It was day 8, which meant our Scottish adventure was already half over. Regretfully, I said beannachd leibh (goodbye in Scottish Gaelic) to Oban. It was time for another mini-road trip, a journey that would take us deeper into the Highlands, from coastal Oban north to Inverness. I was certain there would be plenty of interesting stops along the way. Our dependable and delightful driver Marcin was ready at the helm of our big bus right after breakfast.
I was actually looking forward to a travel day because I knew Stephen would take advantage of our time on the bus to add to our knowledge of Scottish history, geography, and culture. Soon after leaving Oban, the landscape became hillier. We passed by Loch Linnhe where the surrounding mountains were reflected in the lake’s mirror-like waters. Stephen reminded us of the geological fault that runs southwest to northeast under the Scottish mainland, all the way from Fort William to Inverness. It was created 430 million years ago when two ancient continents collided, forming Scotland and creating lots of lochs.
Stephen’s quick review of 18th century Highland history was also useful as we neared Fort William, a small town at the northeastern end of Loch Linnhe. A military fortress once stood here. It was originally built in wood in 1654, shortly after Oliver Cromwell came to power, to control the rebellious Scots. In 1690, following the ascension of William of Orange to the throne, the fortress was rebuilt in stone. Very little remains of the fort today. However, tourists come here because of the beautiful mountain scenery.
We made an unplanned stop in Fort William, thanks to Marcin, in order to see the famous Jacobite steam train make its daily crossing over the River Lochy. This is the train made famous as the Hogwarts Express in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books. We stood first on a pedestrian bridge running parallel to the railway bridge. As the train approached, I scrambled after Stephen to an overpass where we got a different view of the oncoming train.
By the way, in order to stop and see the train, Marcin had to take a detour from the main road, necessitating a drive across one of Scotland’s many “weak bridges.” These older structures may not support the weight of all vehicles. Instead of allocating the money to strengthen or rebuild the bridges, the local municipalities have turned to the less expensive alternative of posting signs to warn drivers that they are crossing at their own risk.
Continuing north, our next stop was at The Commando Memorial, which honors those who died fighting for Scotland in World War 2. From this location we were hoping to catch a glimpse of Ben Nevis. At 4413 feet high, it’s the highest peak in the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, Scotland’s notoriously fickle weather conditions prevented us from seeing the top of the mountain.
Shortly after noon, we reached the town of Fort Augustus, located at the southern end of Loch Ness, on the Caledonian Canal. The 60-mile long canal was built in the early 19th century. It traverses Scotland, following the Great Glen (the valley carved by glaciers). Five of the canal’s 32 locks are in Fort Augustus.
Loch Ness is a fresh water lake that’s 23 miles long and very deep, reaching a depth of 755 feet in places. It’s quite murky from the peat in the area’s soil. Eel, pike, sturgeon, salmon, sea trout, and arctic char are among the types of fish that live in the lake. Reports of a monster living in Loch Ness go back to ancient times.
A small pepper pot-style lighthouse stands at the spot where the Caledonian Canal meets the lake.
The town, which is a very popular tourist destination, was a pleasant place to stop for an outdoor lunch beside the canal.
An added bonus was the chance to sample some whisky-and-honey ice cream. I can’t say that I care for whisky, but the ice cream was delicious.
After lunch, we drove along the shores of Loch Ness until we reached the ruins of Urquhart Castle. One of Scotland’s largest castles, it’s dramatically situated overlooking the lake.
Before the castle was built in 1509, a 6th century fort occupied the site. During Scotland’s Wars for Independence (1296-1357), control of the castle passed back and forth between the Scots and the English. During the Jacobite uprisings that followed the Glorious Revolution in 1688, which brought William and Mary to the throne and resulted in the exile of James II, government troops occupied the castle. In 1692, when the government decided the castle wasn’t worth defending, its troops intentionally blew up the gatehouse so the castle would not be usable by Jacobite supporters. It then fell into decay.
