Packed and ready for a weekend Highlands tour, we arrived at the bus bright and early Friday morning.
Enter our tour guide: Mac. “Like the hamburger.” Clad in traditional kilt and with dagger to protect us, Mac was the epitome of a Scotsman. Our guide was the best we could get; he gave us thorough history lessons with every sight we passed, and exposed us to his favorite Scottish tunes. Want a taste of what we heard on the bus? Listen to this while you read our entry.
Rolling along in our cozy fifteen-passenger bus, Mac led us through the Scottish Highlands. We first stopped in Perthshire at Dunkeld Cathedral, a ninth-century center for the Celtic Church. St Columba, a seventh-century monk who was influential in bringing Christianity to the Highlands, visited Dunkeld during his travels through Scotland. Located on the beautiful River Tay, the cathedral is also home to the oldest tree in Scotland.
Travelling farther north, we received a Scottish history lesson before reaching the Culloden Battlefield. Here the Highlanders made their last stand against the British government in the final Jacobite rebellion. Prince Charles Stuart, better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, gathered the Highland chiefs in protest of the Hanoverian King, George II. The Highlanders derived their title “Jacobite” from the King for whom they fought. The Latin word “Jacobus” translates to James, for King James VII of Scotland. The Highlanders were utterly destroyed on this battlefield, forcing Prince Charlie into exile in France.
Cue our first miniature hike: Rogie Falls. Mac led us to the hanging bridge over the falls for a beautiful photo-op.
We reached our destination, Isle of Skye, just in time for the sunset. Check out our first of many group photos, and stay tuned for details on the remainder of the adventure.
