Culloden

When I was 8 the BBC broadcast a drama-documentary about the Battle of Culloden which terrified me at the time, and I’ve never forgotten since.  Being in black and white it wasn’t the gore that got to me: it was the terrifyingly relentless pursuit and butchery of the Jacobite Highlanders after the battle.

Last week we had a few days in Scotland and decided to visit Culloden Battlefield.

We were staying near Inverness and got the bus.

Halfway across Culloden Moor the driver pulled over into a parking place, got out and opened the engine compartment, releasing some interesting looking fumes.

He came back, explained “It’s poured coolant all over the road” and phoned the depot.

Fester read the Grauniad.

Ferretfingers fell asleep.

Thunderthighs was mightily displeased.

To maintain my sanity I texted two friends who know us well; Miss Doozer (who feeds our cats when we’re away) and Mrs Leftfoot.

13:19:16

Bentonbag:  Bus to Culloden Battlefield has broken down on Culloden Moor and Thunderthigh’s had no lunch.  We’re doomed.

13:25:39

Miss Doozer:  Nooooooo

13:26:06

Miss Doozer:  How long before he eats his brother?

13:26:44

Miss Doozer:  I’m so bad without food that I specifically ask people not to schedule contentious meetings before lunch. 

13:27:21

Miss Doozer:  Get on my wrong side and I WILL eat you.

13:27:43

Miss Doozer:  BTW both cats are sulking because I made them go out in the rain.

13:32:22

Bentonbag:  I’ve got off and escaped to a sunny bench.

13:33:58

Miss Doozer:  Good move.  Let Dad deal with it.  You’re on holiday

13:38:16

Bentonbag:  Be nicer if some dog walker’s car alarm wasn’t going off every few minutes because they’ve left a window open.

13:40:23

Miss Doozer:  I feel a blogpost arriving … :-) 

13:49:28 

Mrs Leftfoot:  Oh.  Are you mobile again?

13:49:49 

Mrs Leftfoot:  I really shouldn’t laugh but …
13:52:19
Bentonbag:  A mechanic has arrived but T is not happy that they haven’t sent a replacement bus for us 5 passengers.

13:54:16

Mrs Leftfoot:  You do make me laugh … Good Luck

13:59:17

Mrs Leftfoot:  I can only imagine what the driver is going through.  I could send a food parcel?

17:59:37

Mrs Leftfoot:  Have you survived?  Are you all speaking still?

18:07:32

Bentonbag:  Back @ hotel.  Just massaged Fester’s inflamed leg (not a euphemism) & cut T’s toenails.  Talk about a woman’s work.

18:09:38

Mrs Leftfoot:  Good grief.  What a day.  I hope it was worth the trip

Actually Culloden was worth the trip.  It has an excellent visitors centre with a good café and loos, and more information boards, films etc than one can actually take in.  Suffering from sensory and information overload I took myself out onto the rooftop viewing platform. 

We had a walk around the battlefield.  

Looking at the heather, gorse and rough ground I couldn’t begin to imagine what it must have been like to try and run for your life across it.