Each evening, in almost every town, the happy sound of traditional Scottish folk music spills out of local pubs. And each evening, visitors have the chance to join in the fun. It’s one of the great things about traveling in Scotland. Apart from Ireland, there’s no place like it.
After spending an evening writing at our Inverness hotel, I needed a little break. In the neighboring hotel’s bar, a band was playing. Our guide, Liz, popped out and waved me eagerly in. Inside I found most of our group, already thoroughly part of the scene…mixing it up with the regulars and a fun-loving hen party (that’s British for “bachelorette party”).
I love the way our guide, Liz, made sure to capitalize on any cultural serendipity over the course of our tour.
If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.
We all know about Stonehenge and England’s famous stone circles. But I didn’t realize Scotland had its fancy-pants knuckle-draggers, too. (That’s your cue, caveman sympathizers.)
At Clava Cairns, set in a peaceful grove of trees just a few minutes’ drive from Inverness, are the remains of three thought-provoking stone igloos, each cleverly constructed 4,000 years ago with a passageway that the sun illuminates, as if by magic, with each winter solstice. Wandering through these, knowing they’re as old as the pyramids, was a trip highlight (one of many).
One thing I love about our tours is that each day, our hardworking guides have several of these little treats to spring on us. They set the historic context, then turn us loose. It’s as if we hiked there ourselves, but still had a professor on call. This is one of the reasons why so many of the people who sign up for our tours start their request for our sales material by saying, “I’m not the tour-taking type, but…” and find our tours just right for their independent style.
If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.
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?
If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.
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.”
