Falkirk lies between Edinburgh and Stirling and is the site of a large Roman fort dating back to AD80, whilst Stirling itself is well known, especially since the film 'Braveheart', and popular with tourists. The ancient Castle, built on a rocky outcrop, is in a strategic and commanding position which guaranteed its importance to the Scottish Crown. It changed hands between the warring English and Scots many times and Mary, Queen of Scots, was crowned here in 1543. William Wallace recaptured it from the English in 1297 and Robert the Bruce did the same in 1314. The Wallace Memorial is a pinnacled tower, 220 ft. high, with a statue of Wallace.
A few miles north of Stirling lies Dunblane, site of a cathedral founded in the 12th century but mostly dating from the 13th-15th centuries. Beyond Dunblane the A9 heads north into Perthshire and the Trossachs or, bypassing Perth, take the road to Dundee or the A94 to Forfar.