Meet Dunedin's Sister City - Stirling, Scotland

The city of Dunedin, Florida was named by two Scotsman, J.O. Douglas and James Somerville, and the name comes from Dùn Èideann, which is the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh. The city continues to maintain and embrace its Scottish roots with the Dunedin Highland Games, the City of Dunedin Pipe Band, and as sister city to Stirling, Scotland.

Last year, I spent my birthday in Stirling, Scotland. Located about an hour from Edinburgh, Stirling is rich with history, was voted the safest city in the United Kingdom in 2017, and is considered one of the most affordable cities to live in the UK. It's renowned as the Gateway to the Highlands, and a recommended stop along the way.

Major battles during the Wars of Scottish Independence took place at Stirling Bridge, and fans of the 1995 movie, Braveheart, will recall the Battle of Stirling Bridge as the "Hold" scene. Today visitors to Stirling can visit the National Wallace Monument, a tower sitting on the shoulder of Abbey Crag, a hilltop which overlooks Stirling.

Many travelers, like myself, venture to Stirling to tour Stirling Castle, one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland. Sitting atop Castle Hill, it is easily spotted when driving into the city.

Prior to exploring Stirling Castle, we walked a little into Old Town to see a little of the city and for a quick breakfast. A short walk through this area and you are quickly surrounded by centuries of history. It is hard not to wonder about the past story of every building you stroll past.

Once inside Stirling Castle, prepare to spend hours exploring every inch of the castle grounds. Even knowing it was one of the largest castles in the country, I was still amazed by the fact that every turn delivered more and more to explore.

As you walk around, you will find throughout that there are walls and hills you can climb atop to be treated to some breathtaking views of Stirling and the surrounding area... even on a cloudy day. Some of those hills can get a little steep and slippery when wet (and let's face it, it's Scotland so rain is almost a given), so I recommend wearing hiking boots or something similar with great traction. I happened to have my hiking boots on because we were planning to drive the hour to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, and I am so glad I did. One of my favorite experiences at Stirling Castle was standing in the middle of a large hill and being treated to 360 degrees of amazing sights.

Besides climbing hills and staircases to the top of walls, be prepared for descending steps and crawling through some smaller spaces during your exploration of the castle. If you are like me and want to see every corner of a castle, make sure to follow every path and turn, and you are certain to discover some intriguing and often quiet area that others missed. Additionally, there were at least eight sieges of Stirling Castle, and damage from these can still be spotted on walls.

Of course, you will also find yourself in the Royal Apartments, the Chapel Royal, and the Great Hall (make sure to have your royal moment sitting on the throne). Throughout these areas you will spot Scotland's national animal, the unicorn.

It was a memorable visit full of exploration and history to the sister city of my current home. If you ever find yourself in Scotland be sure to include Stirling Castle on your Must See List. You will not be disappointed.