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The William Wallace Monument, Stirling. It is a tower standing on the summit of Abbey Craig, commemorating Sir William Wallace, a 13th century Scottish national hero. Photo by BusterBrownBB.

Top 10 Interesting Facts about William Wallace Monument- Stirling, UK

The William Wallace Monument is a tall tower of approximately 68 meters on the Abbey Craig hilltop. It is located in Stirling, Scotland. The Wallace monument, as its name suggests, was built in memory and honor of Sir William Wallace.

 Sir William was a Scottish hero during the First War of Scottish Independence . This was a series of wars between Scotland and England. The Scots sought to maintain their independence from English rule.

Sir William was one of the Scottish heroes who emerged at the time, fighting fearlessly for Scotland’s sovereignty.

The monument was built in the 19^th century.  It sits on Abbey Craig, where it is believed that Sir William watched the English forces gather before the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

It is open to the public. There are 246 steps to climb up the observation point. Here are the top 10 interesting facts about the William Wallace Monument.

1. Its construction was funded by the public

In 1851, a Reverend Charles Rogers who was a Scottish minister and author began a fundraising campaign in Glasgow. It is said he wrote over 20,000 letters to raise money from the public!

Funds collected were to be directed to the building of the monument. Another prime mover to the monument’s construction was William Burns. He took charge of the campaign after Charles resigned.

Building began in 1861 and by 1869, it was complete. Besides the public, some foreign donors such as Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi also gave contributions.

2. It was designed by John Thomas Rochead

He was a Scottish architect in the 19^th century in Glasgow. He won the task of designing the monument in an architectural competition to find its designer. His most notable work is having designed the Wallace monument.

The monument has Victorian gothic designs, consisting of a baronial tower, massive walls, a circular arched gateway for the courtyard at the foot of the tower, and an imperial crown at its top.

 John Thomas was an employee and trainee of David Hamilton, a renowned Scottish architect of the time. He has been termed the ‘father of design’ in Glasgow.

Some of John’s other works include the Adelphi Theatre in Glasgow, St. John’s Free Church, the Knock Castle, and Buchanan Street railway station, just to mention but a few.

 3. It rests on the site where the Battle of Stirling Bridge took place

A Victorian depiction of the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Photo by Unknown author.

The Wallace Monument is built on Abbey Craig, a hilltop overlooking Stirling. It was the site of William Wallace’s headquarters during the Battle of Stirling. The battle was part of the First War of Scottish Independence.

It is believed that William Wallace watched the advance of the English forces while standing on Abbey Craig. He defeated King Edward’s army. There is a gallery at the Wallace monument documenting these events.

4. The Wallace monument has three exhibition rooms

On the first floor is the Hall of Arms, which is a gallery portraying William Wallace’s life and legacy. The Wallace sword is contained here too.

The one on the second floor, the Hall of Heroes, has sculptures of Scottish heroes. On the third floor is the ‘Royal Chamber’, with a breathtaking gallery showcasing some of the facts and figures surrounding events at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

The top part of the tower, the crown, provides spectacular views of the Battle of Stirling’s site in all directions from the tower.

5. The monument contains the original statue of Wallace

Wallace Monument Statue of William Wallace. Photo by Karel.

The statue is one of the most beloved works of Scottish sculptor, David Watson Stevenson. He used marble and bronze.

He also made statues of Mary Queen of Scots and James IV of Scotland. This original Wallace statue stands on the side of the monument.

6. It has stained glass windows

William Wallace Stained glass window in the Wallace monument. Photo by Mike Pennington.

In 1886, a company, James Ballantine & Son installed around eleven stained glass windows at the monument. They charged a total of 210 sterling pounds. The stained windows have images of Scottish figures.

7. It is famously associated with the film, Braveheart

The film portrays William Wallace’s life and battle endeavors during the First War of Scottish Independence. Mel Gibson plays his part. The film is based on the account of William’s life by Blind Harry’s lengthy and epic poem, commonly known as ‘The Wallace.’

 The film was released in 1995 and it was relatively a success. It won many awards such as Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, MTV Movie Awards, and the Golden Reel Awards, just to mention a few.

8. The modern Wallace statue was inspired by the film Braveheart

Tom Church statue ‘Freedom’. Photo by Rook543.

It was carved by Tom Church in 1996, a year after Braveheart was released. He named it ‘Freedom’.

The face of the statue is that of Mel Gibson who plays William Wallace. However, the statue was very unpopular and it got vandalized severally.

 Church had leased it to Stirling Council, who placed it at the visitor center at the foot of Abbey Craig.

The Council had to put it in a cage to protect it from further damage. It was later given back to Tom Church. In 2021, the statue was moved to Glebe Park stadium.

9. The medieval Wallace sword is on display at the William Wallace monument

The Wallace Sword, William Wallace Monument, Stirling. Photo by Mike Pennington.

The sword is two-handed, approximately 5ft. It weighs about 6 pounds. It is believed to have been used by Sir William at the Battle of Stirling in 1297, where he defeated the English forces on River Forth.

It was one of the battles of the First War of Scottish Independence. The sword was kept in Dumbarton castle until 1869.  It was later placed at the Wallace monument.

10. The monument contains a Hall of Heroes

The hall has a series of bust sculptures of  Scottish heroes. These include Robert the Bruce, John Knox the reformist, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Hugh Miller, David Livingstone, and George Buchanan.

In 2017, two heroines got added to the hall of heroes at the monument. These are Mary Slessor, a Scottish Christian missionary known for advocating for women and children’s rights, and Margaret Keswick Jencks, co-founder of Maggie’s Centres.