Inverness, Scotland (Invergordon)

Celebrity Silhouette will dock in Invergordon, about 40 minutes from Inverness and an hour from Loch Ness. Inverness, literally means "mouth of the river Ness". Inverness, regarded as the capital of the Highlands, is the northernmost city in the U.K., located near the site of the 18th century Battle of Culloden. Click here for a Youtube video of Inverness. History, as well as breathtaking scenery, will be all about us as we explore the Scottish Highlands.

Scotland, and especially the Highlands, has been on my bucket list since I opened the first page of Book 1 (entitled "Outlander") of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. Seven more books complete the series of eight and she is working on book nine.  I am smiling.  Ken literally had to drag me away from reading as I got so ensconced in the Scottish Highlands through these books.  I am so blessed to have visited Scotland once and am eagerly looking forward to next visit in August 2016!

Have you ever heard of haggis?  How about hielan coos?  
Well, haggis is a Scottish specialty, made with minced meat and oatmeal (porridge) cooked in sheep’s bladder… I was not brave enough to try it on my first visit to Scotland... and I may not be brave enough to try it next time!  Hielan coos (pronounced heelan koos) are the Highland Cows that are so cute.  Well, perhaps cute is not quite the correct word because they are huge & have fuzzy faces and horns!  Scotland is the land of folklore and myths along with quite a storied history.

1) The legendary Loch Ness - first search for the monster, then enjoy the beautiful scenery! National Geographic has a wonderful video of the legend of Nessie, the Loch Ness monster.

2) Culloden Battlefield - The Battle of Culloden took place on April 16, 1746 and pitted the Jacobite forces of "Bonnie Prince Charlie", Charles Edward Stuart, against an army commanded by Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government. The Jacobites consisted largely of volunteer Scottish highlanders. Following the battle Handel wrote his oratorio Judas Maccabaeus to honour the Duke of Cumberland, with the aria “See how the conquering hero comes”.
The Jacobite cause to overthrow the reigning House of Hanover and restore the House of Stuart to the British throne was dealt a decisive defeat at Culloden; Charles Stuart never mounted any further attempts to challenge Hanoverian power in Britain.
Between 1500-2000 Jacobites were killed in this bloodbath, while the government casualties were lighter, only around 50.

3) Ruins of Urquhart Castle - Magnificently situated overlooking Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle is one of the largest castles in Scotland. It is near the castle that many Nessie sightings occur, so have your cameras handy! Urquhart was one of the medieval Scottish strongholds and remains so, despite it's ruinous state. Click here for a photo of Urquhart situated high atop Loch Ness.

And here's a photo that I took looking through the trees!

4) Clava Cairns - Named after the group at Balnuaran of Clava, near Inverness, these burial cairns were erected in the early Bronze Age or late Neolithic Age (2000 - 1700 BC) with a stone circle surrounding either a chambered tomb or a ring cairn. There are about 50 cairns of this type around Inverness. In the Neolithic through the New Stone Age, the older you were, the more important you were; so logically the dead were the most important of all. Ancestor worship became the center of people’s lives, and great emphasis was placed on the burial of the dead. 

5) Beauly - "C'est un beau lieu", from the French 'what a beautiful place', was Mary Queen of Scots reaction to the grandeur of the scene when she stayed in Beauly in the 16th century, and local tradition credits the naming of the village to her. However, the naming may date back to around 1230 when the French monks arrived to set up the Priory.  The River Beauly is one of Scotland's prime rivers for trout and salmon fishing.

6) Brodie Castle - is the seat of Clan Brodie. This is a 16th century tower house is packed with art and antiques.  The castle is interesting and you will see everything from the drawing room to the nursery... even the toys, including dolls, game,s and hobby horses.  Our castle tour concluded with lunch in the tea room where we dined on home made minestrone, salad, and sandwiches.  The baked goodies were yummy – scones, tea biscuits, shortbreads, etc.

7) Monlochy Clootie Well -What is a clootie?  In Scots, a clootie or cloot is a piece of cloth or a rag.

The well is hidden in a hilly forest and is said to bring good health and well being to those who leave a piece of clothing or a coin behind. The branches of the trees surrounding the well are covered with hanging socks, handkerchiefs, and other articles of clothing left by those hoping for well being.  Many Scots come here on the eve of the Scottish New Year.