In a field outside the castle, we could see a full-size trebuchet. This medieval weapon is a type of catapult that attackers would use to launch heavy stone balls towards the castle.
Colorful displays and exhibits at Urquhart’s Visitor Centre provided an insight into life at a large castle like Urquhart. Two of the most important positions were marshal and steward. The marshal, or master of the horse, made all the travel arrangements for the lord and his household. He also arranged hunting activities and jousting tournaments. The marshal was responsible for the horses, oxen, and mules, and he oversaw blacksmiths, carters, messengers, farriers, muleteers, boatmen, and stable lads. The steward would manage the castles finances and the remaining staff. This would include musicians, bards, pipers, cooks, undercooks, bakers, poulterers (in charge of poultry), larderers (in charge of food and beverage storage), gentlemen servants, ladies-in-waiting, wardrobers, a doctor, tailors, gardeners, carpenters, laundresses, and an alewife.
Urquhart Castle is only 18 miles from Inverness (Inbhir nis in Gaelic), and that’s where our day of travel came to an end. The River Ness runs right through the city. The river is fairly shallow in places. I’m certain of that because when our bus pulled up to our hotel near the city’s historic center, I saw a fisherman actually standing in the middle of the river.
There was plenty of late-afternoon daylight left for a pre-dinner walk along the banks of the river.
When we reached the Ness Bridge, we turned right and found ourselves in the busy city center. The streets were filled with cars and the sidewalks were filled with pedestrians strolling past souvenir shops, restaurants, and stores selling all kinds of items made of traditional tartan fabric.
On the High Street, Stephen stopped in front of a neo-Gothic municipal building called The Town House, which was built in the 1880s. We immediately noticed the pair of stone wolves placed on either side of the doorway. At one time, wolves were a common sight in the Highlands landscape.
Stephen also pointed out the camel and the elephant on the building’s façade. These two animals from distant lands are a reminder of the city’s long history as a center for foreign trade. They also appear on the Inverness coat of arms.
At our dinner at The Mustard Seed, I once again declined to try haggis although the haggis bonbons looked innocuous enough on the plate.
While we were strolling down the High Street after dinner, we came across a band of pipers marching down the street. They were even accompanied by a pair of Highland dancers.
And of course, as any Outlander fan knows, the Culloden battlefield lies just a short distance east of from Inverness. On our way to the battlefield, we stopped at the Clava Cairns, a Bronze Age cemetery that inspired Diana Gabaldon, the author of the popular Outlander series. Ancient stone cairns and circles of standing stones, similar to the ones Claire Randall encountered in the Outlander series, dot the grassy area.
I put my hands up against one of the stones and imagined that I was transported back in time.
The circular stone cairns, built as burial places, date back 4000 years.
Culloden Moor today is a sprawling, peaceful field which made it hard to imagine that so much blood was shed here on April 16, 1746. The Visitor Centre had an immersive multi-media exhibit that was full of information about the history leading up to the battle between the Jacobites and the government forces. For some reason, however, no photography was allowed inside. I was already familiar with the basics of the story of the Jacobite drive to install deposed king James II on the British throne. And I did gain some additional knowledge from Stephen as we toured the site.
Culloden was the last major battle fought on British soil. I knew that the Jacobites wanted to install deposed king James II, a Catholic, on the British throne in place of George of Hanover, a Protestant, who took over after the death of Queen Anne. Jacobite uprisings began in 1689, immediately after the Glorious Revolution placed William and Mary on the throne.
In 1745, the Jacobites once again rose up. Led by Bonnie Prince Charlie, they captured Edinburgh and defeated government forces at the battle of Prestonpans. At the time, the British were preoccupied with fighting in mainland Europe. Turning his attention back to Scotland, King George II wanted to end the Jacobite rebellion once and for all. To get the job done, he put his son, the Duke of Cumberland, in command of government troops.
In April 1746, government troops and Jacobite troops assembled to do battle at Culloden Moor. It was springtime, and the fields were waterlogged. On the government side, there were approximately 8000 soldiers, among them some Scottish Lowlanders who were not sympathetic to the Jacobites. The government soldiers (Red Coats) were armed with muskets and bayonets. They also had cannons.
