From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Wallace National Monument (generally known as the Wallace Monument) is a tower standing on the summit of Abbey Craig, a hilltop near Stirling in Scotland. It commemorates William Wallace, the 13th century Scottish hero.

The tower was constructed following a fundraising campaign which accompanied a resurgence of Scottish national identity in the 19th century. In addition to public subscription, it was partially funded by contributions from a number of foreign donors, including Italian national leader Giuseppe Garibaldi. Completed in 1869 to the designs of architect John Thomas Rochead, the monument is a 220 foot sandstone tower, built in the Victorian Gothic style. It stands on the Abbey Craig, a volcanic crag above Cambuskenneth Abbey, from which Wallace was said to have watched the gathering of the army of English king Edward I, just before the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

The monument is open to the general public. Visitors climb the 246 step spiral staircase to the viewing gallery inside the monument's crown, which provides expansive views of the Ochil Hills and the Forth Valley.

A number of artifacts believed to belong to Wallace are on display inside the monument, including a 5 foot 4 inch-long claymore.

In 1997, a statue of “William Wallace” was placed in the car park of the Wallace Monument. The statue however appeared not to resemble the historic face of Wallace; rather it seemed to be modelled after Mel Gibson's appearance as Wallace in the film Braveheart. Wallace’s shield even reads the word ‘Braveheart’.(See image[1])

William Temby^[1] claimed that Scottish people found this disturbing and that groups have protested for the removal of the statue due to its obvious lack of authenticity, and as a result of officials denying the request, the statue was defaced.

1. ^ William Temby. "Braveheart, wrong head: the cinimazation of history", The Daily Cardinal, 2004-04-12. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.

• Undiscovered Scotland: The Wallace Monument
• InStirling's page on the monument

Coordinates: 56°8′19″N, 3°55′13″W