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Scotland 2003
MacFarlane's Company
Jacobite Tour

When: April 4-13, 2003

Where: Hopetoun House, Glencoe, Glenfinnan, Urquhart Castle, CULLODEN, Clava Cairns, Ruthven Barracks, Killiecrankie, Pitlochry, Aberfeldy, Tay bridge, Castle Menzies, The Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh Castle, St. Giles' Cathedral, and Gladstone's Land,
Scotland, UK

Come with us as we trod the hills and glens of the most ancient kingdom in Christendom

Who: Chris, Elliot, Doc, Dave, Hank, Richard, Caleb, and Russell
Edinburgh Airport We landed in Scotland about 10:15am on Saturday, April 5.
Budget Rent a Car Our first stop was the Budget rental desk.
LDV Minibus Where we picked up the keys to a LDV Convoy, a 17 Seat, Hi Roof, 2.5L Ford diesel engine turbocharged + intercooled, 3.5 ton gvw, M2 high back seats all age belts, in white, minibus.
Hopetoun House After loading our gear and marveling at the room in the minibus, we headed to our first historic site, Hopetoun House, with the steady hands of Doc at the wheel.
Glasgow Airport Our next stop was Glasgow Airport where we planned to pickup Chris who flew out of Toronto, Canada, or so we thought.
Bridgend Cottage -
Host: Diana Hopper
After hanging around Glasgow Airport for nearly five hours, we learned that a snow storm had kept Chris in Toronto. He would not arrive in Scotland until Monday. We were disappointed at the snafu but glad to be headed toward Callander and our first night in Scotland at Bridgend Cottage, the first house in the highlands.
THE LADE INN at Kilmahog
- Flower of Scotland
After checking in with Diana, we walked back across the River Leny to enjoy a ceilidh with some local musicians in the Lade Inn. We sang many traditional songs, including Flower of Scotland, until closing time.
Glencoe Our first glorious morning in the highlands found us donning our great-kilts, waistcoats, weapons, and returning to the mid 18th century. Diana stuffed us with a full traditional breakfast before we headed through the Pass of Leny and into the heart of the highlands. We traveled along Loch Lubnaig, skirted the Braes of Balquhidder and worked our way through Glen Ogle to Glen Dochart. We climbed through Strath Fillan and Glen Orchy and across Rannoch Moor before descending into Glencoe.
Aladale B&B - Hosts: Keith & Sheena Mace After spending the day at the new Glencoe visitors center as the sun and clouds played light on The Three Sisters we made our way to the head of Loch Eil and Aladale House. There we would be the guests of Keith & Sheena Mace for two days. Keith is passionate about Scottish history and lent us books ranging from the Jacobite Rebellion to Estate Tweeds for bedtime reading. (With deep sadness we learned of the passing of Keith Mace in early 2004.)
Glenfinnan Monday was the first day at Glenfinnan for everyone except Doc and Russ. They made the 286 mile round trip run to the Glasgow Airport to collect Chris.
Glenfinnan House Hotel Chris, Doc, and Russ made it back from Glasgow about 4:00pm, just in time to take a bunch of Jacobites to supper. What luck, a short distance around Loch Shiel is a beautiful 18th century pine paneled 'Victorian Mansion House' which serves an excellent fish soup and some of the best sticky toffee pudding in Scotland.
Urquhart Castle Our second day at Glenfinnan was even better than the first. With 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' arrived and the sun shining we had some tour busses make unscheduled stops at the monument. We'd made a good beginning but history held an appointment for us on Drummossie Muir on April 16, 1746, so travel we must through the Great Glen towards Inverness. We stopped briefly at Urquhart Castle, where Nessie chose not to greet us, so we moved on.
King of Clubs -
Hosts: Jim & Vanne Fraser
Our destination was a B&B, the King of Clubs, just over half a mile from Culloden Battlefield in the Newlands neighborhood on the B9006.
CULLODEN BATTLEFIELD Wednesday dawned cool and cloudy, only a wee hint of what it was like in 1746 when the Jacobite Army faced a gray day of driving sleet.
WHSmith Book Store After our day on the battlefield we hurried to a book signing in Inverness.
~ '45: a History and Guide - by Christopher Duffy ~
Beefeater Restaurant & Pub Wednesday came to a close with a hearty supper at the Beefeater.
Clava Cairns Thursday morning dawned bright as we visited a reminder of how ancient Scotland is.
CULLODEN DISPLAY WITH PRINCELY STYLE Date Line: The Press and Journal - Aberdeen - 09:00 - 10 April 2003. We didn't make the front page due to world events, but to be reported in Britain's oldest daily newspaper, the country's largest regional morning newspaper, and the world's third-oldest English-language newspaper is an honour.
