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Castle Menzies was the ancestral stronghold of the Menzies clan from the 16th - 19th centuries. It was occupied by Jacobite rebels in 1715 and 1745 and, in 1746, Charles Edward Stuart - Bonnie Prince Charlie - the Young Pretender - stayed at Castle Menzies on his way to defeat at Culloden. 4 days later, the Duke of Cumberland, commander of the Government forces in hot pursuit of the rebels, stopped by too.
In 1957, the castle was purchased as a ruin for just £300 by the Menzies Clan Society who have proceeded to, very gradually, restore it. It is somewhere between a mansion and a fortress. It has a walled garden too, though the website suggests this may not be particularly well kept. It is also possible to visit the Old Kirk of Weem - the Menzies Mausoleum - in the nearby village of Weem.
Nr Aberfeldy
A stone marks the spot claimed to be the centre of Scotland. It is on the Glen Truim road, between the A889 and the A9, part of the 250 mile network of military roads built for the Government by General Wade after the Jacobite rising of 1715. This section was built in 1719 and is a section of the road between Fort Augustus and Ruthven Barracks at Kingussie. The stone replaces an earlier marker and was unveiled on 5th June 2015.
Post code is approximate.
3 miles south of Newtonmore
A small, but fascinating, museum dedicated to the history of the Macpherson clan, though also relating to the Highlands in general. There is a surprising amount to see. Learn about one of the last Jacobites and the story behind Macpherson's lament…
Newtonmore
Clava Cairns is a prehistoric complex not far from the Culloden battlefield. There are actually two parts to it. At Balnuaran are three well-preserved burial chambers, two with entrance passages, each one surrounded by standing stones. The cairns are of a type of which around 50 examples have been found in the Moray/Inverness region. They were built c2000BC, almost certainly for high standing individuals, and appear to align with the midwinter sunset. The cemetery was reused about 1,000 years after it was built. A split stone at the site is thought to have been the inspiration for Craigh Na Dun in the 'Outlander' book by Diana Gabaldon.
At Milton of Clava, down the road, is the remains of a medieval chapel, the site of another cairn and, possibly, standing stones.
The Commando Memorial in the Scottish Highlands was unveiled by the Queen Mother in 1952. In a dramatic setting, it commemorates all the officers and men of the Commandos who gave their lives in the Second World War, and who trained in the moors and mountains nearby. A garden of remembrance was subsequently added, where veterans' ashes could be scattered. It is also used for those who died in more recent conflicts, such as the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan. The main monument depicts three WW2 Commandos in battledress, looking over the Nevis mountain range. The memorial receives thousands of visitors and is situated about a mile to the north west of Spean Bridge, at the junction of the A82 and B8004. There is parking.
The Battle of Culloden on 16th April 1746 was the last pitched battle on British soil and brought the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 to a bloody end. Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie, had taken his largely Highland Army as far as Derby, before retreating north to Inverness, pursued by Government forces under the Duke of Cumberland. On the morning of the battle, many of the Prince's troops were exhausted after an aborted attack on the Government army camped at Nairn. The ground chosen for the battle was partly marsh, wholly unsuited to the favoured tactic of the Highland charge. Moreover, on this occasion the Jacobites were no match for the well-trained, disciplined, Government troops. They were also slightly outnumbered. The battle lasted less than an hour and was a decisive victory for the Government. Afterwards, Cumberland ordered his troops to ruthlessly pursue and search out any surviving rebels and a shameful bloodbath ensued.
The National Trust for Scotland runs an impressive visitor centre at Culloden, where there is a detailed explanation for the Jacobite Rebellion, an impressive audio-visual experience and various talks and tours. It is possible to explore much of the battlefield, which the NTS is in the process of returning it to its appearance in 1746, taking in the opposing lines and the sad burial markers.
Nr Inverness
There is a tradition that the origins of Culross were as a 6th century Christian community, headed by St Serf. St Mungo, or St Kentigern, is reputed to have been born here and a chapel, the ruins of which can be visited, was built on the site of his birth. An abbey was founded in the 13th century and the monks began coal mining. There was an iron industry too, and salt panning. It was a busy port. In 1575, Sir George Bruce, a descendant of Robert the Bruce, was granted the lease of the abbey's collieries. Bruce built what is believed to be the first coal mine to extend under the sea, and invented the means by which it could be kept drained. He was also the builder of Culross Palace. James VI visited and granted the burgh of Culross royal status – so as ‘the Royal Burgh of Culross’, it prospered. However, a great storm destroyed the submarine coal mine. For a while, Culross had a thriving boot and shoe industry. But industries declined and so did the town. The National Trust for Scotland acquired the palace in the 1930s and set about preserving and restoring it, as well as many of the town’s other buildings. The result is that Culross looks like something from the 17th century, albeit a little sanitised version of it (thank goodness). In addition to the ochre-coloured palace and its garden, highlights include the Town House (reputedly used as a prison for witches) and the abbey. But simply wandering round the old cobbled streets is very pleasant too.
There is a car park a short walk from the village centre.
Culross Abbey was founded by Malcolm, earl of Fife in 1217-1218 as a daughter house of the Cistercian monastery at Kinloss. The abbey church was built soon after, with work continuing into the 1300s. The abbey had a reputation for producing fine books, but monastic life came to an end with the Reformation of 1560. The choir and presbytery of the abbey church were taken over as the parish church, but most of the abbey buildings fell into ruin, so little remains. What there is is fascinating, however (including a climb up a ladder into the remains of the vaulted refectory). The church itself is cruciform and contains several items of particular interest. Probably the most impressive is the Bruce Vault, built in 1642, which houses the marble memorial to Sir George Bruce, builder of Culross Palace, and his wife. The memorial includes eight kneeling statues, representing the couple's children, in front of the memorial. There are also the effigies of a knight in armour and a lady, John Stewart of Innermeath, Lord of Lorn, and his wife, dating from 1445 but badly defaced during the Reformation.
There are rumours of ghosts. And a legend of a tunnel beneath the abbey, where a man in a golden chair sits waiting to give valuable treasures to anyone who succeeds in finding him.
Culross
Culross Palace is actually not a palace, but a rich merchant's house. It was constructed, mainly in the early 17th century, by Sir George Bruce. Bruce was something of an engineer and pioneered submarine coal mining in Culross, using an Egyptian wheel to keep the mine drained. He ran salt works which burned coal to evaporate sea water. At the time, Bruce's mines and salt works were the most technically advanced such enterprises in Scotland, if not the whole of Britain. He also traded extensively with the Low Countries, Sweden and other ports along the Forth. The ‘palace’ includes many materials obtained overseas, including roof tiles and timber, and contains some astonishing painted woodwork, including ceilings, as well as contemporary furnishings. The National Trust for Scotland has done a wonderful preservation job and the palace is now finished in a warm yellow ochre colour. They have restored the unusual, if not unique, terraced garden, which grows fruit, vegetables and herbs used in the early 17th century. James VI visited in 1617 and it is believed he generously referred to Sir George’s house as ‘a palace’.
Culzean Castle and Country Park is an enormous estate, once the seat of the Kennedy family, which includes woodland and seashore walks, a walled garden, large pond, various structures and follies in the grounds, an astonishing children's' adventure playground and the castle itself, perched on a clifftop. Actually, it's not really a castle, but a large stately house redesigned by Robert Adam and built between 1777 and 1792. The top floor was gifted to the Supreme Head of Allied Forces in Western Europe, later 34th President of the United States of America, Dwight D Eisenhower, to be used in his lifetime. It is now a hotel.
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