Culloden, Scotland

29TH AUGUST 2018 CULLODEN, SCOTLAND

Elgin Cathedral, Brodie Castle and Culloden Battlefield, Scotland

Before we left on our trip we bought The Scottish Heritage Pass which includes both the Historic Scotland locations and the National Trust for Scotland locations but as the pass can only be redeemed from a Historic Scotland location we headed east to Elgin Cathedral...

Elgin Cathedral was dedicated in 1224 and was enlarged and renovated following the fires of 1270 and 1390. The cathedral grounds became the burial ground for Elgin several centuries ago. We climbed the tower to see the great views.

Elgin Cathedral, Scotland

Elgin Cathedral, Scotland

Next we stopped at Brodie Castle  which was built in 1567 by Clan Brodie but destroyed by fire in 1645 by Lewis Gordon of Clan Gordon, and it was greatly expanded in 1824 by the architect William Burn who turned it into a large mansion house in the Scots Baronial style.

Brodie Castle, Scotland 

Culloden Battlefield....From Wiki  "On the 16th April, 1746 the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart were decisively defeated by Hanoverian forces commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands."

The visitor centre is excellent with information portrayed in a variety of ways. We learnt that the Jacobites had no chance of defeating the English - they were exhausted, their plan was wrong. Both armies contained English and Scotsman. The terrain made the Highland Charge difficult but suited the English and the battle lasted only an hour. Two thousand soldiers were killed nd the aftermath was devastating to the highlanders as it's purpose was to destroy the Scottish Clan system.

Culloden Battlefield, Culloden, Inverness, Scotland