Culloden

August 21

Glorious morning sunshine so I had to wander up the road from the hotel to get morning views of Inverloch Harbour. The port was already busy with ferries ready to set sail. After breakfast I got a lift down to the Highland Pottery to see what they did. Handmade pottery on the premises, they decorate just about everything around them, from the stone walls, to rocks, to car shapes and sofa shapes with pottery shards.

Dozed on and off on the road to Inverness and Culloden, taking the 'scenic route' , ie B roads. Stopped at the GlenMorangie Distillery just before Inverness. Saw a comment by A. Samad Sakran from S. Arabia who wrote - "Must Have one of these at home!" Hmmm.. I wonder. There was no time to wait for the next tour so on to Culloden.

The Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre is a new structure, in keeping with the lie of the land, a low built building of local stone that blends in with the surroundings rather than dominate and overshadow the events of that day. All the outside signage was first in Gaelic then English. A quick lunch (I have learnt not to delay feeding my tum when the chance comes along) and then through the museum which is incredibly well done! Interactive displays made history come alive with the voices of people living at that time, from nobles to farmers. At the end of the museum you could pick up an audio tour that is linked by GPS to points on the field so the audio comes on automatically. Poignant tales by the soldiers on both sides of the field as you walk around, absorbing the atmosphere. A cairn has been erected in the middle of the battlefield, with grave markers of the clanspeople who had fallen. The MacIntoshes had the most with 3 markers. I said a brief prayer for their souls and all who had fallen on that day. *

The clouds were gathering at the end of the tour and the wind was whipping the trees, all very fitting for the end. Dad and the others had gone to Fort St. George and we had to collect them on the way to the McNies in Rafford. Saw a parasurfer on the loch in front of the fort, made me feel COLD, but it was a sight to see.

Arrived at sunset chez les McNies, in time for tea and a brief walk around his lovely garden behind the house. A late night after dinner, spent talking with James and MC and catching up on news and then upto bed for the last day on the road.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Culloden