A thatched roof farmhouse on the battlefield site.
After breakfast, our group loaded into the vans and drove off to the Culloden battlefield. We spend about 45 minutes working through the exhibit which presented both sides of the conflict, then were guided through the battlefield itself where red and blue flags, royal and Jacobite respectively, showed the location of the battle lines prior to the Highlander’s deadly charge. It had rained the previous evening and the far and high hills were covered with snow. The steady wind was very chilling and I pulled out my rain jacket as a windbreaker.
A thatched roof farmhouse on the battlefield site.
An angled view of the exterior wall of the Culloden Battlefield visitors’ center …
… every protruding stone represents one of the fallen. There are 1,050 stones on the near end of the wall for the Highlanders, and after a short span of flush stones at the far end, 50 for the redcoats.
A number of stone markers were placed some decades after the battle to mark where the fallen are buried.
One of the markers.
A low view through the boggy landscape.
The side of the farmhouse - the sod/peat on top of the stonework.
With the pentrating winds, folks huddled in the lee of the farmhouse.
The battlefield guide (stocking cap) stands with Pól (right) and Stuart (left) with Roger and Wendy listening.
A view from the top of the visitors center.
The passageway from the top of the visitors center.
From the visitors center the vans took us into Inverness where we walked along the banks of the River Ness that drains Loch Ness into the Moray Firth. The one hour walk ended at our restaurant where I had a delightful roast butternut squash, walnut, and feta green salad with balsamic vinaigrette followed by roasted chicken on crushed new potatoes with shallot mushroom sauce.
After a carefully timed one-hour lunch, we headed west to the Isle of Skye. The road took us on a southwesterly course hugging the north shore of Loch Ness (no monster sightings – sorry!). About two thirds the way down the lakeshore, we took the road inland through Glen Moriston, escorted by the high snow covered ridge on the south. Another snow covered ridge led us westward through the pass, and the stream flowing alongside the road, which until now ran east into Loch Ness, now ran west to the Sea of the Hebrides.
We had been steering into a driving rain, especially up into the Glens. We stopped for a pit stop at Eilean Donan Castle where it guards the passage between Loch Duich to the east and Loch Alsh to the west (both are tidal inlets).
The water 'mounding' on the upstream side of the post shows the strong flow of the River Ness.
A couple of mallards plying the shallows.
Jonathan trailing behind the group as we walked upstream.
Looking back to Inverness.
Jonathan at the end of a suspension bridge looking up at a rather tall evergreen specimen.
Ed and Mary - the log they are sitting upon was carved and painted as the Loch Ness monster.
One of many fancifully sculpted wood benches.
Where we crossed the river, some emergency crews were practicing rapid water rescue techniques.
Jonathan and Harriet walking downstream.
A tangle of vines attached to a tree.
Some of the houses on the opposite side of the river.
I think this was either the city hall or regional government center.
Jonathan, Mary, Richard, and Ed.
The lunch menu.
The roasted butternut squash salad - I didn't get a picture of my chicken, I inhaled it too fast.
From there it wasn’t far to the graceful bridge over the Kyle of Localsh straight and northward on the east side of the Isle of Skye to our lodgings at the Cuillin Hills Hotel in Portree where we await dinner at 1900.
Dinner was a convivial affair in a dining room with bay windows overlooking the port. Both Jonathan and I had the lamb shank that was falling-off-the-bone tender. We split the cranachan cheesecake and a tawny port for dessert. Cari Gradison who sat to our left is a very engaging conversationalist and the evening flew by.
Snow on top of the ridges as we traversed Glen Moriston from Loch Ness to Kyle of Lochalsh.
Eilean Donan Castle - I had to shelter in the lee of a tree to get a steady shot the wind was blowing so hard.
The view of Portree from the front steps of the Cuillen Hills Hotel.
The menu for dinner.
Evidence. The lamb shank was wonderfully tender and tasty.
Waiting for dessert - Martha, Wendy, Roger, and Stuart.
Also waiting for dessert - Bill, Harriet, Ed, Mary and Judyann (behind Mary).
Dessert arrives - Jonathan and I split the cranachan cheesecake.