Destination: Highlands

One of my favorite sights in Scotland is the evocative memorial battlefield of Culloden, where, in 1746, the troops of Bonnie Prince Charlie gave it their all to try to put the Catholic prince on the English throne…and failed.

In previous battles, the Jacobites (mostly Catholic and Scottish forces) used their fierce “Highland Charge” to break through the English lines. This time, the English held their ground. It was a timeless scene, as an empire mowed down its hopelessly outgunned insurgents — in this case, like shooting kilted ducks in a barrel.

While the English suffered about 300 casualties (with only 50 dead), the Highlanders lost closer to 2,000. Bonnie Prince Charlie declared, “Every man for himself!” as he galloped away. The Highlanders scattered. The English pushed on through in what would today be described as a campaign of “ethnic cleansing.” Culloden led to the banning of wearing the kilt, playing the bagpipes, and even of speaking Gaelic in Scotland. And it spelled the end of the clan system.

Within a few generations, kilted warriors were fighting for the British crown. And to this day, the Scots (poorer and therefore more susceptible to recruiter bribes and “a few good men” promises) fight and die for the Queen in disproportionately greater numbers than do the English.

Touring Culloden Battlefield is a powerful experience, made even more so by watching this 360-degree video that recreates the slaughter. Scottish Jacobite rebellion re-enactors make Civil War re-enactors look a bit mellow. I’ve been here several times, and a highlight for me with this visit was noticing how engrossed our tour group was as the battle unfolded.

What European battlefield sight do you find most powerful?

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Two frisky border collie puppies enjoy a little tussle in the sun on a desolate farm in Scotland’s Highlands.

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There’s nothing like a good sheepdog show…and I just saw my favorite ever, with Neil Ross at Leault Working Sheepdogs.

Our tour bus pulled up a long, rutted driveway to a remote farm. As we stepped out of our bus, a dozen eager border collies of all ages scampered to greet us. Then came the shepherd, whom the dogs clearly loved and followed like a messiah. He proceeded to sit us down in a natural little amphitheater in the turf and explain all about his work. With shouts and whistles, each dog followed individual commands and showed an impressive mastery over the sheep.

It’s hard to find vivid farm experiences in Europe. Do you have any favorites?

On this farm, it was very clear: Sheepdogs are smart…and sheep are idiots.

Our shepherd friend demonstrated why, for thousands of years, people in his profession have used a crook. As he talked, he wasn’t shy about sharing the frustration farmers feel when “fancy people with numbers after their names from the city come to tell them how to manage their land.” And he explained how he believed that the worst thing you can do for the natural environment here is to make it a national park. The experience was vividly real and fascinating.

With good, old-fashioned shears, we each got our chance to shear a sheep…who just lay there, as if at the beauty salon.

No one at home would think of me as a softy for dogs. But when our group got to cuddle the dozen tiny border collie puppies, only a few days old and just starting to open their eyes, I fell in love. The shepherd said it’s good for baby sheepdogs to have contact with humans like our group right from the start. I seriously considered a “puppy-napping.”

Across Scotland, archaeologists know that little round islands on the lakes are evidence of crannogs — circular houses built by big shots 500 years before Christ. They built on the lakes because in an age before roads, people traveled by boat, and because waterways were easily defended against rampaging animals and bad guys. There are 18 such crannogs on Loch Tay, north of Edinburgh. One is now the Crannog Centre, a museum staffed by people dedicated to learning about and teaching about these people. Our tour visited and saw amazing crafts demonstrated — including making fire by rubbing sticks.

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.

I’m well into our Best of Scotland bus tour, and I think the best couple of hours so far has been the Kenmore Highland Games. Here’s a compilation of my favorite clips showing all the fun. In small-town games, everyone plays. It’s fun for all — young, old, tourists, and locals.

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.