Skye -> Crianlarich

Believe it or not, folks, this is the end.

Well, there was another day after this one, but the pictures are all gone. These are the last. I'd be sadder if I weren't surprised that I actually managed to finish before the end of the year.

So, the day after Dunvegan, we left Skye, going over roads we'd already covered to get to Crianlarich.

The only new thing of note was Glencoe.






Pretty, pretty region, but that wasn't the reason we stopped there. History lesson very simplified and brief (look up "Glencoe Massacre" for more):

After the Jacobite Uprising, King William offered a pardon to all the Highland clans who'd participated, on the condition that they signed an oath of fealty by January 1, 1692.

The chief of the MacDonalds of Glencoe was late, for reasons of pride, inconvenience, and beaurocracy, but his oath did get to the king -- late.





King William, John Dalrymple (Master of Stair and Lord Advocate -- I don't know what that means, either), and Sir Thomas Livingstone (commander of the forces in Scotland) decided to make an example of them. Sources vary on who had the greatest responsibility in the plot; most of the ones I know hand the blame to Dalrymple.

In January/February 1692, a number of Campbell soldiers -- a clan long at odds with the MacDonalds -- came to Glencoe and were billeted there. On February 12, their commander arrived with their orders.

That night, the soldiers slaughtered their hosts.




Again, sources vary on how many of the soldiers were aware, and how great was their participation. Stories abound of soldiers who warned individual families to leave before the massacre.

38 men died; more than that were killed by exposure when they fled the glen.

Hardly a legendary massacre, right? Among the reasons it's such a big deal is because it was a sick subversion of the old laws of hospitality, it was plotted by the government, and it was sanctioned by the king himself.

Below is the monument to the Glencoe Massacre.

Well, not quite so brief as I'd hoped, but I've always found that piece of history fascinating. For one thing, I read a somewhat romanticized account when I was a kid. For another, it was part of a character's history in George MacDonald's Malcolm, and, apparently, George MacDonald himself traced his history back to it.

Why, yes, I am quite fond of George MacDonald. How did you know?

Back to travelling, there really isn't much more to say. We went on to Crianlarich, and in the morning, we headed back to Glasgow. We stopped by Loch Lomond on the last day, but the weather was poor and I was tired, so there are (alas!) no pictures.

And that was our Scotland trip, Sept. 9-19, 2008.

Don't worry, though: I have lots more to add to this. Since coming here, I've walked along the Forth and Clyde Canal, seen the Falkirk Wheel, visited Mugdock Park and New Lanark, and returned to Loch Ness. I have lots more pictures to add.

Later, though. This morning, it was either this or my essay. Guess which took priority?