Today was a sort of quiet, go for a bus ride kind of day. We were scheduled to stop at the famous Loch Ness, a couple of castles and the historic Culloden Battlefield.
We started with a drive to Loch Ness for our panoramic cruise of the loch…
The boat pulled up & dropped us at Urquhart Castle. We had a nice walk about & movie of its history. It was stormed and burned and stormed again more times than we can count.
They are adorable
Next up a quick boat ride to Cawdor Castle, still occupied but open for lovely lunch and tea, then a tour of the castle and stroll through the gardens. Another lovely day full of sunny spells.
And so many lovely flowers.
Even a few sculptures
Huge oak trees
And this little guy 🙂
Last stop the Culloden Battlefield. In April 1746, a short but devastating battle took place on the windswept moor of Culloden, just outside Inverness. It lasted less than an hour, but its impact still echoes through the Highlands.
Charles Edward Stuart, known romantically as Bonnie Prince Charlie, had returned from exile with a plan: to restore the Stuart monarchy to the British throne. When his followers, known as the Jacobites, met the government army led by the Duke of Cumberland, they had just one plan: to charge. That didn’t work out well for them.
Over 1,500 Jacobite soldiers were killed, many in the chaotic retreat. In contrast, only around 50 government troops lost their lives. This effectively ended the Jacobites quest to reclaim the throne.
Ended the day back to Inverness for our last sleep here. Tomorrow we’re off to explore more of the rugged Highlands of Scotland 🏴
