Culloden Battlefield

It is great having a car to drive around. we are much more mobile, and not worrying about how to get back to places. The roads are well sign posted as well. We went to Culloden this afternoon. Its actually only 5 min out of Inverness on a flatish bit of land. There is a new fantastic visitors centre with lots of interactive bits which make you feel the battle taking place. We were lucky because we managed to join a guided tour straight away, the guide was very knowledgable and theatric as well, so he made you imagine all that was taking place. They have flagpoles up where the English troops line were , and then way over flags where the Highlander (Jacobites) lines were (with Bonny Prince Charlie behind them). There are pathways across the moor (or huge field) with small monuments and signs telling you what happened on this spot. app. 3 days after the battle the locals were told to come and bury the Scottish dead (1500) so they made mass pits and then put up stones saying Clan MacDuff etc but they really had no idea who was in the graves cause they were all mixed up by the end. by the way they say only 50 English died, with 350 wounded (but probably died in the days after due to the wounds). they have a small spot for their dead. I thought it was scottish against the English, but in reality the Jacobites were more Catholic highlanders, some catholic english and irish and french as well. the English actually had some Protestant scottish and highlanders as well, so in some cases it was members of a family fighting each other. all in all very spooky - the Jacobites lost for a number of reasons - the main onebeing the Culloden field chosen by dear old Bonnie Charlie was a swamp and bog - so 2/3 of the scottish side had to run through mud up to their knees and could hardly move! (the clan chiefs told him this was not a good place but he didnt listen!)