England and Scotland Day 10
England and Scotland
Day 10 - October 10, 2006 - Inverness/Home Hosted Dinner
We got to sleep in until 7:30 today but the sun woke us up - imagine that - a sunrise in Scotland! We had breakfast and then got on the bus at 9:30 for a morning tour of the sights around Inverness. The OAT itinerary called for a free day today, but Simone and Kenny planned a great excursion for us this morning.
On the way to one of the famous battlegrounds of the Jacobite Revolution, Simone gave us a condensed history of the conflicts between the English Crown and the Scottish Highlanders. We made a brief stop at the Balnuaran of Clava Cairns and prehistoric burial grounds built between 3 and 4 thousand years ago. Around each of the cairns or mound of burial stones are also ancient standing stones.
We stopped at the Culloden Battlefield, where Bonnie Prince Charlie's troops of Jacobites and Highland Clans were defeated in 1746. Our trek through the battlegrounds was very informative as the field positions of the clans were all marked as well as those of the British dragoons.
The losses for the Jacobites were at least 1200 and the British 350. Bonnie Prince Charlie retreated into exile. We walked the whole distance of the path through the moors of heather - now so serene and peaceful one tends to forget the atrocities of war.
Our next unscheduled adventure was a tour of the small Moniac Winery where they make country wines, all made from flowers, fruits, and trees and absolutely no grapes. Our guide Susie talked to us about the different products they made; wines made from cherries, plums, pears, ginger, silver birch and elderberry.
She told us of the many medicinal properties of these wines and liqueurs, which cure everything from coughs, colds, stomach aches and even baldness. We watched a DVD of the story of the Fraser Clan who have owned this castle for centuries and know maintain and operate the winery.
We were able to see the jelly kitchen, fermenting tanks, and then went into the bottling room. This is a very small operation, all done by hand; they can only fill four bottles at one time. We were then able to sample the jellies and jams, sauces, and wines. Too sweet for me.
At 1:15 we left the winery and returned to Inverness where Kenny dropped most of us off at the city center so we could eat lunch and have the afternoon on our own. Inverness is known as "the capital of the Highlands." This is an ancient settlement, dating back to the 6th century A.D., when St. Columba is supposed to have visited the Pictish King Brude at his fortress here.
We had lunch with Carol, Ramona, and Vicky tasting the delights of Scottish fish and chips. We walked back over the River Ness taking a few photos along the way. We wound our way through the pedestrian shopping area and then explored the numerous walking paths. We strolled along the banks of the River Ness, which flows into the North Sea. We found our way back to our hotel using back paths and alleyways. It is so much fun to explore - this is a very safe city in a country known for its low crime rate.
When we got back to the hotel, we found Kenny cleaning the bus. He had just washed it again and was sweeping the mud that we had tracked in from our tours this morning. He has been an excellent driver and keeps our bus in perfect condition!
I used the remaining time this afternoon to organize our photos from the day as well as to catch up on a bit of news from the states.
Tonight, at 6:30 we were picked up by three local families and were their guests for a home-hosted dinner. Our host and hostess were Magnus and Elizabeth. Our foursome was Erwin and Carol from California and Gennie and I.
Magnus drove us directly to their home, a wonderfully modern and cozy house overlooking the water. We had a delightful dinner together and were able to enjoy our conversations on travel, education, farming in Scotland, and our families. Magnus delivered us safely back to our hotel at 10 PM - what a great experience from the Inverness community and OAT.
Swallow Craigmonie Hotel -- Inverness, Scotland - - - Meals: B, D
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