One of my favorite scenes from the movie “Made of Honor” is when Hannah and her Scottish fiancé, Colin, are sitting at the dinner table discussing baby names with Colin’s Aunt and Uncle. “Little Atholl,” suggests the aunt in her thick Scottish accent, mimicking stroking a baby in her arms. Now to Hannah, as to you or I, Atholl (which sounds exactly like that certain swear used used to reference a jerk) would not be a name we would name a child. But in Scotland, it was the Duke of Atholl who rebuilt the little village of Dunkeld after a 16- hour battle with the Jacobites and piped a water supply for the villagers.
Today, a beautiful gothic fountain sits in the oldest part of Dunkeld called the Cross, where the mercat (or market) once stood. This fountain was built in 1866 to commemorate the 6th Duke of Atholl who was the Duke which piped the water into the little town. Before the fresh water was piped in, the villagers had to rely on the water supply from the River Tay which Dunkeld is situated beside. Subsequent Dukes of Atholl have also contributed to the well-being and upkeep of the village by rebuilding and restoring houses in this older section of town.
\Another prominent feature of the town is the gorgeous cathedral which was built in stages between 1260 and 1501. However, the site on which it stands has been Holy Ground since 730 AD when the celtic arrived and built a monastery there overlooking the River Tay. Although half of the cathedral is in ruin, the other half is still an active cathedral with beautiful architectural details and an intricate stained glass window.
From Dunkeld we arrived in Stirling, also famous for being featured in a movie, though this being the actual historical location of the first major victory for a man called Braveheart. No, I am not referring to Mel Gibson, though he did play the character of William Wallace in the very inaccurate portrayal of Scotland’s first hero. The Wallace monument sits atop Abbey Craig, where it is told that Wallace watched the English army gather right before the battle. The monument has 246 steps up to the top, and hiking the craig was about a 10-minute hike itself, but the views of the town of Stirling from the top are breathtaking.
From the monument’s roof you can see the field and the remnants of the bridge where the battle took place in 1297. The Scots were far outnumbered by both foot soldiers and cavalry, but the Scots knew their country and outsmarted the English, letting them all cross the narrow bridge, only fighting once they had reached the other side. The bridge collapsed under the weight of the English army and many of the English drowned, naming the Scots the victors. A bit different from Mel Gibson’s version, but you get the point. Beyond the bridge you can also see the beautiful Stirling Castle which I wish I had had the chance to explore. Overall, Stirling was an adorable little town and I think my sister is going to have a great time going to college there for the semester. She might even read a little bit of history, but if you know Taylor, you know that’s a long shot!
