Sorry if you missed my posts - I was incommunicado on the northwest edge of Scotland, then have been so busy posting photos I didn't have time to blog! Will be brief and try to catch up.
- Great scenery on the drive north from Glasgow to Inverewe area; highland mountain scenery is truly majestic
- roads a bit scary where they wind around curves between steep hillsides and lakes
- lunch at hotel while asking them to do a load of laundry was a great idea until the laundry ended up taking 2 hours for a single load
[Video of Bagpiper busking in Highlands]
[Video of Three Sisters Mountains at Glencoe, Scotland]
[Video of More Highland Scenery]
[Video of Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness]
[Video of Little Loch Broom, Scotland]
3 comments:
I've been enjoying the videos of Glen Coe, Urquart Castle and Culloden.
Culloden has been much 'moderised' with flags marking this and that which is more sensiblethan the barren wild and overgrown land that served as a backdrop when we were there in the late 50's and early 60's. The general impression, however, was much the same and the Higlanders' memorial cairn was (it appears) untouched since our days.
One small point. The video - which I believe was not your work, or up to your high standard - made no mention of the significance of the building that preceeded 'The Battlefield'.
This building I believe it was a cattle byre (shed) was the site of a massacre AFTER the battle, when Cumberland's men murdered the Highlanders who were laying, injured, in the building.
Fearful of being silenced - due to being too garrulous - I decided to split my offering to your excellent Blog.
Regarding Culloden, it isn't widely known that the Highlanders had spent the previous evening and night 'marching' to the camp that Cumberland had settled in near the coast of the Moray Firth.
After traversing extremely rough terrain, the Highlanders arrived in numbers just as the bugle sounded Reveille at the Camp. A shocking decision was made to pull back. The Highlanders moved roughly west - the Crown's Forces followed closely behind them. At Culloden, due to their foolhardy actions of the previous 12 - or so - hours, the Jacobites were forced to fight from far from advantageous positions - in fact lowland swampy and unsuitable for movement of any kind. Sadly, but inevitably, the battle was soon over and, with it, any sensible hope of a Jacobite monarchy.
History has been kind to Charles Stuart! In truth he was a ditherer, a waster and a womaniser. A man who made friends easily - but was not reliable. His 'Generals' spent most of he time squabbling and the story of the march South to Derby, is a nutshell record of Charles Stuarts record of Leadership and organisation. This trip South was a complete and utter shambles and, predictably, it led to an unforced chaotic retreat. King George summoned his troops home from their battles with the French and, it is true, a makeshift English army was soundly beaten by Charles Stuart at Falkirk (1745). But a few months later, with the English army once more organised, Culloden (1746)proved the decisive battle.
So MUCH wasted life, so much stupidity and unrealistic dreams of glory.
Having re-read my words, I must add that The Jacobites were (of course) striving to catch Cumberland's troops by surprise and with their trousers down(literally), when they made their overnight march.
It seems inconceivable that they would pull back when they did - but the Jacobite's were none too sensible with their decisions - due, largely, to too many 'generals'.
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