Day 6-7: Inverness
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Fun Fact!
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The Scottish forces were decimated at the Battle of Culloden, perhaps in part due to having marched all night for several miles to attempt a sneak attack on the British camp during the Duke of Cumberland's birthday bash. The Scots arrived near dawn and decided against the attach, resulting in an exhausting second march to return to the site of the eventual battle. Outmanned, the Scottish forces were decimated in less than an hour with 1,500-2,000 men killed or wounded. The visitor center had wonderful depictions of the events leading up to battle and its aftermath that brought the conflict to life, as did James.
After our visit to the battlefield, Mark continued back to Inverness with most of our tour group. However, one of our members wanted to visit a nearby site, and Alasdair had helped a small group of us interested in joining her to arrange for a taxi from Culloden and eventually back to Inverness. Alasdair helped us book it as well as made sure we met our driver and were all set up to go. Clava Cairns is a nearby prehistoric site, complete with passage graves and standing stones. The site was incredibly peaceful with few visitors and our driver even took us to see the Culloden Viaduct (no, not the Hogwarts Express bridge) and some our favorites - hairy coos!
After a busy morning exploring historic sites near Inverness, a few of us ventured out on an abbreviated walking tour of Inverness with our handy guidebook pages. I loved the riverside architecture of Inverness, which we got to enjoy at our group dinner that night as well!
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Culloden, Clava Cairns, & InvernessInverness is quite close to Culloden, which was our main stop on Day 7. After a quick ride on our coach, we met our local tour guide, James, for a walk around the famous battlefield. For those who haven't heard of it or seen its depiction in Outlander, the Battle of Culloden ended the Jacobite rebellion for an independent Scotland and spelled the end of the clan system in Scotland. (Interesting, but perhaps not-so-fun fact: As I mentioned in my pre-tour notes from London, studying up on the Georgians & court fashion was an unintentional bonus. King George IV re-popularized the kilt & tartan during his royal visit to Scotland in the 1820s, both having been outlawed in Scotland following the Scottish loss at Culloden.)
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My Private Belltower (with a pool on the roof)
I love the unique hotels we stay in on Rick Steves tours! However, sometimes being the single, young, and fit (enough) member of the tour lands you the *really* unique rooms - up 4 flights of stairs - with an even wee-er bathroom than the last hotel! The hotel in Inverness was small and comprised 2 different buildings. A few of us were in the separate building and when another single member of the tour and I requested extra towels (for sink laundry), we joked that, in addition to my Hunchback of Inverness' tower room, our building also had a private pool on the roof. Even more evidence that packing light is essential, especially for a schlep up several flights of stairs (no elevators were available).
(To view a larger image, please click on any of the below photos.)
(To view a larger image, please click on any of the below photos.)
Laugh a Little!Mark had Tracey and I in stitches on our last night in Oban talking about Loch Ness and its purported monster. Our tour bypassed all the Loch Ness monster sites on Loch Ness - and it was much more fun to explore Urquhart Castle instead! But according to Mark some of the monster hunters are a little overzealous. One gentleman in particular has been searching for decades without proof, but he'll happily report to Mark about "near-sightings" the next time Mark has to visit with another tour. Mark: "A 'near-sighting'! What does that even mean?!"
Check out one of my favorite signs at Neptune's Staircase for a chuckle as well. We might share a language with the UK, but dialects are another story (and so much fun)! You can also check out some epic windy hair pics below while I struggled at Urquhart Castle! Day 6 is probably a good day for an up-do. |
For more pictures of Inverness & environs, check out my slideshow below. Or, click onward for more beautiful days in the Highlands.
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