The Jacobites, on the other hand, had about 5500 soldiers. According to Stephen, some of them were tenant farmers who had only joined the Jacobites under pressure from their landlords, who threatened to take their lands. They had no cannons and their main weapons were daggers and swords. The Jacobite forces were exhausted from a long march the previous day and there was little coordination among the clans. Furthermore, the technique traditionally used by Highland fighters wasn’t well-suited to the terrain at Culloden. The “Highland charge” involved hiding behind trees and springing out to surprise the enemy. At Culloden, trees were scarce.
An outdoor display at the battlefield showed the respective positions of the government and Jacobite lines. Red flags on the right side of the map mark the government line while blue/black flags on the left mark the Jacobite line. Bonnie Prince Charlie remained behind the Jacobite line.
As the battle began, Highlanders charged towards the government line as cannon fire from the government side flew overhead. When the Jacobites reached the government line, bloody hand-to-hand fighting took place. Wielding their bayonets, British soldiers were able to stab sideways at the oncoming Jacobites, quickly killing hundreds. The battle lasted only 25 to 40 minutes. When the fighting ended, 1500-2000 Jacobites lay dead while only 300 Red Coats had been killed. Stephen told us that the British, who had set up a field hospital for their own wounded, showed no mercy for the wounded Highlanders. Bonnie Prince Charlie fled and managed to escape capture. With a price on his head, he went into hiding and eventually made his way to the continent where he spent his remaining years.
In the immediate aftermath of Culloden, government forces spread out across the Highlands, hunting down and killing Jacobites and anyone suspected of supporting them. Troops burned houses and destroyed towns. Clans were dismantled, and bagpipes and the Gaelic language were outlawed in an attempt to wipe out Highland culture.
In 1881, a memorial cairn was erected on the battlefield.
We came across several stone markers with names of some of the clans who participated on the Jacobite side. The marker for the Fraser clan is roped off to keep Outlander fans from chipping off pieces of it as souvenirs.
When I returned to the city center of Inverness in the afternoon after visiting Culloden, my first stop was at the Victorian Market on Church Street. The market is a complex of old buildings that has been transformed into a mini-shopping mall of small independent shops and a fabulous food court. Given all the options, it wasn’t easy deciding what to eat. I knew I wanted seafood, but fish’n’chips? fish finger sandwich? a fish soup called Cullen skink? I ended up with my old favorite, smoked salmon, on “mixed leaves,” plus a hearty oat cake (which reminded me of cardboard).
I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Inverness on my own. From the Victorian Market, it was just a short walk down Church Street to the Old High St. Stephen’s Church. The 18th century Presbyterian church, built in Gothic style, is the oldest church in Inverness. It sits on Saint Michael’s Mount, a hill overlooking the River Ness. The Old High congregation traces its establishment back to Saint Columba’s arrival here in the year 565.
Leakey’s Book Shop is on the corner right next to the church. It is the largest second-hand bookstore in Scotland. Inside Leakey’s, you can wander through crowded aisles packed with an enormous inventory of used and antique books, maps, and prints. The building was formerly a Gaelic church.
Using the Greig Street pedestrian bridge, I crossed over to the opposite side of the river where I browsed in a well-stocked tartan shop. (And no, I did not buy a kilt or any other traditional Highland clothing.)
Walking along the riverbank, I looked across at Inverness Castle. The present structure was built fairly recently, in 1836, but several castles have stood on this site over the centuries, the earliest going back to 1057.
I soon came to St. Andrew’s Cathedral, associated with the Scottish Episcopal (Anglican) Church. The impressive Gothic Revival building dates back to the 19th century.
Our final evening in Inverness included a whisky tasting at The Malt Room. We learned how whisky is made and how to drink it before tasting three different varieties. My personal preference? None of them.
Then it was time to pack up. We’d be on the road again the following morning, headed to Dundee.
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