Day 1: Adventures in Scotland
Day 1: Adventures in Scotland started on a beautiful day in June 2025. However, we almost didn’t get past SeaTac! The Seattle Tacoma airport is a maze. Nobody was around to ask for directions and nothing was posted for our flight. We didn’t even know how to get to the correct terminal to continue our journey. Thankfully God sent an angel who helped us get to the right concourse. In fact, there were many angels throughout our journey. I know that there were even more instances of angels, as well as God’s providence and protection. Every time we were lost someone arrived who was able to help us. Delays ended up being Divine protection or blessings of something better than we ever imagined. We started every day with a prayer for guidance, and ended with a prayer of thanks. I’m excited to share this truly blessed adventure!
Exploring Falkirk Council
Exploring Falkirk Council was the first thing that we did once we got to Scotland. Of course I planned it so that visiting the Kelpies was at the start of our adventures in Scotland!
The Kelpies at Helix Park
As you walk from The Helix car park, the first thing you come to is the Kelpies Visitor Centre and Cafe. Right outside of the Cafe are 1:10 scale models of the Kelpies. On the backside of the spectacular Kelpies is The Horsebox Café & Gift Shop. Their artisan ice cream is truly delicious.
First view of the Kelpies from the M9 in Falkirk, Scotland, UK 
Passing the Kelpies on the M9 in Falkirk, Scotland, UK
According to what I’d read, the parking lot closest to the Kelpies is usually full. So we parked at the first Helix car park we came to since there was parking available there. Besides, we wanted to see the ‘Centaur Straw Statue‘ that you walk past on your way to the Kelpies.
The statues, as well as all of the other scenery along the canal, were well worth the extra walking!
The Falkirk Wheel
It was a bit of a race to get to the Falkirk Wheel boat trip on time. One thing that you learn is that it takes longer to get everywhere in Scotland. Add at least 30 minutes to however long Google or Apple maps say that it will take and give yourself time to pay for parking. Then be generous with how much time you plan to spend at each place. Trust me, you will want more time once you are there! There is a fine line between seeing everything that you want, but also being present to fully enjoy where you are.
The boat tour was quite entertaining. We barely made it onto the boat in time, so we were sitting in back with the experienced captain. The young captain-in-training was our tour guide. When the tour guide wasn’t talking, the older captain had my aunt and I cracked up with stories of his experiences. My favorite story was the tourist who dropped her brand new iPhone overboard. She asked him to drain the canal so she could get her phone. When he told her they couldn’t do that she became quite insistent that they needed to drain the canal to get her phone. With that level of audacity she had to be an American!
I was a bit concerned about the height of the Falkirk wheel tour. However, worries about knocking knees and going into a cold sweat weren’t enough to deter me. This was too great an opportunity for incredible pictures while experiencing this famous Scottish icon! Because it is water displacement that lifts and lowers the wheel, you really don’t feel the height change of the boat.
Even though it was a little overcast, the view was spectacular. We could even see the Kelpies!
Roughcastle Tunnel
Roughcastle Tunnel was one of many places that I thought, “too bad we won’t see that”. Imagine my delight when I saw this sign as we toured up the Forth and Clyde Canal! In all of my research I didn’t realize that we would go through the Roughcastle Tunnel on the Falkirk Wheel Tour.
You quickly realize that Scotland is very dog friendly. There are walking trails everywhere, including Roughcastle Tunnel, where you see people walking their doggies. Everyone is so friendly, both people and doggies! We talked to a lot of people and pet their doggies. And yes, in Scotland it is ‘DOGGIES’.
Moving on to Stirling Council
It’s hard to imagine that anything could possibly beat these two Scottish icons, but our next stop did! I don’t think that you can get anymore iconic in Scotland than the Battle of Bannockburn. A friend told me that we didn’t want to miss the magic found in the Bannockburn Visitor Centre and Battle Experience. Was he ever right!
The Battle of Bannockburn Experience
The Battle of Bannockburn Immersive Experience is truly magical. Our guide brought the battle and all of these amazing historic figures to life. It also increased our anticipation for seeing Stirling Castle and Stirling Bridge. Being able to see Stirling Castle on the other side of the Robert the Bruce statue also made us eager for our next day’s adventures!
Outside the Visitor Centre:
Commemorative Monuments
The National Trust for Scotland did amazing conservation and restoration work for the Battle of Bannockburn’s 700th anniversary in 2014. In addition to the rotunda memorial area and statue of Robert the Bruce, there is a medieval physic garden. We didn’t visit the garden since both of us were beginning to feel our two days of traveling. We wanted to rest up for our next adventure! As you will see with the pictures, we spent quite a bit of time enjoying the memorial area.
FOR GOD AND ST. ANDREW
Robert the Bruce
King of Scots
Planted his Standard
Near this spot
when the
Scottish Patriots
Under his command
Vanquished the Army of
Edward II of England at
The Battle of
BANNOCKBURN
24th June – 1314
We fight not for glory nor for
Wealth nor honor bur only and alone
We fight for freedom which no
Good man surrenders but with his life.
‘After the Battle’ Information board at the Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre 
‘Remembering the Battle’ Information board at the Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre 
‘View from the Scottish camp’ Information board at the Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre 
Showing Bannock Burn and Milton Bog on Information board at the Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre 
Halbert’s Bog and Rotunda shown on Information board at the Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre
Meet Robert the Bruce, King of Scots
The tour truly immerses you in 14th century Scotland. You learn so much abut Robert the Bruce, King of Scots. It captured my imagination. I halfway expected King Robert and his horse to charge off to the battlefield!
The End of the Day
By the end of the day we were hungry and worn out! We stopped at the Tesco Express in Callander. It is tiny! The Tesco in Stirling had everything that we needed when we stopped the next day.
Since we had some time before we could check in, we enjoyed the view at The Meadows while eating our sandwiches.
Callander: A Hidden Gem
If you need a place to stay close to Stirling, Callander is a hidden gem. Even reserving our stays 9 months prior to our trip, it was impossible to find anything remotely budget friendly in Stirling. One of my Scotland experts told me to look in Callander. We ended up at the most delightful Airbnb. I highly recommend Retreat on the Main Street where there are several different room options. Granny’s Attic with its own little kitchen was perfect for our needs. Sadly, we didn’t have time to really enjoy all that Callander has to offer.
Map of Day 1
In this map of Day 1: Adventures in Scotland, you can see that we covered a lot of ground! We got our rental car a little after 10am and checked into the AirBnb about 6pm. You can also see how close we are to Stirling for the next days’ adventures. Glencoe is at the top left corner, so we are ideally situated for adventures on day 3.
If you received the email with the day 1 itinerary, you know that there were a lot of places that we didn’t stop. Scotland is a gorgeous country that will have you planning another trip before you even leave!
