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Wallace Monument, Scotland

The idea for a Scottish national monument came into being around 1810. Glasgow and Edinburgh fought over it, with Stirling eventually accepted as a neutral site. Wholly funded by private contributions, initial enthusiasm was followed by a period when donations slowed to a trickle. It took five years to gather necessary funds. Perhaps like nationalism itself, the idea is initially exciting, while the reality is often not what is expected.

Inspite of difficulties, enough money was finally raised. A massive fairytale tower was conceived by John Thomas Rochead, and built on Abbey Craig at Stirling. The nineteenth century was the time when Scottish identity came into being, to some extent as a modern construction. In 1822 George IV visited Scotland, and Walter Scott was appointed master of ceremonies. He took the decision to tartanise Scotland for the occasion. Colonel David Stewart of the Black Watch produced an illustrated guide showing which tartan was relevant to which family. This fanciful document was called Sketches of the Character, Manners and Present State of the Highlanders of Scotland. It was hoped that a tartan theme would help Scotland show a united front, and help overcome traditional hostility between Highland and Lowland Scots. In the sense that tartan is now associated with the whole of Scotland, the plan worked. Scotland has a long history as a nation, stretching back back to Kenneth MacAlpin, whose reign is dated to 840 - 857AD. But as Hugh Trevor Roper has written in The Invention Of Scotland it is also a country which, like many others, has myths to give the impression of a history of a country more united than it actually was. Many of these myths date to the nineteenth century, as does the apparently ancient Wallace Monument. 20,000 people attended the opening ceremony on 24th June 1861. The monument was dedicated to William Wallace, who for a while in the 1290s had some success in fighting the forces of Edward I, before being captured and executed in London. But whether the reputation of Wallace, or of anyone, can actually support the weight of a 220 foot sandstone tower is debatable. It is hard to define a hero, and our historical heroes tend to change through history as our perspective changes. This is the problem with building a massive tower on the reputation of one man.

In the "Hall of Heroes" on the tower's upper floor is a bust of Adam Smith, the eighteenth century Scottish economist. In 1746 Adam Smith, after a period in Oxford, went to live in Edinburgh, working as a lecturer at the university. He taught history, and pioneered the study of English Literature. Sometimes Smith has been accused of betraying Scottish culture through the stress in his teaching on English and English authors. It was not in the spirit of trying to impose a cultural monopoly that Smith taught English. Smith wanted to reach out to the wider world. As an economist he knew that Scotland would not be prosperous by being Scotland on its own.

View from the top of the monument

As is usual for buildings linked with national identity, the Wallace Monument is tall. This makes it striking to look at, and when you stand on the top there is a sense of seeing a complete place rather than just a little bit of it. But this sense of completeness is an optical illusion, a thrill which has little to do with what goes on down on the ground. It's a bit like going to see Mel Gibson painting his face blue and shouting "freedom!" In reality most people down on the ground are more interested in things like free prescriptions. As Adam Smith knew, people are more likely to enjoy the fruits of prosperity in a country with close, positive links with its neighbours. When I visited the Wallace Monument an animatronic Wallace was reciting the Declaration of Arbroath like a prayer: "For we fight not for glory, nor riches, nor honour, but for freedom which no good man gives up except with his life." To me there is nothing wrong with glory, honour, or riches. These are perhaps better things than freedom, which means different things to different people. Certainly it is usually economic considerations that dictate the fate of nations, rather than abstract notions like freedom. It was money that probably persuaded Scotland to sign the Act of Union with England in 1707. See, for example Barry Coward's The Stuart Age P418 where the background to the seemingly bizarre union between England and Scotland is discussed. A cash payment of £385,085 was promised, along with guarantees of free trade. Even in the most divided societies it is prosperity that has the final word. As Anthony Seldon says of the reasons behind Irish peace initiatives in 1992 - 93, "...economic changes in the North were transforming the prosperity for catholics in Londonderry and even Belfast. Prosperity meant both were becoming far less propitious hotbeds for hard-line terrorists." (John Major P418) As Adam Smith knew, prosperity is more important than "freedom."

The Wallace Monument is interesting as an example of the way the past is recreated by the present. But it is also a cautionary tale, that most of what we call "proud" national history in whatever country we live in, is not what it seems.

The Monument has a gift shop and restaurant, and walks through forested slopes of the Abbey Craig.

Directions: The Wallace Monument is just outside Stirling, off the B998. There is car parking at the site. Click here for an interactive map centred on the Wallace Monument.

Address: The National Wallace Monument, Hillfoots Road, Causeway, Stirling, FK9 5LF

Opening Times: January to March, open daily 10.30am - 4pm. April to June, open daily 10am - 5pm. July to August, open daily 10am - 6pm. September to October, open daily, 10am - 5pm. November and December, open daily, 10am - 4pm.

Access: The reception building with shop and restaurant is fully accessible. A bus service can take visitors up the Abbey Craig to the base of the monument. But the monument itself can only be climbed via 246 steps and would present difficulties to those with mobility problems.

Contact:

telephone: 01786 472140

web site: http://www.nationalwallacemonument.com/index.php