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.

Ditch the Travel Itinerary!

I love to travel. I love exploring and discovering new places, new cultures, new customs. 

In my day to day life, I am a planner. When you work two jobs, it’s hard not to be. With limited free time, I have to be a planner to make the most of each day.

When I travel, I am less planner and more let’s see where the day takes me. Don’t get me wrong, I make some plans, but you also won’t find me traveling with a “Clipboard of Fun”. Sorry, Danny Tanner.

I understand the desire to plan every minute of the day when you’re traveling, especially to some place new. You want to try and see everything. You’re spending a lot of money, and you don’t know when you’ll be back. I have traveled like this in the past. Did I enjoy my trip? Yes, but I usually came back needing a vacation from my vacation. Also, I’d sometimes start my trip exhausted and overwhelmed solely from all the planning. 

The first time I traveled and loosened up my desire to do it all, I enjoyed it, and I didn’t feel bummed that I missed some things. Now, I travel with a loosely planned itinerary. I know where I am sleeping each night, have a list of a few must do’s and things I’d like to do if possible, and maybe some restaurant ideas. I’ll also research ways to get around the area and what to pack. Other than that, I just enjoy, explore, and see where the day takes me.

In all honesty, some of my favorite memories of past trips are the things that weren’t plan. The areas we stumbled upon, the nights spent just having a couple pints at a pub we passed on our way somewhere, sitting around a champagne and pizza bar and being entertained, and just wandering around and taking photos.

In October, I traveled to Scotland, and on our last day in Edinburgh, we ventured over to Dean Village and the Water of Leith Walkway. An area we discovered when looking at Google Maps in the morning. We spent the next hour or so exploring the area, taking photos, and chatting with some locals. It ended up being one of my favorite parts of my vacation, and I got some great photos too.

The views when walking around Edinburgh never ceased to amaze me.

Dean Village was a successful grain milling area for over 800 years

The plants and old buildings throughout the area created stunning views.

Given its history, you are likely to stumble upon an old mill stone while exploring Dean Village.

I couldn't stop myself from taking countless photos showing off the plant life and timeless buildings.

St. Bernard's Well along the Water of Leith Walkway

So, here are my travel tips today:

1. Stop planning every hour, every minute of each day of your trip - some of the best memories cannot be planned, and you'll have time to sit back, relax, and enjoy.

2. Don’t be afraid to just explore - you never know what you may stumble upon.

3. Talk to locals - no one knows the area better than they do.

What are some of your travel tips? What’s one of your favorite vacation memories that happened because you just stumbled upon it? Comment below.

Until next time, have a magical day!