The National Wallace Monument

The National Wallace Monument is a 67-meter-high tower on the Abbey Craig hill, dedicated to Scotland's most famous hero - Sir William Wallace of Elerslie (1270-1305), whose story is told by the famous film "Braveheart" by Mel Gibson. The facility offers three exhibitions: an armory (including the legendary Wallace's sword), a hall presenting Scottish national heroes and an exhibition devoted to the history of the monument. There is a viewing point at the top of the tower. The property has a gift shop and a bar.

In Scotland there are over 20 places (towers, monuments) commemorating Wallace, the largest of which is The National Wallace Monument. It was built in the years 1861-1869 according to the design of the Edinburgh-born architect JT Rochet. The location of the tower is justified by the fact that the greatest of Wallace's victories over the English was the Battle of Stirling, fought on September 11, 1297.

William Wallace was the son of a small landowner. The leader of the Scottish uprising against the English in 1297 was - as legend has it - after killing the sheriff of Lanark, in retaliation for the death of Marion Braidfute, who was married a year earlier. Wallace used an effective strategy of avoiding direct confrontation in combat: he dragged the English into traps, attacked smaller units. After initial successes, he was abandoned by Scottish magnates, then captured and executed in London in 1305. His head was stuck as a warning on the London Bridge.