A chance to travel Scotland in the footsteps of the Jacobites The Jacobite wars, or Jacobite rising, were a lot more than kilted Highlanders rushing through the heather to fight the Redcoats. It was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It was a battle for the heart and soul of a nation. There was religious conflict, political intrigue, commercial ambition and old scores settled. If you want to visit the most important sites of the Jacobite rising why not do this tour, and where better to start than in Scotland’s … [Read more...] about A Tour of Jacobite Scotland
History
General Wade Military Roads in Scotland
On a cold and frosty morning, 13th of November 1715 the supporters of the exiled Stuart king, known as Jacobites and led by the lacklustre Earl of Mar faced the regimented ranks of the Government Redcoats led by the Duke of Argyll across the frozen morass of Sheriffmuir near Stirling. Over the next few hours the two sides hacked away at each other, neither gaining much advantage nor making any headway; but their objectives were very different. Mar had to cross the River Forth if he was to take his army on to Edinburgh; Argyll had only to stop him. As the sun set over distant Ben Ledi, the two … [Read more...] about General Wade Military Roads in Scotland
Viking Scotland – The Earls of Orkney
Viking Scotland Part Three - The Earls of Orkney In late 1263 the Norwegian king, Haakon Haakonarsson, and his storm-damaged fleet limped into the sheltered waters of the Orkney Islands: the old man was ailing, and with him the dreams of a Viking empire. Vikings of the Hebridean Islands Earlier in the year Haakon had left Norway and crossed the ocean to stamp his authority over the Hebridean Islands, west of Scotland; which had been assailed and claimed by the Scottish king, Alexander III in 1262. For decades, the Scots had tried to buy the islands from the Norwegians, and time and … [Read more...] about Viking Scotland – The Earls of Orkney
Viking Scotland – The Hebrides
Viking Scotland - Part Two: The King of the Isles It was the summer of 1158, and two rival navies faced each other across the Sea of the Hebrides; one led by Godred, King of Man, the other by his brother-in-law the upstart Somerled, Lord of Argyll. It was yet another clash between warlords in this most contentious of arenas where Gaelic Scotland met Viking empire; but the outcome of this battle would alter the balance irrevocably. For nearly 400 years Norwegian Vikings had first raided and then settled the Irish Sea, Hebrides and the Northern Isles, establishing a substantial territorial … [Read more...] about Viking Scotland – The Hebrides
Viking Scotland
Viking Scotland - Part One: The Rise of the Norse “In this year fierce, foreboding omens came over the land of Northumbria. There were excessive whirlwinds, lightening storms and fiery dragons were seen flying in the sky. These signs were followed by great famine, and on the 8th of June the ravaging of heathen men destroyed God’s church at Lindisfarne” Lindisfarne, the Holy Island The year was 793. The Holy Island of Lindisfarne lies of the northeast coast of modern England, but in the 8th century it was part of the Kingdom of Northumbria, a territory that stretched from Yorkshire to … [Read more...] about Viking Scotland
Delightful Dunrobin Castle
The History of Dunrobin Castle Since the 13th century, the stunning Dunrobin Castle has played host to the many Earls and Dukes of Sutherland, before being called home by a family in 1401. The Sutherland Earldom is typically regarded as one of the most powerful in Britain, and was established in 1235. It is thought the castle was built specifically for the Earldom in the same year, and was given the name Dun Robin which means Robin’s Hill or Fort in Gaelic. The initial castle was a fortified, square keep, with six-feet thick walls and vaulted ceiling, with a view from a cliff-top … [Read more...] about Delightful Dunrobin Castle
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