Inverness and Culloden Moor (2nd and 3rd Bottle Update - Portencross)

Today we docked at Inverness (Invergordon). I got some great photos first thing this morning (before breakfast).  After breakfast we spent the morning catching up on the news on our cabin TV.

 

 This one is my favorite.  (The windows in the breakfast room have a blue tint).

When we came up to grab a sandwich before our afternoon excursion it was pouring down rain...

But it passed quickly and 45 minutes later we walked to the tour bus in the bright sunshine. I was fighting glare and smudgy bus windows but I did get some photos of the beautiful Inverness countryside today as we travelled to our destinations.

Our first stop was Cawdor Castle which is the seat of the Earls of Cawdor, and the current home to the Dowager Countess Cawdor (his second wife)  There is a son from the Earl's first wife who got his title but inherited nothing from the estate. There is a question as to what will happen to this castle once the countess (who is childless) dies. The castle is also known as the setting for Duncan's murder in Shakespeare's Macbeth.  

We also enjoyed a cup of tea in a lovely courtyard.

This castle was very much a medieval style castle with dungeons and wonderfully treacherous, narrow stone stairwells. I was thankful that I wasn't traversing them in the clothing style of the builders.

We left the first message bottle by a tree outside of one of the palace garden.

 

There was even a maze.

As we headed back to the tour bus we were treated to the music of a piper.


Our next stop was Culloden Moor, where British troops defeated Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Highland clans during the Jacobite rebellion of 1745. The British troops consisted of 9,000 well fed and armed soldiers who easily surrounded Prince Charles and the Jacobites who only numbered 3,000 and slaughtered them all.  The battle only lasted an hour.

 

There is a replica of a house from the 1700s that stands at the site. I placed our second bottle in the stones at the back of the house.

At the site there is a path lined with the grave markers to the clansmen that were killed in the battle which leads to a monument to the battle.

Many of the dead could not be identified and were buried in mass shallow graves and marked with "Mixed Clan" markers. 

This wall outside of the visitor center has 12,000 stones in it. One stone for each soldier.  The stones sticking out represent the Jacobites and the ones nested into the wall represent the British soldiers.  The Glens were part of the Mackintosh clans but my ancestors had left Scotland prior to the battle. Many of the other clansmen were not as lucky.

It is a somber and peaceful site now.

Final photos of Inverness as we left port.

 

Tomorrow we dock in Edinburgh.

Bottle update on the two bottles at Portencross:
(After Martin returned the bottle that he found near the castle) We received this nice email from Margaret Bennett

Hi my partner and I found your little bottle today we live in ardrossan where you get the ferry over to arran and maybe one day we will visit your lovely country xx my little Grandaughter and grandson found the other bottle you left at the castle with there mum xx

and then this follow-up email from her daughter Jenna Mcintyre who found the second bottle

Hi just a quick email too let use know myself an two kids aged 6 & 2 found your lovely bottle with beads an letter inside at the portencross castle, while we were looking for stones too paint for our Facebook group “Ayrshire rocks Facebook” it’s a random act of kindness page & if use haven’t already left too travel back across the water why not have a look around for some stones an take them back with you an see where there journey ends? 

I have replied to them both and hope to keep in touch.  

Prior to Jenna's email... We had in fact collected rocks at both of the beaches (and a bottle of sand for my mom and I). The small rock that is outside of the bag is one I picked up near the doorway of Barr Castle. I carried this one back separately in my jacket pocket in case customs freaked out about the sand and rocks in my suitcase. 

For the majority of rocks that I collected in Scotland, their journey will likely end with them decorating my fish tank... as for the rest of them we will have to see.  ;)