument to the viewpoint overlooking the city of Stirling and Stirling Castle. From this point you can return to The Monument, or you can continue on the trail, and re-join the pathway back to the Car Park. Allow 35 minutes for this trail.
The Abbey Trail is the blue pathway in the map below. By following this trail you can complete a walk around the woodlands of The Abbey Craig, and re-join the pathway back to the Car Park. Allow 45 minutes for this trail.
Nature Activity Sheets
Remember to pick up one of our free nature activity sheets, available at the front desk inside The Monument, before you set off on adventure.
Packed with fun puzzles, games and educational activities, it’s the perfect way for children to explore the woodland while learning about some of Scotland’s native birds and important pollinators that can be spotted around The Abbey Craig.
The history of The Abbey Craig
It’s hard to imagine The Abbey Craig – the rock on which the Monument stands, being surrounded by water, but this volcanic outcrop once projected into a prehistoric sea loch, from which even whalebones have been washed up!
As this sea silted up to create a bog, it formed a barrier to movement, assuring Stirling of its place in history as the lowest crossing point of the Forth, with the land to the north referred to by the Romans as “an island apart”.
Given the significance of this crossing point, a series of fortifications were built to control it, including the castle, and three hillforts, one of which was on the Abbey Craig. It comprised three sets of ramparts, and it is quite likely that the innermost (still visible behind the Monument) was used by Wallace ahead of the Battle of Stirling Bridge. The hillfort on the Abbey Craig had been destroyed in the 7th Century AD in a fire of such intensity that the stone melted as the temperature soared over 1,000°C, a process known as vitrification.
Prehistoric finds uncovered by archaeologists on the site have included an axe and a hoard of bronze spears.
Stone quarried from The Abbey Craig was used in the building of the Monument, and it is still possible to see some of the quarries.
