Wallace Monument

The Wallace Monument stands on Abbey Craig, a hilltop overlooking Stirling in Scotland. It is a 67-metre sandstone tower built to commemorate Sir William Wallace, a Scottish hero of the 13th and 14th centuries. The site overlooks Cambuskenneth Abbey and the Forth Valley. Wallace is said to have watched King Edward I’s army gather here before the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. The tower was completed in 1869 after an eight-year build. The monument was funded by public subscription and contributions from foreign donors, including Italian leader Giuseppe Garibaldi. The campaign began in Glasgow in 1851 under Rev Charles Rogers, later led by William Burns. Architect John Thomas Rochead designed the Victorian Gothic structure. Its foundation stone was laid in 1861 by the Duke of Atholl. The tower cost £18,000 to build. Inside, visitors climb 246 steps to a viewing gallery offering views of the Ochil Hills and Forth Valley. Three exhibition rooms display artefacts linked to Wallace, including his 1.63-metre longsword. The Hall of Heroes features busts of famous Scots such as Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and David Livingstone. A statue of Wallace by David Watson Stevenson stands outside. A controversial statue inspired by the film *Braveheart* was removed in 2008.