National Wallace Monument – A Visitor’s Guide

Inside the National Wallace Monument

The National Wallace Monument is bigger than most people expect (and includes more stuff than most people expect). When you visit, you’ll find:

The stairs: from bottom to top, the National Wallace Monument has 246 steps. These steps (obviously) take you to the top of the tower, where you’ll find all the fun stuff and an observation platform. From this observation platform, you can see the Ochil Hills, the Forth Valley, Ben Lomond, and the Pentland Hills. This viewing platform is also known as ‘The Crown,’ cos its roof sort of looks a bit like a crown.

The outside: when you get to the car park, you’ll find a map of the area and a load of marked forest trails. From here, you can follow some of these trails aimlessly, you can wander along the 20-minute marked trail from here to the monument, or you can hop onto the regularly-running minibus service from the car park to the monument (this drive takes less than 5 minutes).

The ground floor: there’s not much to see here. You’ll find a gift store, and the Keeper’s Lodge (where there’s a 1-minute promotional video playing on a loop). You don’t need to pay to enter this floor.

The Hall of Arms: here, you’ll learn about the big man himself. This room unpacks the truths and myths around William Wallace, including who he was, who he became, and how he’s remembered now. The most famous part of this room is The Wallace Sword, a two-handed weapon believed to belong to the man. It measures in at 1.68m (5.5 feet) and weighs approximately 3kg (6.6 lbs).

The Hall of Heroes: this room (as you’ve probably guessed from its name) celebrates other Scottish heroes. It features busts of these icons, along with some information cards. Big names featured here include Robert the Bruce, Adam Smith, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, Mary Slessor, and Maggie Keswick Jencks.

The Royal Chamber: this room is centered around The Battle of Stirling Bridge, the conflict that inspired the location of the monument. You’ll see weapons, coats of arms, and a reconstruction of the landscape.

The Wallace Statue: in 1887, Scottish sculptor David Watson Stevenson designed a statue of William Wallace. Now, this statue is attached to the outside of the monument. The statue holds up a sword, and measures in at 6 meters (20 feet).

… and other artifacts and attractions!

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