Today The Rambling Sloth Explores Stirling…. Well Stirling Castle to be precise. I’m meeting Mum and Dad up there. Our tour of Scottish castles continues!

I love doing things like this with them as we are making memories rather than sitting about in each other’s houses.

I woke at 5 but managed to fall back to sleep before the alarm at 7am… only got 86% for last nights sleep…. Love that I think Fitbit is scoring me. 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

My train is 8.42 out of Glengarnock to Glasgow Central.

The forecast is not the best for a day out but as the week’s gone on, it’s got slightly better and there is sun now, in amongst some showers. It is very windy though!

This is my journey from home up to Stirling.

Of course I’ve taken the train as I like doing now. I get to watch the world go by rather than have to drive and find parking spaces.

Just as we pull into Stirling the heavens open but Mum and Dad are already in the car park waiting for me. We head straight up to Stirling Castle.

Within 5 minutes the sun is shining again and that’s par for the course all day.

Mum took this lovely one of Dad and I looking at the Sir Robert the Bruce monument and in the distance over to the Wallace Monument, if you zoom in.

I tried to get a photo without all the cars parked on the Esplanade.

This is actually all you can see of the castle as you walk in.

Mum and Dad are members of Historic Scotland so mum only had to book a ticket for me. We went straight to the Unicorn Cafe for coffee and cake… can’t sightsee without sustenance!

By the time we come out it’s raining again, but the mini daffodils are so pretty in the stunning gardens around the castle.

I got talking to a couple from the Gold Coast in Australia, right under that big tree, as we sheltered from the rain. We were talking about the history it must have seen in the past. I love taking to people I don’t know.

The views off behind that tree are just stunning. Stirling Castle is built high up with views for miles around.

You can also see the next band of rain moving in. actually this one was moving away!

This is the Wallace Monument which is off to the other side.

Back into the gardens.

This is the back of the Grand Hall. It’s beautiful in the sunlight and look at that sky! We are soooo ready for some sunshine with actual heat in it. In Scotland we can sometimes have some warm weather in March, not so this year.

You can tell how windy it was!! Mrs no hat is creating havoc for the selfie.

Love this tunnel.

The front of the Grand Hall.

And this is inside.

With the Queen on her throne. 👸🏻 😂

Last time I sat here I was with my Australian cousin Linda in 2018!

Love this one of mum and dad… not posed, just resting.

The stain glass windows are stunning in the sunlight.

This is the gift shop but sure it was something else long before that!

The circle on the ground below is the remains of the Kings gardens. I’ve never noticed this before. The Queens garden is just out of shot.

The flags 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Guess you have a rough idea that I took loads of these until the Scotland flag actually blew in the right direction!

Another favourite shot of mum and dad… both being present in the moment.

Now I made them pose!

I love this of Mum wandering around the chapel.

Now we’re inside the newly renovated Palace. Dad says when we were kids we walked through this and it was all just stone and wood. It was refurbished in 2011 to look as it may have back in the day when Kings and Queens lived here. (I have to confess to not being too great on the history of it all… there’s way too much to remember and I’m more taken with the beauty than anything else).

The ceilings are stunningly beautiful. This is the famous Stirling Heads. Which are carved oak roundels, recreated from the 1540’s.

Not the best shot but there was a full rainbow when we left.

I’ve had the best day. If you’ve followed the blog for a while you will know that I’ve realised that THIS is what makes me tick. I love exploring, catching blue sky and taking photos of the beauty that I see.

My head is clear, I’m present in the moment all day. There is no stress, no worry, no fear, no irritation. Just calm…. And a fair wee bit of excitement. Quite a bit of excitement to be honest.

This is living for me. Making the most of each day as much as I can.

Happy weekend to you all!

Stay safe everyone 🏰🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👸🏻