In the morning we explored two very important and interesting sites near Inverness. The battle of Culloden was the end of the Jacobite rising, when loyal supporters of the house of Stewart tried to get their king back onto the throne of Britain but failed.
What was particularly horrid about this battle was the fact that some families were divided into two–some of the men fought on the government side, others for the Jacobites. The excellent visitor centre tells the story from both perspectives and also describes some of the ethnic cleansing that took place after the battle as the government was worried that the Jacobites might rise again.
We then went to see the Clava Cairns. David Barnes, our historian, gave us an introduction to this amazing site–about ancestor and sun worship 4,000 years ago. Incredible how they managed to erect those passage graves and the ring cairn with only basic technology available.
Back on the ship we sailed along the Caledonian Canal and onto Loch Ness, getting a close view of Urquhart Castle.
Stewart Aitchison our geologist and photo instructor explained how Scotland was created and the origins of the Great Glen we are travelling through in an informative and entertaining talk.
Once in Fort Augustus we had time to either explore this pretty little village and also to go kayaking. Alternatively two groups with David Barnes and Konia Tack (cultural specialist) set off for a hike, taking in some lovely varied scenery, some history and also some natural history.
This turned into a bit of a damp adventure but we could warm up over a whisky tasting presented by Andy Allan the barman on the ship, followed by dinner.
To finish off the day we even had a Ceilidh band entertaining us with Scottish dance music after dinner. And with a spring in our step we went off to our cabins after a fun-filled day.
