Loch Ness & Inverness, Scotland
In glorious sunshine, the Lord of the Glens left her berth at the south end of Loch Ness, and entered the open waters of Scotland’s deepest and most mysterious loch. Half way along, the mighty fortress of Urquhart Castle came into view, occupied over the centuries by Celts, Picts, Scots, and Kings of England and Scotland, until it was finally blown up in 1691 during the Jacobite rebellions. Konia gave us a talk on the Highland way of life, as we continued along Loch Dochfour and the remaining section of the Caledonian Canal, until we reached Inverness, the final destination of our voyage.
After lunch, we visited the infamous battlefield of Culloden, where the Jacobite forces with ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ at their head were finally annihilated on 16th April 1746. An historical re-enactor, dressed as a redcoat of the British army, gave us a lively insight into the reality of the day. Out on the battlefield, however, scents of clover and wild broom wafted in the heat of the June afternoon while a kestrel soared overhead. The tour concluded with an exploration of the Clava Cairns, remarkable Early Bronze Age monuments built by early farming communities almost 4,000 years ago, and auspiciously aligned to sunset at the midwinter solstice.
Then it was back to the ship for the Captain’s farewell cocktail party, and our final dinner complete with haggis, a fitting end to our time in the “Heart of Scotland.”
