Sunshiny Day, Sobering Battlefield and East to Nairn

Monday, October 24, 2016 ~ by Amy

Long before Alyssa pulled her head out from under the covers, sunlight began to peak around the skylight shade. I went down and made a cup of coffee and enjoyed the sunrise. It was foggy and cool outside and the area over the city was a golden glow.

By the time we really got going we were already hungry for lunch. I guess that's how it goes when you have dry cereal for breakfast. While searching with the car gps for a restaurant nearby (without going back into Inverness), we found a good place that happened to be inside the museum of the Battlefield of Culloden. I've been impressed by the cafeteria style eateries in stores and museums. They usually use really good, locally sourced ingredients and always seem to toss on a side of mixed greens. Our cheese paninis were a little odd in that they were made with a hot dog roll but the salad had pansy, viola and snapdragon blossoms.

The museum itself was excellent. They put so much into the displays, using multi-media to allow you to feel a part of the battle that took place on that site. They also had extensive collections of guns and bullets found on site.

Large painting depicting various stages of the battle

Here, a highlander displayed a battle medic's kit and demonstrated an arm amputation.

Grisly tools of the trade in a medic's kit

Outdoors, we used gps guided audio tours as we walked around key points of the battlefield. I've never had a head for history and know little of Scotland's so I don't understand all that went on. It was sobering to realize how hard the Jacobites (primarily clansmen) fought, under the leadership of Prince Charles Stuart (Bonny Prince Charlie), but how brutally they were cut down by the government troops. Fought on rough, heathery turf, the battle lasted less than an hour with casualties numbering over 1,500 for the Jacobites and only 50 or so for the government troops. Prince Charles Stuart had chosen that location as he thought that it would hamper the ability for his enemies to move their heavy artillery across the boggy ground but instead his men could not move forward. In 2-3 minutes, more than 700 lost their lives.

The clansmen that fell were sort by clan as best could be done and buried in mass graves. Markers were added later to each grave.

Clan mass grave marker

A large stone cairn was erected in 1881 as a memorial.

Stone cairn memorializing the fallen Jacobites

The battle was fought around this small highland house. It is thought that the government leaders may have used it as headquarters. It has been rebuilt on the original foundation.

Old house in the middle of the battlefield

Though sunny, the weather has continued to be very chilly. We've kept bundled up in coats, hats and gloves everywhere we went. After being out on the battlefield for an hour or so, we came in and had coffee and shortbread before driving east toward Nairn.

I find the signage in Scotland to be a little frustrating sometimes but also interesting. We thought this sign for a weak bridge to be a little humorous. They had the traffic take turns so there wouldn't be much weight on the bridge. Of course the bridge was so narrow you wouldn't fit side by side anyway.

Weak, narrow bridge on a country road in Scotland

The countryside was beautiful with the changing leaves and as we got further east, expansive golden fields.

Scottish country lane

At dusk we reached our next Airbnb, “Easter Arr” up in gentle hill country near the tiny village of Aldearn. An ancient, abandoned sawmill, it had been converted by our hosts into a lovely home in the country. Only recently they converted one end into a private apartment to rent out.

"Easter Arr", our Airbnb for the night

After hauling our luggage in, we asked our host, Celia for supper recommendations. She sent us to the Old Mill Inn, a nice pub in the nearby village of Brodie. We went right away before it was so dark we'd get lost. We passed hundreds of sheep in the fields as we drove along the narrow country roads.

Field of sheep ~ North Sea in the distance

Old Mill Inn in Brodie

It was cozy and warm inside with a heater blowing under the bench I was sitting on. They had a lot of local specials like venison, but both of us got burgers. I ordered a side of thick chips, forgetting that to them chips are “crisps” and fries are “chips”. They came with a cranberry chutney to dip in.

Classic pub food

Returning to Easter Arr, we took the time to admire the beautiful room we would sleep in, filled with lovely antiques and special touches.  The walls of the home were many inches deep, as you can see around the window.

Beautiful four-poster bed

We ended the evening by bundling up and going out to gaze at the stars. We both agreed that we've never seen so many stars so vividly sprinkled across the velvety night sky.