Today we drove around Loch Ness and heard some more stories of the lake, from the science to the mysteries. The rain on the lake and the low lying Scottish mist added a very good feeling of mystique to the entire experience.
We travelled to Culloden, the final stand between the Jacobites and the British government troops. On a marshy, boggy field the Scottish Highlanders loyal to the exiled King James were heavily outnumbered, out gunned and completely unprepared for the massacre that took place. In a scant 45 minutes 1,600 Scottish warriors were decimated by the British troops who lost very few soldiers compared to the Jacobite losses. This was the end of the drive for a free Scotland and the beginning of the "ethnic cleansing" that was about to take place.
I wish we had more time than the scant 30 minutes because walking amongst that history, if given enough time, surely one cannot fail to feel the energy that remains. The headstones of the clans who fell, the warrior lines marked out, all was there for the eye to see. And the terrain they battled in, once viewed directly, it was so plain to see why the highlander charge failed miserably. I will have to go back.
We spent two hours dining and wandering in a vey rainy Inverness and then moved over to a whisky distillery for a very good lesson on how single malt whiskies are created. Art! The smell in the 20hr fermenting bin was so overwhelming that every person who stuck their head in had the very same reaction! But the overall aroma of the tour was a delight. It ended in a taste test of Singleton Single Malt Whisky.
We then headed back to Fort Augustus and on the way stopped above Urquhart Castle where we had only a few moments to take a couple of pictures. This castle is the only castle on Loch Ness and it was used by Robert the Bruce during his day. Oh. My. God! It was also used by the Jacobites during their uprisings. Again, I wish we had more time to explore this castle because it too was very important in the history of the highlands (and shows up in Deborah Gabaldon's "Outlander" series).
Dinner tonight in Morag's Lodge was lasagna and salad by candle light (power failure due to big storm). It was quite good.
At eight o'clock we headed over to the clan house to enjoy an amazing story of how the highlanders lived for nearly 1,400 years. We saw the small home in which 20 family members and their animals would live. We had a demonstration showing us how the 7m of kilt material would be pleated and worn by a highlander man as well as the clothing the women wore all year long. Our instructor Mr. Robertson showed us real weapons that were used in battle and explained that they had killed many people (mostly Fraser clan weapons) and he showed us how to use them. That. Was. Fascinating.
What a great day!
Tomorrow we are into our last day and head back toward Edinburgh. On the way there should be several events and stops so hopefully it will be as interesting as the past four days.
This is a good trip and we are getting a fairly good amount of history along the way.
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