Battle of Culloden; and Bonnie Prince Charlie

Culloden - the place of the battle that Bonnie Prince Charlie, a champion of the Jacobite Cause, lost to some 9000 English troops, led by the Duke of Cumberland. 1746.

The Jacobite rebels were crushed by King George II's troops.

This was the last battle fought on British soil, and dashing Scotland's hopes of independence. See http://www.electricscotland.com/history/culloden/index. It is also known as "Bloody Culloden." See www.highlanderweb.co.uk/bloody/culloden/home. From here, the Bonnie Prince fled to Skye.

Culloden Battlefield, Scotland

The battlefield is comprised of pathways and stone markers. Here is where Clan Campbell fought.

There is a fine, winding, narrow, woodsy memorial pathway through the battlefield, with worn headstone identifications where the clans had fought. We spent a fine morning looking up old family names. Relatives or not, the hunt was on for every McClure or McConaghey, Mac or Mc, and all the related clan septs, including (f0r us, we think) Campbell, MacLeod, Black, MacGregor. Most Scots have the Mac spelling, but some have the Mc, and the earliest Irish were known as "Scotties," so the names are back and forth. Read about "Remnants of the Roman Empire in Britain," at http://www.fsmitha.com/h1/ch26. - scroll down to the section entitled, "Independence and a Celtic Revival in Britain." That addresses the early Scotties.

A site to track the clan septs, or subdivisions -  see http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/septs.

By way of update to 2013 now, Scottish Life magazine Spring 2013 reports that there will soon be a new Culloden Battlefield Trail, 5 miles long, a circle network of paths.  It will be easier to range around Balloch and Culloden Woods to the moor where 1500-2000 clansmen were killed.

Add stations telling history and tales, along with poetry by one Aonghas MacNeacail, from Skye.  

Stirling, William Wallace - "Braveheart"

 
William Wallace Statue, Wallace Memorial, Stirling Castle area, Scotland

The tower memorial to William Wallace, near Stirling Castle, is about 220 feet high, and this smaller commemorative statue is at the base, near the parking area.  From this height, Wallace is said to have watched the collecting English soldiers, before the Battle of Stirling.

This Wallace statue has not been popular, with people thinking it looks too much like Hollywood's Braveheart a la Mel Gibson.  The film title is even inscribed on the shield there.  So, some have defaced the nose. 

The space for the statue was leased, not purchased, so the lease is about to expire and we can expect that it will not be renewed.  It was offered for sale but no-one bought.  See ://www.scotlandvacations.com/williamwallace.htm/

Note the sword.  It is a 5/ 4" bruiser, of the type "Claymore" - see them at://www.medievalware.com/Scottish-Great-Claymore-Sword-p/2011mk.htm/. Seeing one up close:  cannot even imagine being able to lift it with both hands to waist height outstretched.

Links, posts, archives

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Posts - listed from arrival to departure, not by date of first posting. So do read the archives - those complete the trip.

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Isle of Skye. On Skye - Dunvegan Castle; Flora MaDonald

Skye, Dunvegan Castle, Scotland

To get to the Isle of Skye - and its Castle Dunvegan - there is no longer a need to go "Over the Sea to Skye," although you can listen to part of it here: http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=1182806&title=Over+The+Sea+To+Skye+-+Folk+Songs+From+Around+The+World. Go to the dot com home site, then use the rest only as needed to get to it.

No need to speed the bonny boat because there is a bridge now, to Skye.

Dunvegan.  Dunvegan is the castle (1549 or so) that is the stronghold of the MacLeods, and where Samuel Johnson visited in the 1770's. See http://www.dunvegancastle.com/

We were told that the castle used to be the staging point for kidnapping local people and taking them to the Caribbean as slaves. There are cells and underground passages leading to the water, where the rowboats would wait to be loaded. See also http://www.scotland.com/forums/history/26463-scotlands-hidden-involvement-slave-trade.html.  See specific reference to surnames at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/slavery/pdf/african-scottishfamilies.pdf/  It is a history that educational institutions avoid, see http://www.eastlothiancourier.com/articles/1/29862

Does that explain why there are so many Scots last names for people on the islands there. True? That slave trafficking was stopped at about the same time that the Crown stopped other slave trafficking.

Skye, Grave of Flora MacDonald who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape after his defeat at Culloden, 1746



Also on Skye:  The grave of Flora MacDonald, who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape. He fled in the disguise of her lady in waiting.See http://www.flodigarry.co.uk/flora_history.asp

Someone had left a fresh bouquet there when we visited. Heritage stories:  More on Flora MacDonald at http://www.tartans.com/articles/famscots/floramacdonald.html

Hebrides - side trip

From Skye, we took the car ferry to the Hebrides - see Hebrides Road Ways. We returned to Scotland another way, to Ullapool.

