Scottish Highlands

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http://www.heygo.com 11th February - Scottish Highlands



The wind was bracing, the views were simply stunning and the stories told by Craig Our guide were full of interest. Craig is so engaging, a group member asked about heather and he was able to find examples of the 3 varieties on the hillside (I have added them in bloom). I loved that we could see Craig’s shadow as he took us on today’s journey.



The view overlooking Loch Linnhe was fabulous. Loch Linnhe follows the line of the Great Glen Fault and is the only sea loch along the fault.



One of the islands we saw in the distance was Lismore.



Lismore was an important centre of Celtic Christianity from an early date.

In the 6th century Lismore was part of the kingdom of Dalriada until the arrival of the Viking’s in the late 8th century, after which it is likely the island was absorbed into the Norse-Gael Kingdom.Magnus Barelegs had established direct Norwegian overlordship over the sea kingdom.

By 1098 Edgar of Scotland signed a treaty with Magnus which settled much of the boundary between the Scots and Norwegian claims in the islands. Edgar acknowledged the situation & gave up his claims to the Hebrides with one or two exceptions including Lismore, which were retained by the Scots.



Craigs stories continued as we made our way up the hill.



Ardsheal's Cave

During the Jacobite rising of 1745-6, the Appin Stewarts, led by Charles Stewart of Ardsheal, were out for Bonnie Prince Charlie and fought for him at Culloden. After the prince's defeat, Stewart of Ardsheal went into hiding from the government troops. Tradition has it he hid in a cave behind a waterfall, close to the village of Duror on the Ardsheal Peninsula.





Colin Campbell was shot in the back on 14 May 1752. The search for the killer targeted the Clan Stewart as Campbell had ordered several evictions of members of Clan Stewart. The chief suspect Alan Stewart, having fled, James Stewart of the Glens was arrested for the crime and tried for the murder. Although the trial showed that James was not directly involved in the assassination he was found guilty of aiding & abetting the murder.



James Stewart was hanged on 8 November 1752 on a specially commissioned gallows near the south entrance to BallachulIsh Bridge. He died protesting his innocence.

James's corpse was left hanging close to the local ferry for eighteen months as a warning to other clans with rebellious intentions. Over those months, it was beaten and battered by winds and rain. As it eventually deteriorated, the skeletal remains were held together with chains and wire.



The scenery was so beautiful, not so the stories but I guess that’s all part of history.



We could see Ben Nevis across the loch, the highest mountain in the British Isles, The summit is 1,345 metres above sea level. Maybe another of Craig’s tours in the planning. Wouldn’t that be fun.

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