Snow Capped Cairngorms, Scotland
Today, was the final day of our ancestry themed tour of Scotland. Having covered the personal ancestry connections we embarked on some sightseeing in northern Scotland around the Inverness area.
Departing our oodgings at Dingwall we drove east to Fort George which sits on a promontory in the Moray Firth. This is a massive construction which was completed in 1769 and remains almost intact. It ranks as one of the most outstanding fortifications in Europe and comprises staff blocks, barrack blocks, powder magazines, ordnance and provision stores, a bakehouse, brewhouse and a chapel. The fort remains a British Army base to this day. A truly impressive edifice.
Fort George was completed in 1769 and was intended as a deterrent to Jacobite uprisings after their final defeat at nearby Culloden in 1746.
The Fort offers an excellent vantage point for viewing the Mora Firth and Chanonry Point opposite. We had the good fortune to view dolphins swimming in the water below the Fort walls.
Chanonry Point, Moray Firth, Scotland
Fort George, Near Inverness, Scotland
Cannon at Fort George, Scotland
After leaving Fort George we drove to nearby Culloden Moor and the site of the last battle on British soil where on 16th April 1746 a British army commanded by General Cumberland defeated an army of Highlanders under Bonnie Prince Charlie and finally ended the threat of a Jacobite uprising which had persisted since 1689. The victors were ruthless, took few prisoners and aggressively hunted down Jacobite supporters in the local communities.
Culloden has an excellent Visitor Centre which provides a full exposition on the events leading to the battle and, of course, the battle itself.
Aided by clement weather we walked the battlefield and visited the key grave sites where the fallen were buried, mostly Jacobite as Government casualtities were light.
Memorial at Culloden Battlefield, Scotland
Boggy Moorland at Culloden Battlefield, Scotland
Next we drove a short distance to visit the ancient monments known as Clava Cairns, on the south side of the River Nairn. These burial chambers date from pre-2000 BC and are surrounded by stone circles. An intriguing site.
Clava Cairns, Prehistoric Site, Scotland
Finally, we drove S.E. to destination of Tomintoul and lodgings for the night.
