The National Wallace Monument in Stirling, Scotland, was constructed in 1869 to forever immortalise and celebrate William Wallace’s triumph at The Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. This iconic structure stands proud overlooking both Stirling Castle and Stirling Bridge, and is considered one of Scotland’s most celebrated landmarks, welcoming over 100,000 visitors every year.
As the 150th anniversary of the tower approached in 2019, Historic Scotland approached LITE to completely overhaul the existing halogen lighting with something far more modern, cost-effective and flexible, whilst still respecting the planning restrictions that come with a Category A listed building.
LITE, responsible for both the design and installation of the new lighting scheme, had to work within the parameters of the existing lighting – matching fixture positions and cabling to prevent further interference with the structure of the monument. They chose a Pharos LPC for dynamic control of the new LED fixtures.
The fixtures at the base of the monument were replaced with four clusters of three ColorReach RGBW each. The columns at the rear were replaced with bespoke cages designed to accommodate three ColorReach RGBW as well as providing additional security. Fixtures at the top of the monument were replaced with ColorBlast RGBA, an LED mix designed to ensure a “warm glow” as requested by the client. An eW Blast was used to illuminate the Bronze sculpture of William Wallace located at the corner of the tower.
The LPC is kept at base of the tower along with a 3G remote access route, giving Historic Scotland the huge benefit of remote access so that they can change the lighting at any time for holidays or special events. The new lighting has been received extremely positively by the community and visitors to the area, and a special light show was an essential part of the 150th anniversary celebrations in September 2019. Since May 1st 2020, rainbow colours light up the crown of the monument each night to act as a beacon of hope during a difficult year.
