The 246-step spiral staircase of the National Wallace Monument

The National Wallace Monument is a 67-metre sandstone tower standing on the shoulder of the Abbey Craig, a hilltop overlooking Stirling in Scotland. It commemorates Sir William Wallace, a 13th- and 14th-century Scottish knight. The site was chosen as the point from which Wallace reportedly watched the gathering of King Edward I of England's army just before the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297.

Construction of the tower began following a fundraising campaign in 1851, which was sparked by a resurgence of Scottish national identity. Rev Charles Rogers started the campaign in Glasgow before William Burns took sole charge in 1855. Funding came from public subscriptions and contributions from foreign donors, including Italian leader Giuseppe Garibaldi. Architect John Thomas Rochead designed the Victorian Gothic structure, which took eight years to build. The foundation stone was laid in 1861 by the Duke of Atholl, and the monument was completed in 1869 at a cost of £18,000.

Visitors can enter the monument for an admission fee and climb a 246-step spiral staircase to a viewing gallery. The gallery provides expansive views of the Ochil Hills and the Forth Valley. Inside, the monument houses three exhibition rooms containing artifacts believed to have belonged to Wallace, including a 1.63-metre longsword weighing 2.35 kilograms. A Hall of Heroes also displays busts of famous Scots, including Robert the Bruce, Robert Burns, and Adam Smith.

The original Victorian statue of Wallace, created by David Watson Stevenson, stands on the corner of the monument. A different statue titled 'Freedom' was carved by Tom Church in 1996, inspired by the film Braveheart. This replica, which featured the face of actor Mel Gibson, was installed in the visitor centre car park in 1997. It was described as one of the most loathed pieces of public art in Scotland and was removed from the site in 2008.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons