Day 69: Loch Farraline to Nairn, Inverness-shire

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021

14th March 2021: 76.35km walked today taking the total to 7111.28/8868km. 12.5% of 79 entries submitting 610.79km.

A smaller mileage today as there is so much to tell you as we walk Clava Cairns to Culloden, then Cawdor to Fort George as we make our way to Nairn.

Route 21: Inverness to Aberdeen

We continue on the B851 cutting across the countryside for just over 32 kilometres. We have views of the Monadhliath Mountains to the south as we pass through a number of settlements before reaching the A9, south of Inverness. At this point, we follow a minor road under the A9 and following our route through Milton of Clava to Clava Cairns.

Clava Cairns, dating back to circa 2000 BC, sits 1 mile away from Culloden Moor on the other side of the River Nairn. Its full name is the ‘Prehistoric Burial Cairns of Balnuaran of Clava’. There are 3 burial cairns on this site maintained by Historic Environment Scotland, part of a group of 45 cairns in northern Inverness-shire, all referred to as Clava Cairns. There are 7 of them dotted along the Strathnairn (River Nairn valley) which courses to the sea at Nairn. Within this particular site, there are 2 passage cairns, one ring cairn and one kerb cairn along with several standing stones. We know it was used for 1000 years between 2 time periods; previous to this it was a farming settlement when, at some point, its use suddenly changed. These were built at a time when the rising and setting of the sun, the cycle of the moon, along with the changing seasons, was of huge importance to everyday life. The alignment of the cairns to the sun suggests that midwinter was important to the society who built them; the passage cairns line up to the southwest to focus on the winter solstice in particular, an important turning point in their year. The cairns were cleared out long ago; we know that only a few people were buried within each, leading to the belief that they were important individuals. There are larger sites in Scotland, but few have the variety and interest within such a peaceful setting.

The site they now stand in didn't come about naturally. In the 1870s investigations took place on the site, believed to be Druid temples at that time, in keeping with the Victorian romanticised view of the past. The well-meaning landowner planted trees around the mounds, whilst also moving standing stones into the area to make way for the new road. They also used some of the cairn stones to build the wall which encloses the site! Visitor numbers have certainly increased in recent years following the growing interest in the book and TV series ‘Outlander’, as Diana Gabaldon is believed to have used Clava Cairns as inspiration for the fictitious ‘Craig na Dun’ stone circle in the books.  

There is definitely an ethereal and mystical feel about this place as we wander about exploring the different structures. The mysticism associated with the site grew when a Belgian tourist, who had taken a stone from the site in 2000, returned it via mail to the Inverness Tourist Board some months later. In a letter accompanying the stone, the tourist stated that since taking this stone his daughter had broken her leg, his wife had become seriously ill, he had lost his job and also broken his arm. He requested they please return it to the site because he felt cursed. Is there a guardian of the cairns? Scottish mythical Sith or fairy folk? A Bronze Age ancestor? Or just a man just cursed by his own conscience for removing a stone from a historical site? Let’s not take any, just in case!

From Clava Cairns we make our way along the minor roads, passing through Leanach, in sight of the Culloden Railway Viaduct, before turning left onto the B9006 at Culloden Moor Inn to arrive at the Culloden Battlefield and Visitor Centre. We make our way into the exhibit to view artefacts from Jacobite times and the battle itself, learn about the battle that took place here, as well as stand at the centre of a 360-degree battle immersion film! 

The battle that took place on Culloden Moor, part of Drumossie Moor, on 16th April 1746, was the final Jacobite conflict and also the last pitch battle fought on British soil. Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Jacobite army were defeated by the British Government under the Duke of Cumberland’s command (he was the son of George II and 25 years old at the time, the same age as the Prince), bringing about the dismantling of the ancient Highland clan structure and culture.  

As we exit the exhibit to walk the battlefield, the external wall on our right has proud bricks along its length, each brick representing the life of a man lost in this battle. We pass Leanach cottage, built in the early 18th century, once part of a smallholding that sat here on the Government lines, used as their field hospital. The only structure remaining on the battlefield, it has been altered over time and smaller than it once was; its last occupant left in 1912. 

As we make our way to the clan grave area, we take in the peaceful setting with views over to the Ben Wyvis Range, and some of us may feel the immense atmosphere of history and loss. The battle lines are marked by flags; blue for the Government, red for the Government; 5,000 Jacobites vs 8,000 well-equipped Government troops with cannon. They didn't stand a chance. The clan grave mounds are marked with stones erected by Duncan Forbes of Culloden House, in 1881. These are mass clan graves of around 1500 fighters, the dead having been buried by the local people, after a battle that lasted less than an hour.

Following Culloden, 3,470 Jacobites, supporters and others were either taken prisoner, executed, died imprisoned, banished, released or sent to the colonies, the latter of which there was a large number; the fate remains unknown for a further 700. The Bonnie Prince escaped, eventually to France, after hiding in the western Highlands and Islands for 5 months. Only 50 Government troops died with circa 300 wounded. Duncan Forbes was also responsible for the erection of the Battle Cairn, where we walk to pay our respects, whose inscription reads:

‘The Battle of Culloden was fought on this moor 16th April 1746. The graves of the gallant Highlanders who fought for Scotland and Prince Charlie, are marked by the name of their clans.’ 

After Culloden, the Duke of Cumberland, nicknamed ‘the butcher’, brought misery and brutality to the whole area. The speaking of Gaelic was forbidden, as was the wearing of kilts and national dress. All arms were surrendered. Estates were plundered and burned, many people starved to death and many ‘outrages’ were committed; rape and murder were included in these. One well-documented occurrence happened at Boleskine Burial Ground, where a starving mourner grabbed a loaf of bread from a passing cart during a funeral. Troops accompanying the cart fired into the gathering, killing one and injuring many. The bullet holes can still be seen in Donald Fraser of Ericht’s tombstone of 1730.

The moor, like the local people, wasn't treated with respect post-battle either. In 1835 a road was built through the area, disturbing the mass clan graves, and the moor itself became a conifer tree plantation. In the 1970s the National Trust for Scotland became interested in the conservation and restoration of the battlefield, building a wooden hut as a visitor centre. In 1983, they removed the trees and began to restore the moor to its original condition, also rerouting the road from the centre of the site. A new visitor centre was designed, opening in 2001.

From the Battle Cairn, we follow the path, leaving the Moor to walk along the road for a time, before crossing to enter Culloden Woods, which is also planted on part of the battlefield. Heading straight down the trail we reach St Mary’s Well, another active clootie well, like the one in Munlochy, following the same traditions and ceremonies. Until the early 1970s, there was a large annual pilgrimage to this well on the 1st Sunday in May; this has since ceased, people tending to visit anytime. From the well, we follow the path northeast bringing us to a huge boulder called the Prisoner Stone. Located just a mile from Culloden House, local tradition states that after the battle 17 Jacobite soldiers were held in the house cellar for 3 days, before being transported by cart to this place and shot at point-blank range against the stone. To ensure the job was done thoroughly their executioners used their rifle butts to club their heads afterwards.  Even so, it is said that one man, a Fraser, did manage to crawl away and survive.

We follow our route out of the woods into a housing estate in Culloden, once a village and now a suburb of Inverness. We follow the path down the back of the houses, to cross Barn Church Road and head into the Culloden House Hotel grounds.

Steeped in history, Culloden House started life in the 1500s as a ‘tower house’ castle, before becoming a mansion house between 1772-78. The property was originally called Coulloddin Castle, from the Gaelic ‘Cul Lodain’ meaning ‘back of the small pond’, where it is situated. The village grew around the estate, as is often the case. The Forbes of Culloden were the house’s longest occupants from 1626-1897, so were in residence when Bonnie Prince Charlie and his army commanders commandeered the place a few days before the Battle of Culloden. Duncan Forbes, Lord Chief Justice of Scotland, was on the Government side and tried to change the minds of the Jacobites to no avail. Duncan Forbes was distressed by the brutality of the Duke of Cumberland towards the Scottish people, opposing their treatment which lost him influence. He died 18 months later, it is said from a broken heart, as the suffering he witnessed caused him great distress. He was also financially ruined by the risings and his estate was severely damaged during the battle.  

Duncan’s son was responsible for the renovation of the castle into a mansion house. Robert Adam, a leading Scottish architect, as well as an interior and furniture designer, was a family friend and visited several times, whilst responsible for the design and build of Fort George. It was Adams’ influence in the Palladian architecture and plasterwork that we still enjoy today. Remnants of the castle still remain, as Robert Adam removed the outer fortifications but retained the inner walls. The original cellars are still below the property and, behind a door in the drawing room where we take our afternoon tea, we can ask to view the substantial castle wall!

In 2018, a mound where a Bargas Tree once stood in the Hotel grounds, underwent a geophysical survey, to discover if the remains of 16 Jacobites lie here. They are said to have been discovered hiding in the house cellars after the battle and taken out and executed on this spot. The archaeologists found 3 pits in this area which they believe to be the war graves, along with artefacts from the period. The hotel is also reputedly haunted by Bonnie Prince Charlie’s ghost, as an apparition of a man dressed in tartan has been seen on several occasions.

After enjoying our time at Culloden House Hotel, we return to the B9006 via Culloden Woods, following the circuit to View Hill, past the Scottish Forestry School, leading us back to the junction at Culloden Moor Inn. As we take a left onto this road, we see another large boulder sitting on the opposite side of the road. This is known as the Cumberland Stone, the spot where ‘the Butcher Duke’ is said to have taken his breakfast on the morning of the battle and surveyed the progress of the battle. It is surrounded by trees today but, back on that fateful day, it would have had a clear sightline to the battleground. The ‘Cumberland Stone’ carving was done by a local man in 1881. The boulder itself is a glacial feature known as a puddingstone, dragged along by the ice sheet, as it moved west from Stratherrick, and deposited here about 16,000 years ago.

We follow our route for 12 kilometres along country roads into Cawdor. People have been living in this area since Roman times, as there is evidence of a Roman fort identified dating 80-130 AD. As we walk into the village, we pass the church first founded by the Thanes of Cawdor in 1619, renovated in the 1800s. The cluster of houses are, for the most part, estate houses that grew up around Cawdor Castle, to serve the castle and its community. The Royal Brackla Distillery is also in this area; founded in 1812 by Captain William Fraser of Brackla House, now owned by Bacardi-Martini distilling Dewar’s ‘Royal Brackla’ whisky. 

We follow the minor road, then turn to wander up the impressive approach to Cawdor Castle, a tower house, built in the late 14th- early 15th century to replace the nearby Old Calder Castle. It was owned at that time by the Thanes of Cawdor, the Calder family, Cawdor being derived from that name. The castle has seen numerous expansions over the centuries to accommodate the needs of its residents. A story surrounds a feature in the castle, as it was built around a living holly tree. Local tradition states that a donkey, laden with gold, lay down to rest under this tree, which was then selected as the site of the castle. The remains of the tree are still viewable in the cellar of the tower.

The castle came into Campbell hands through Sir John Campbell’s marriage to Muriel Calder in 1510 and is still in Campbell family ownership. The Dowager Countess Cawdor calls this home today. It is interesting to note that Sir John Campbell was the man whose sister, Catherine, was left out on the rock at Duart Castle to drown by her husband, Lachlan Cattanach Maclean; Sir John is believed to have murdered her husband in 1523 for this act.

The castle grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland, its walled garden dating back to the 17th century. In literature, the name Cawdor is mentioned in Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’, where he is made Thane of Cawdor; a totally fictional link, as Macbeth never became a Thane of Cawdor, the title didn't even exist in his time, and the castle was never mentioned.

We enjoy wandering through the gardens, some of us play the 9-hole golf course, before following the lane along the Cawdor Burn, then crossing it back into the village area. We pass the entrance to Cawdor Tavern, once the estate joinery workshop, to turn right along a minor road, which passes over the B9091 to reach the A96. We cross over this busy road (the main route to Aberdeen) into Gollanfield and press on along the minor roads into Ardersier. To our west is Dalcross where the Inverness Airport is based, we spot a few planes coming and going.  

Ardersier, in Gaelic ‘Aird nan Saor’, meaning ‘Headland of the joiners’, was documented in 1227. Legend states that carpenters working on the monastic buildings across the Firth were quartered here in the 13th century, hence the name. At that time, a ferry from the Ardersier Peninsula across to Chanonry Point was an important link to the north. A charter granted in Nairn, for Ardersier, refers to ‘locus trialis’, which may have meant that it was a place for trial by ‘wager of battle’, basically a judicially sanctioned duel. Parts of this area were also owned by the order of the Knights Templar, then acquired by the Campbells of Cawdor in 1626.

After the 1745 Rising was over, it was felt a new fort was required to control the Scottish Highlands, and fear also remained that French supporters would carry out a naval assault. It was decided that a fort should be built at the narrowest point of the Moray Firth, instead of where the original fort once stood in Inverness. This required the resettlement of a fishing village on the peninsula called Blacktown, relocating it a mile along the shore next to what was then a community known as Campbeltown. The new village called themselves Stewart-town and the 2 communities lived separately, one under Earl of Moray in Stewart-town, and the other under the Earl of Cawdor in Campbeltown. The village didn't officially become Ardersier again until the late 1970s. 

As we walk down Station Road, we pass the Ardersier War Memorial Hall, now a community centre which reopened after renovation in 2014. It was built in 1923 to remember those who died in the Great War and World War 1. A little further along is the War Memorial to both World Wars, initially erected in 1920 across the street at the Fort George Railway Station, then moved after its closure in 1958. You wouldn't know that a railway terminated here today, but a station was based here from 1899 and played a key role in transportation during both World Wars, when Fort George was used as a training base. As we wander through the streets, we see the 18th-century cottages built by Cawdor Estate and grander houses built for army officers. It's a quiet place these days but 150 years ago it would have been a bustling community with many local trades and shops. We follow Station Road, once part of the Old Military Road network, until it terminates at the Fort itself. As we walk, we see the stilts of an old pier built in 1865 for the ferries and to support the fishing industry. It was never really used by the fishermen, as there was a charge for its use, so they continued to pull their boats up the shore a little further along the beach. The area where the boats sat and the nets dried out is marked today by a dolphin sculpture, nicknamed Moray and Cawdor, as a nod to the dolphins who frequent the area. 

Reaching the peninsula, we cross over the visitor car park to enter Fort George, well hidden behind the grassy banks built to protect it from artillery fire. The structure remains virtually unaltered since its construction, has never been attacked, and remains a garrison fort to this day. It is thought to be the strongest fortification to ever be built in the UK and covers 42 acres. Designed by the Adams brothers, work began in 1748, seeing the main defences complete by 1757; total completion followed in 1769. 1,000 soldiers were used as labour, protecting the area as they worked. The build ran behind schedule and over budget; some things never change! Once complete it accommodated 1,600 men and contained all the facilities you would see in a new town.

We enter via a wooden bridge over a wide ditch which is heavily defended, complete with drawbridge, known as a ravelin. Once inside, it's a huge, impressive structure, with stone walls many yards wide allowing for grassed ramparts, under which are bunkers to protect the garrison from artillery fire. The barracks are aligned through the central area, with drill spaces at the entrance and a chapel at the far end. It is still an active military fort, home to the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, but is due to close in 2032 when it will be handed over to Historic Environment Scotland. They currently run the visitor attraction within its walls, with exhibition areas in one of the barracks and the Grand Magazine. The Highlanders Museum, the official museum of the Queen’s Own Highlanders and Lovat Scouts, is also based here and open to the public. We spend time enjoying the exhibits, wandering the ramparts, dolphin spotting along the walls overlooking the Firth with views over to Chanonry Point, before moving on to our next destination.

We turn left as we leave the fort, taking us near Whiteness Head, obscured by trees for the most part. It is worth mentioning that the area, now deserted, was once the thriving Port of Ardersier. McDermotts had a 3,000-strong workforce here at an oil rig construction yard which closed in 2002 after 30 years of operation. All that remains is one big shed as the area has been cleared.  

We walk the minor roads heading east, joining the A96 for a short time before turning left onto a track which will lead us down onto Nairn’s seafront.