Harkai's Fish & Steak Restaurant in the Centre of Aviemore -
Hosts: John, Elizabeth, Simon, and Steven Harkai
Our second day at Culloden drew to a close. We traveled to Aviemore for a wonderful fish dinner.
Ruthven Barracks In 1746, after Culloden, the rallying point was Ruthven Barracks and so it was our destination as well.
The Steadings at Ruthven -
Hosts: The Cushings
Unlike the 18th century, we enjoyed spacious accommodation with unlimited hot water in a great B&B, Ruthven Steadings.
Killiecrankie Friday we got to be 21st Century tourists as we traveled towards Edinburgh. Our first stop was the site of the beginning of the first Jacobite Uprising. On July 17, 1689 "Bonnie Dundee", John Graham, Earl of Claverhouse ambushed General Hugh Mackay at the Pass of Killikrankie.
Pitlochry Just to the south of Killikrankie is a delightful Victorian town nestling in the Perthshire Highlands amidst some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe, Pitlochry has been a popular holiday resort for over a hundred years.
Edradour Not far away is the Edradour distillery, the smallest distillery in Scotland. They create the water of life in an intimate setting.
Aberfeldy We turned from Glen Garry and proceeded up Strath Tay to Aberfeldy where the Black Watch, the most senior of today's Scottish Regiments, was raised in 1739/40.
Tay Bridge On our way to Castle Menzies we crossed the Tay Bridge at Aberfeldy. Lt. General Wade's bridge was first opened to traffic at the end of October 1733 and is his only bridge to still carry commercial traffic to this day.
Castle Menzies &
The Menzies Clan
In 1715 Castle Menzies was occupied by the Jacobites and in the '45 again by the Jacobites including their leader Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) only to be rapidly occupied 4 days later by the Duke of Cumberland's forces.
Forth Rail Bridge
Forth Rail Bridge
Forth Rail Bridge
Forth Rail Bridge
To enter Edinburgh from the north we had to cross the Forth Road Bridge. Looking to our left we had an excellent view of the Forth Rail Bridge – that masterpiece of 19th century architectural engineering. .
International Guest House Edinburgh -
Host: M Niven
Our day as tourists comes to an end in Edinburgh at an attractive stone built Victorian terrace house conveniently situated 1 1/2 miles south of Princes Street.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse Saturday dawned bright and sunny again. We were beginning to doubt some of the stories we had heard about Scottish weather. We made our way to Holyroodhouse as Bonnie Prince Charlie had done in 1745 during his attempt to reclaim the throne for his father.
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery We visited the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. It is situated in the heart of the New Town at the east end of Queen Street. It provides a unique visual history of Scotland, told through portraits of the figures who shaped it: royals and rebels, poets and philosophers, heroes and villains.
The National Trust for Scotland We enjoyed a luncheon at the NTS.
Edinburgh Castle The last military action the castle saw was during the 1745 Jacobite Rising when Bonnie Prince Charlie failed to take the fortress. Today, in 2003, we succeeded in entering the castle (peacefully) under arms, but our purses were lightened by £8.50 each.
The Mercat Cross We left the castle and proceeded down the Royal Mile to the Mercat Cross where the Prince read a proclomation.
St. Giles' Cathedral Next door is St. Giles' Cathedral where Charles I's elaborate coronation as King of Scotland in 1633 was sufficiently "high church" to smack of popery to the assembled congregation.
Gladstone's Land Our next to last stop in Edinburgh was Gladstone's Land a typical example of a 17th-century tenement building of the overcrowded Old Town which grew up along the ridge between Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse - the Royal Mile.
Deacon Brodie's Tavern Our final dinner and last chance to enjoy haggis was at Deacon Brodie's. This pub is named after one William Deacon Brodie of the late 18th century. He was a carpenter and key maker during the day and a burgler at night. He inspired the book, "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde", written by another Edinburgh native, Robert Louise Stevenson.
Email Russell To: Chris, Elliot, Doc, Dave, Hank, Richard, and Caleb. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

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