In any trip, sudden signs on the roadway to elsewhere just can't be resisted. There is a bridge to Skye from mainland Scotland, so that is an easy jaunt across.

And once there, is worth the careful drives around - remember that you will be on one lane roads, with lay-bys for one vehicle to wait on the side while the other passes.

There are high poles on the roads marking the lay-bys and the rule is this: when you see another vehicle coming your way, even if it is several curves away (tiptoe around curves), the closest vehicle to the nearest pole is to pull over. As you pass, you hold the steering wheel with a hand at the noon position and wiggle your fingers as an acknowledgment, and a kind of courtesy thank you. I saw no competition for who got to go by whom. It is not worth any kind of accident out there.

Then you will see the ferry signs to the Hebrides - go there, find out the schedules, and take the most convenient one. We were finishing up on Skye in a late afternoon, and why spend another night there? So it was off to Harris and Lewis - got a reservation this time through the ferry company and directions because we would be arriving about 8:30 PM, and near dark. Worked out fine. Stayed in the town of Rodel . See , Hebrides Road Ways.

Tongue. Sharing the road - the Highlands

Tongue, Scotland, highland wild donkeys

Near Tongue.  Highland donkeys. Drive carefully. The roads are often one lane, with a lay-by for passing that is marked with a tall flag. If you see a car coming, whoever is closest to the lay-by is supposed to pull over and wait. People did. We kept the gas tank full, and kept a water bottle and bread and cheese just in case, and never needed them.

Highlands: more remote and stark than expected. Lunch at Tongue - best platter of local cheeses ever. See http://www..fortunecity.com/bally/leitrim/147/tongue921.jpg.


Tongue, the name, comes probably from the Old Norse - see www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/tongue/tongue/index. See the photos there. I believe we had our fine cheese platter at that Tongue Hotel. Just feel the wilderness and the mountains.

Orkney - side trip

We have a rule - if you see a ferry sign, you have to take it.

That has taken us afar. We were on Skye - easily visited, the island to which Bonnie Prince Charlie fled, and now connected by a bridge from the mainland. Off to the Hebrides. Then, back at Ullapool on the mainland, we headed to the Highlands because the weather was good. Do not attempt in the fog, because many roads are one lane, with laybys for passing.

At the Highlands at Scrabster (near the topmost point of Scotland, at John o'Groats), there was a sign for the Orkneys - so we took the car ferry to Orkney.

Do not expect to be coddled. We had no advance reservation, so had to be on line with other cars and trucks by 5 or 6 in the morning. See Orkney Road Ways. If the chain comes down in front of you, you lose. We made this one. Enjoyed Orkney, then we returned to Scrabster, same ferry route.

It was the quickest and least expensive, way to get to Orkney. No flights for us once a car is rented. Spontaneous routing. Sleep on the ferry.

Pitlochry: Victoria's Favorite. Blair Castle, Atholl

Blair Castle, Atholl, near Pitlochry, Scotland

Pitlochry apparently was Queen Victoria's favorite town, and it boasts a fine railway station to show for it.  Go to Pitlochry for hiking year-round, with special events and all skill levels fostered.

The place is filled with people in boots, and shops. The old train station used to be going all the time, and is still very busy. There are grades of hiking trails, each with its own historical tales. One has the soldier's leap - a fellow leaped 18 feet across the gorge here, to escape the Jacobites. See www.beautiful-scotland.co.uk/pitlochry.

Blair Castle, at Atholl - with the Atholl Highlanders - is nearby. See more at Scotland Road Ways - Atholl.

Sheep; the clearances; crofters

Sheep, herding, Scotland
There came a time when landlords realized they could make more money with sheep on the land, than if they continued to rent to "crofters." So, they initiated clearances, forcing crofters off the land, so the more lucrative sheep could take over.

Sheep are still a main industry, with the dogs herding. There is the dog, to the far left. I believe the animals nearby are a cow or two, to test the dog's ability to stay after the sheep and not get distracted. The dogs are guided by whistles tweeting from the owner, at a distance.

For a fine photo gallery for a Scotland overview: see www.pbase.com/bauer/scotland..

Tower Houses, Scotland's Family Castles

Scots tower house, Highlands, Scotland

The original tower houses were just square towers.










Tower houses were imposing, highly fitted for defense. 



Tower House, Scotland, near Inverness (as I recall)














Compare Norman and Scots tower houses.  Scots tower houses are different from the Norman tower houses seen in Ireland, from an earlier era. This tower house ruin is from Ireland, between Rosslare and Waterford.

Norman Tower House, Ireland (between Rosslare and Waterford)