By Tuesday William's cold is bothering him and he needs some down time, so Fergus, Merida and I leave him at Hotel Columba for a morning of exploring Clava Cairns and Culloden on our own.
John Alasdair Macdonald provided an excellent suggestion - take a taxi to the Cairns, have the driver wait while we explore, then have the driver drop us off at Culloden which is perhaps 15 minutes away. We chat with the taxi driver along the way and learn that he is originally from Poland and has been living in Inverness for over 5 years. His wife is working on a master's degree and his oldest son is pursuing a bachelor's degree at the local college.
Clava Cairns has three well-preserved ancient burial cairns, each enclosed with stone circles. It is believed they were built approximately 4,000 years ago. There is an unusual quiet as we walk around the cairns and the stones in the mid-morning sun. The cairns are part of the inspiration for the Outlander series, which I have to admit I have not read. I know, I know... sometimes I am so out of synch with the rest of the world!
John Alasdair Macdonald provided an excellent suggestion - take a taxi to the Cairns, have the driver wait while we explore, then have the driver drop us off at Culloden which is perhaps 15 minutes away. We chat with the taxi driver along the way and learn that he is originally from Poland and has been living in Inverness for over 5 years. His wife is working on a master's degree and his oldest son is pursuing a bachelor's degree at the local college.
Clava Cairns has three well-preserved ancient burial cairns, each enclosed with stone circles. It is believed they were built approximately 4,000 years ago. There is an unusual quiet as we walk around the cairns and the stones in the mid-morning sun. The cairns are part of the inspiration for the Outlander series, which I have to admit I have not read. I know, I know... sometimes I am so out of synch with the rest of the world!
Culloden Battlefield is where in 1745 the Jacobites had their famous battle against the British forces lead by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland. It is believed that over 1,500 Jacobites were killed either directly in the battle or in the subsequent days of "no mercy". We are lucky to arrive at the museum 30 minutes prior to a tour of the battlefield by one of the staff archeologists. This gives us sufficient time to walk through the museum and learn the perspectives of both sides, then join the battlefield tour. The archeologist is both informative and enthusiastic as she walks us through the field and explains the background leading up the the battle as well as the events of the day and days following.
After the tour and walking through the monuments on our own, we take up the task of figuring how to get back to Inverness. John had advised us that there is a local bus, so Fergus inquires at the admissions desk. He is informed it will arrive in 20 minutes. We take a quick stroll through the gift shop then go stand at what appears to be the bus stop. We try to read the schedule posted on the light pole, but it makes no sense to us. The bus is 5 minutes late, then 10 minutes late, then 12 minutes late. Just as we are beginning to think about going back to the museum for suggestions on taxi's the bus arrives. Almost an hour later we depart the bus at a stop in Inverness city center - just six blocks from our hotel.
We meet up with William at Hotel Columba then try to find a place open for a late lunch. After several stops and inquiries we find that Hootenanny's is serving for another 30 minutes, so we decide to give it a try.
After the tour and walking through the monuments on our own, we take up the task of figuring how to get back to Inverness. John had advised us that there is a local bus, so Fergus inquires at the admissions desk. He is informed it will arrive in 20 minutes. We take a quick stroll through the gift shop then go stand at what appears to be the bus stop. We try to read the schedule posted on the light pole, but it makes no sense to us. The bus is 5 minutes late, then 10 minutes late, then 12 minutes late. Just as we are beginning to think about going back to the museum for suggestions on taxi's the bus arrives. Almost an hour later we depart the bus at a stop in Inverness city center - just six blocks from our hotel.
We meet up with William at Hotel Columba then try to find a place open for a late lunch. After several stops and inquiries we find that Hootenanny's is serving for another 30 minutes, so we decide to give it a try.
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